Pitamber reigns supreme in grueling National Junior Chess qualifiers

Candidate Master Sachin Pitamber has marched to victory in the 2026 National Junior Chess Championship Qualifiers after four days of gruelling, high-stakes drama at Liliendaal’s Olympic House.

The three-time National titleholder remained utterly unassailable throughout the EnerMech Guyana-sponsored seven-round tournament, navigating a fiercely competitive 75-player field to finish atop Group A with an unbeaten six points.

Though his march toward a perfect score was halted by stubborn defensive efforts in rounds five and six, Pitamber’s masterclass proved more than enough to claim the crown.

Hot on his heels was Woman Candidate Master and reigning National Women’s Champion Aditi Joshi, who secured a brilliant second place with 5.5 points. Joshi’s masterclass was blemished only by a fourth-round defeat to Pitamber himself and a late draw, comfortably earning her the tournament’s Best Female accolade.

Behind her, veteran composure carried Alexander Zhang to third on 5 points, matching the score of the formidable reigning National U-14 and U-16 Girls Champion, Kataleya Sam, who locked down fourth.

Jeremy Cole snatched fifth via tie-breakers, producing a stunning final-round upset over National U-14 Open Champion Abel Fernandez Ciria to punch his ticket to the main event.

The race for the remaining spots in the coveted top nine was a tense affair, with Nicholas Zhang, Matthew Singh, Darrel Abrams, and National U-12 Open Champion Aiden Tinne all holding their nerve to finish on 4.5 points.

These nine qualifiers have now earned the right to challenge reigning National Junior Champion Kyle Couchman in what promises to be a blockbuster, ten-player round-robin tournament starting Monday, July 13th.

Meanwhile, the newly minted Group B delivered the sort of grandstand finish chess purists dream of, culminating in a dramatic three-way tie at the summit.

When the tie-breaker arithmetic finally settled, Nikhail Raghubir was declared victorious over Tremeur Alleyne and Shurlan Sparman after all three finished on a blistering six points.

Alleyne, representing Christ Church Secondary School, wouldn’t leave empty-handed, claiming the top prize in the Ministry of Education’s Priority Areas School Chess Training Program category.

Reflecting on a historic week for Guyanese chess, Guyana Chess Federation President Anand Raghunauth hailed the event as the strongest qualifier in history, pointing to a record-breaking average Elo rating as proof that the nation’s youth development pipeline is paying massive dividends. (Modified Press Release)