Abel Fernandez and Kataleya Sam are Guyana’s new Under-12 Chess Champions for 2025.
They performed splendidly in the National U12 Chess Championships hosted by the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) under sponsorship of Moo Milk, which went off without a hitch on Saturday, January 19, in the Oasis Terrace Room of the Guyana Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown.
Some 54 players participated in these championships, the largest ever number to participate in an under-12 tournament, with 38 being boys and 16 being girls. The seven-round competition showcased outstanding talent from young upcoming chess enthusiasts and fierce competition from the more experienced players in the junior divisions vying for top honours in the Open and Girls categories.
Abel Fernandez, a newcomer to the scene, copped the Open Category of the Championship when he defeated his opponents to become the holder of the 2025 title; while the defending Girls Champion Kataleya Sam successfully regained her crown after playing unbeaten in the seven rounds.
A look at the participants in the National U12 Championships
The Open category was hotly contested, with Fernandez winning with 6 points. The 2024 Open U12 Champion Jeremy Cole placed second with 5.5 points, while Yan Wen Chen took third place also with 5.5 points. In the Girls category, Chelsea Harrison copped second place with 5 points, while Rebha Lachman placed third, also with 5 points.
Category prizes went to the Best U10 player in the Open Category, Aiden Tinnie; while Saura Ruplall won Best U10 player in the Girls Category.
The Best U8 prizes went respectively to Zidane Harmon and Isabella Loy in the Open and Girls categories.
Medals were presented to the second and third places for the U10 and U8 age categories. Placing second and third for the U10 Open were Javier Davenand with 5 points, and Vir Narine with 5 points. Amy Ramphal and Divya Persaud placed second and third respectively in the Girls Category.
From the youngsters in the U8 Open, Avery Munroe and Ian Charles took home medals for placing second and third respectively, and the U8 Girls Malia Thompson and Maya Khan earned their second and third spots respectively.
Each participant was presented with a certificate of participation by Moo Milk representative Ms. Shannon Savory, who also presented the trophies and medals.
The Rapid Chess competition was set to seven rounds each for both the Open and Girls Categories, and was played in the Swiss format, with a time control of 20 minutes plus 5-second increments after the first move. The competition featured top-tier players vying for the titles, with several girls achieving outstanding results. This year’s event underscored the continued growth of junior chess in Guyana, evidenced by the encouraging turnout of young players eager to test their skills.
The 2025 National Under-12 Chess Championships were a true testament to the dedication and talent of young Guyanese chess players, and many are already looking forward to the next tournament.
In a solicited comment, the President of the Guyana Chess Federation, Mr. Anand Raghunauth, remarked, “The U12 serves as a significant entry point into competitive chess for young players. It offers an excellent opportunity for parents to recognize their children’s potential and for chess coaches to identify new talent. The tournament contributes to the overall development of both the young players and the sport of chess as a whole.”
The competition was overseen by Chief Arbiter John Lee, who was assisted by Jessica Callender, Kim Shing Chong, Ricardo Narine, Odit Rodrigues, Italy Ton-Chung, Ethan Lee, Oluwadare Oyeyipo and Kishan Puran.
The Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) has expressed sincere gratitude to DeSinco Trading for their generous support through the Moo Milk brand, which made this event possible. The GCF also thanked the Guyana Pegasus Hotel for graciously hosting the tournament at their unique venue.
The GCF also congratulated all the young participants for their incredible display of skill and strategic ability.
