Couchman clinches national junior chess title

Kyle Couchman has been crowned the new National Junior Chess Champion, completing an impressive unbeaten run in the 2025 tournament held at the School of the Nations.

The 15-year-old dominated the nine-round competition, securing 8.5 points to finish half a point clear of the field.

His stellar performance follows a win at the National Junior Chess Qualifiers last month, cementing his status as one of the country’s top young players.

Couchman’s path to victory was almost flawless, with wins against every opponent. His only blemish came in the third round where he drew against the talented Micaiah Enoe.

Guyana’s youngest Candidate Master, Sachin Pitamber, finished a close second with 8 points. The 15-year-old was a strong contender for the title, but a crucial loss to Couchman in round four put him at a disadvantage he couldn’t overcome.

Two-time former champion Ricardo Narine finished third with 4.5 points in what was his final year competing at the junior level.

Narine will now look to transition into the senior ranks.

Enoe, who was competing in the championships for the first time, placed fourth on tie-breaks with 4.5 points, having secured three wins and three draws.

Woman Candidate Master Aditi Joshi also finished with 4.5 points to take fifth place, demonstrating resilience as the only female competitor in the event.

The remaining positions were filled by Jerod Roberts (4 points), Matthew Singh (3.5 points), Alexander Zhang (3 points), Nicholas Zhang (2.5 points), and the youngest competitor, 11-year-old Aquilani Swaminadha (2 points).

The under-20 players competed in a classical format with 90 minutes on the clock and an additional 30 seconds added after each move.