Barbados Set for CARIFTA Hybrid Chess Championship 2026

The road to regional honours continues next month as Barbadian players prepare to compete in the CARIFTA Hybrid Chess Championship 2026, bringing together some of the Caribbean’s strongest chess talent.

Scheduled for July 11–12, 2026, the championship will see players from more than 20 CARIFTA territories compete simultaneously from approved national venues in a FIDE-regulated hybrid format using the Tornelo platform.

The event features competition in the Open, Women’s, Under-18, Under-16, Under-14, Under-12, Under-10 and Under-8 categories, with all youth divisions contested over nine rounds and rated for FIDE Rapid.

More than just another tournament, CARIFTA offers Barbadian players the chance to measure themselves against the region’s best, earn international rating points and strengthen the island’s standing in Caribbean chess. Youth competitors will also have the opportunity to earn Participation Bonds for the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Festival, while the Open and Women’s divisions will compete for a combined US$5,000 prize fund.

The Barbados Chess Federation encourages players of all eligible categories to be part of one of the region’s premier chess events as Barbados once again takes its place on the Caribbean chessboard.

Details on Barbados’ venue will be released shortly.

Regulations governing the tournament are below.