Queen’s College sweep national inter-school chess titles

Queen’s College cemented its status as the dominant force in Guyanese junior chess, sweeping both the Open and Girls Team titles at the National Inter-School Chess Tournament hosted by the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) on Monday.

The competition, held at Bishop’s High School, featured approximately 235 students from 18 schools, marking the largest-ever chess event held in the country—a testament to the rapid growth of the GCF’s Chess in Schools programme.

The Queen’s College Open team, featuring talents like Alexander Zhang, Kyle Couchman, WCM Aditi Joshi, and CM Sachin Pitamber, achieved a perfect score of 20 points to claim the Open Team category gold comfortably.

Marian Academy took second place (13.5 points), ahead of School of the Nations (11.5 points).

The Girls’ side replicated the success, with the Queen’s College quartet of Ciel Clement, Kataleya Sam, Parnita Kishun, and Saura Ruplall securing the title with 18.5 points. New Guyana School finished second (11.5 points).

In the Individual Championship, Queen’s College talent again shone brightest. Nicholas Zhang emerged as the unbeaten overall champion, while his schoolmate Omar Shariff claimed second place.

A central focal point of the tournament was the success of the teams benefitting from the Ministry of Education’s Priority Areas Programme, which aims to introduce chess to schools with limited prior access.

Richard Ishmael Secondary demonstrated the initiative’s effectiveness by excelling in this section, winning the first-place trophy in both the Open and Girls Team categories.

This highlighted the programme’s role in promoting chess development and its ability to increase participation and competitive standards nationwide rapidly.

The GCF extended gratitude to all participants for their enthusiasm and sportsmanship, confirming that the annual tournament is expected to expand next year to include other regions across Guyana.