After 4 rounds of the 7 in the 2026 Kevin Denny Open chess tournament, two juniors lead in each of the two sections of the event.

In the Fide rated section of the event, 12-year-old Jeremiah Farley has the sole lead with 4 points from his 4 matches.

Jeremiah who has just returned from campaigning at the PanAmerican Scholastics Under 13 championships in El Salvador, has been in great form as he has defeated all his opponents inclusive of an upset victory over the number two seed Justin Parsons. In the last round, Jeremiah defeated Allan Herbert after a long and intense battle. The game seem heading for a draw with and endgame where both players had opposite colored bishops. However, Herbert lost the plot and succumbed to defeat.

Five players sit a point adrift of Jeremiah in joint second. These include Herbert, Fide master, Dr. Philip Corbin, Justin Kirton, woman Fide master Hannah Wilson and Mark-John Alleyne. In the last round Corbin played to a draw with Parsons, Kirton defeated Charis Stuart, Wilson won from Rebekah Lashley, while Alleyne garnered the full point from Ronaldo Rochester, after his position looked precarious at one point. Alleyne is the top seed in the event and is making a return to active over the board play after a long break.

The players in second will feel they all have a chance to still capture the event in the 20-player field. The featured match in the next round will see Dr. Corbin with the white pieces playing the leader Jeremiah Farley. Other important matches will see Wilson will face Alleyne, while Herbert will battle Kirton.

In the Novice section, the even younger 7 years old Raef Clarke is the leader with 4 points also after 4 rounds from the 20-player field. 

In the latest round he won from default against the then co-leader Ernest King to take control of the event. Just as in the Fide rated section, 5 players lie in joint second position with three points. These are King, Kevin St. Hill, Junior Corbin, Liam Martin and Jerome Stuart.

The featured games of the next round will see Clarke versus Corbin, King against St. Hill and Stuart taking on Martin.

Action continues this Friday evening at 6.00 p.m. at the Barbados Football Association headquarters in Wildey. The event will then climax with games on Saturday at 4.00 p.m. and Sunday at 10.00 a.m. At stake in the Fide rated section are three qualifying spots for the 2026 Barbados Open Championship finals for the first three finishers.