CARICOM Classic Chess: T&T holding lead after crucial face-off with Jamaica

Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) strengthened its grip on the 2025 CARICOM Classic Team Chess Tournament, continuing to lead after surpassing Jamaica in Round Five played on Friday July 4, 2025, at the Pegasus Hotel.

The Jamaicans were trailing their Trinidadian opponents by a slim margin after Round Four on Wednesday. Trinidad has now accumulated 18 points, while Jamaica is on 16.5 after five rounds.

The four-member team from the twin-island Republic- FM Joshua Johnson, FM Kevin Cupid, WFM Ysvett Hermoso Rodriguez and WCM Zara La Fleur- faced the Jamaican quartet- FM Joshua Christie, FM Shreyas Smith, Amy Stephenson and Kaia Gayle- in a crucial round to influence the accumulated team points among the leading participants in the tournament.

The only win was scored by Rodriguez (T&T) over her opponent Amy Stephenson to further edge past Jamaica.

Johnson (T&T) and Christie (Jamaica) played to a draw after neither opponent, with opposite-coloured Bishops, was able to convert their endgame position into a win.

The other male players Kevin Cupid (T&T) and Shreyas Smith (Jamaica) also drew their match and female players WCM Zara La Fleur (T&T) and Kaia Gayle (Jamaica) registered a drawn encounter as well.

Meanwhile, also in Round Five of the round-robin event, Guyana Team A faced Guyana Team B. An upset victory by CM Sachin Pitamber over his opponent and compatriot CM Taffin Khan highlighted that round.

Pitamber successfully breached Khan’s King defences and pinned an immobile Bishop to gain a material advantage. Khan resigned his King and lost the match on move 32, avoiding certain checkmate.

After five rounds, the points standings are Trinidad and Tobago 18, Jamaica 16.5, Suriname 16, Barbados 12, Guyana 11, Cayman Islands 10.5, St. Lucia nine and Dominica 0.5.

In the junior Under-16 individual category, Barbadian Mileke Sinckler and Surinamese Ravish Ramesar jointly sit at the top (17.5), followed by Nicholas Zhang of Guyana (16.5).

Kataleya Sam, Jeremy Cole and Arysh Raghunauth, also of Guyana, are on a joint score with Barbadian Noah Clarke (15.5).

Results for Rounds Six to Nine will be disclosed as the tournament winds down. Forty players are participating in the team competition, while 48 are staking their claims in the individual U-16 category.