The DeSinco Ltd. National Under12 Chess Championships took place on January 28th at School of the Nations, with 25 talented children participating. The tournament saw intense competition among the top players, striving to become national champions. Seven rounds were played with a time control of 20 minutes per player and an additional 5 seconds added to the clock after each move.
Nine-year-old Aquilani Swaminadha emerged as the Under12 Open Championship winner with 5.5 wins. He defeated Jacob McDonald, Joseph Prendergast, Javier Davenand, Julian Mohabir, and Arush Ramnarine and earned a half-point from a draw against Nicholas Zhang in the fifth round. Swaminadha also won the award for Best Under-10 player. Nicholas Zhang came in second place with the same number of points but was ranked below Swaminadha due to the Buchholz tiebreak system. Jacob McDonald took third place with 5 points, followed by Jeremy Cole, Julian Mohabir, and Arush Ramnarine, who came in fourth, fifth, and sixth, respectively.
The Girls Under12 champion is nine-year-old Kataleya Sam, who finished ninth overall with 4 points. She took home the award for Best Under-10 female player. Chelsea Harrison came in second place for the girls with 2.5 points, followed by Skyler Gurchuran in third place with the same number of points. Seven-year-old Landon Mohabir, the youngest player in the tournament, was honored with a trophy as the Best Under-8 player, having scored three points after defeating Harrison, Ethon Marks, and Lucas Smith.
The Guyana Chess Federation was impressed with the players’ performances, many of whom are part of their training programs. FIDE Arbiters John Lee and National Arbiter Jessica Callender oversaw the tournament. The GCF expresses gratitude to the School of the Nations for providing the venue and hosting the weekly chess club for school-aged children on Saturdays. The GCF also thanks its sponsor DeSinco Limited for their support in the development of youth chess in Guyana.
Congratulations to all the winners and participants in the tournament. The next tournament, the Under14 Nationals, will take place in February, and details will be announced soon.
