Emar Edwards to Represent Barbados at Caribbean Chess Cup in Aruba

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Barbados will be represented by Emar Edwards at the 2026 Caribbean Chess Cup, which got underway on August 19 at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Aruba.

Edwards is competing in the Open section of the regional tournament, which runs from August 19 to 23 and features players from across the Caribbean and further afield.

The Barbadian enters the nine-round Swiss tournament as the eighth seed, with a FIDE rating of 1941. The Open field is headed by Dominican Republic International Master Josue Araujo Sanchez, rated 2299, followed by Trinidad and Tobago’s FIDE Master Quinn Cabralis, rated 2250. (⁠Chess Results)

President of the Barbados Chess Federation, Allan Herbert, said Edwards’ participation provides another important opportunity for Barbados to test its players against strong regional competition.

“Emar has continued to develop into one of Barbados’ leading players, and the Caribbean Chess Cup gives him another opportunity to compete against some of the best players in our region. We are pleased to have Barbados represented in Aruba and wish him every success over the nine rounds. Competitions like these are important as we continue to strengthen our players and raise Barbados’ standing in Caribbean chess.”

The Open Championship is being organised by the Aruba Chess Federation and is being played at a time control of 90 minutes plus a 30-second increment from move one. The tournament is FIDE-rated and comprises nine rounds. (⁠Chess Results)

Edwards is currently the highest-seeded player from the English-speaking Caribbean outside Trinidad and Tobago in the published starting list, ahead of representatives from Saint Lucia, The Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Grenada and Antigua and Barbuda. (⁠Chess Results)

The Caribbean Chess Cup also includes Under-18 and Under-12 competitions.

ENDS

Tournament results and pairings: ⁠Caribbean Chess Cup 2026 – Open

Barbados Names Teams for 2026 Chess Olympiad

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The Barbados Chess Federation has announced its teams for the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from September 15–27, 2026.

OPEN TEAM

  1. IM Orlando Husbands
  2. FM Martyn Del Castilho
  3. FM Justin Blackman
  4. Emar Edwards
  5. CM Justin Parsons

WOMEN’S TEAM

  1. WFM Hannah Wilson
  2. WCM Julissa Figueroa
  3. WCM Chanon Reifer-Belle
  4. WCM Kiarra Eversley
  5. Gaybrianna Moore

Every player selected has previous Olympiad experience.

The teams will be supported by a new husband-and-wife coaching duo from Belarus. GM Sergey Kasparov will coach the Open team, while WIM Tatiana Kasparova will lead the Women’s team.

BCF President Allan Herbert said:

“Both teams comprise experienced Olympiad players, and the appointment of GM Sergey Kasparov and WIM Tatiana Kasparova will further strengthen our preparations. Our goal is to improve on our 2024 performance by securing a top-100 finish, placing in the top 10 of Group D and finishing as the highest-placed English-speaking Caribbean team. We are confident that our players will represent Barbados with pride and determination.”

— END —

Barbados Chess Federation
www.barbadoschess.org

Registration Opens for VEXX Chess Tournament 2026

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The Barbados Chess Federation invites players to register for the VEXX Chess Tournament 2026, featuring Open FIDE-rated and Novice sections over seven rounds.

The first four rounds will be played at the BCC Science Auditorium on August 22–23, with the tournament moving to the Wildey Gymnasium for the final three rounds on August 29–30.

Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three finishers in both sections. Registration has been extended to Friday, August 21, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.

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REGISTER

For further information, contact Kelvin Daniel at 234-1659.

Chess for All

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♟️ Chess for everyone. Opportunity for everyone.

On Friday, July 24, 2026, the Barbados Chess Federation, with the generous support of FIDE – the International Chess Federation, donated Braille chess sets and talking chess clocks to the National United Society of the Blind, marking another important step towards making chess more accessible in Barbados.

The presentation took place at the Barrack Building in Warrens and was attended by:
• Hon. Adrian Forde, M.P., Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment
• Allan Herbert, President, Barbados Chess Federation
• Dirk Austin, Coach
• Ralbert Ashton, President, National United Society of the Blind
• Kerryann Ifill, Immediate Past President, National United Society of the Blind
• Mark Franklin, Acting Permanent Secretary
• Julia Atkins, Acting Deputy Permanent Secretary

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Forde pledged his support for a future national chess tournament for the blind and visually impaired community.

BCF President Allan Herbert noted that the donation forms part of FIDE’s 2025 Social Chess Initiative, which promotes inclusion and expands access to chess for underrepresented communities worldwide.

Both the Ministry and the Barbados Chess Federation reaffirmed their commitment to creating a pathway for persons with disabilities to participate fully in national chess competitions.

Together, we’re ensuring that the game of chess is truly a game for all. ♟️🇧🇧

Bajan players do well at Carifta chess championships

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Barbados chess players reaped some glory when the 2026 Carifta chess championships were played via the hybrid system  during the July 11- 12 weekend.

A hybrid chess event is when the event is played online on a playing platform, but all the players in a country play from a dedicated site under the supervision of an arbiter, the equivalent of a referee in chess.

The Carifta youth event was played in the Under 8 – 18 , with sections being played in the even years, so Under 8, Under 10 etc., up to Under 18. Both sexes played together, but there were separate prizes for the males and females.

In the Under 18 Female section, woman FIDE master Hannah Wilson won with 7 points from her 9 games. This was impressive as she finished only a point behind the first-place finisher in the combined group Corbin Harvey of Jamaica, who was the male champion. Thirty-five players from 13 countries took part in this section.

The next player who finished well in the event was Charis Stuart, who finished second in the Under 14 Open section. He scored 7 ½ points from his 9 games and  finished a half point behind Jacek Lau of Trinidad, but ahead of Timothy Offers of Suriname in third with 7 points. In this section, 66 players participated from 13 regional countries.

Jeremiah Farley, who has been in good form recently, finished in a five -ways tie for first in the Under 12 Open section, but had to settle for 2nd place on the tie-break. Aihein Sampi of Surinam was declared the champion, ahead of Farley, Arty Clarke(Cayman Islands), Nicholas Mc Letchie(Trinidad and Tobago), and Noelle Noble(Jamaica). There were 64 players from 12 countries in this section.

Nia-Snow Clarke finished on 5 points to be fifth placed female in the Under 10 section. Rhea Gardener of Jamaica won this section with 6 points.

Raef Clarke of Barbados came 3rd in the Under 8 Open section with 6 points. He finished behind Ross Blackwood and Christian Moore both of the Cayman Islands.

On the Sunday after the youth event, the Open and female sections of the event were conducted. Barbados had a small contingent of Emar Edwards in the Open section, while Woman Fide master Hannah Wilson and woman candidate master Chanon Reifer-Belle partook in the female section.

Again, the two females did very well, with Wilson finishing in second place just ahead of Reifer-Belle on the tie-break after both players scored 7 points from their 9 games.

The overall winner of the female section was woman candidate master Elise Wu of Surinam. Forty-eight players participated in the event, representing 14 different countries overall. The two Bajan lasses will be off competing in the Central American and Caribbean games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic from July 25 – 28.

In the Open section, Edwards found the going a little tougher and finished with 6 points from his 9 matches to rank 20th from 101 players taking part from 13 countries. This section of the event was won by Fide Master Joshua Johnson of Trinidad ahead on the tie-break from his fellow countryman Kevin Cupid, after both players scored 7 ½ players. Jason Yeung of Suriname finished in third place in the tie-break again ahead of Ryan Harper of Trinidad with both players scoring 7 points.

The revised Carifta played as a hybrid event was a success with roughly 500 participants taking part from 14 countries and it’s hoped that it can grow even bigger next yea

Chess crowns new National Youth champions

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Barbados toasted several new champions recently as the 2026 National  Youth Chess championships were completed at the St. Michael School.

The championships are played from ages 8 to 18 with each category being played in the even-years. Also, they are distinct prizes given out for the female prizes separate from the males.
All age categories were played as combined groups due to a limited number of female players.

In the Under 8 Open section, Raef Clarke was the winner with 6 points from his 6 games, followed by Giovannia Jacobs on 5 and Kai Hargesheimer with four points, respectively. The Under 8 female champion was Ava Griffith , followed by Naariah Thornhill in second and Anaya Lakhani, in third.

In the Under 10 Open seton, Lukas Coppin was the champion with 5 points, followed by  A’dyn Gittens on four ahead of Liam Martin in third also on four, via the tie-break. The Under 10 female champion was Nia Inniss with 5 points, ahead of Nia-Snow Clarke in second with four points and Daesha-Rose Parris with 3 ½ in third position.

In the Under 12 Open section, Dominic Cadogan was the winner with an impressive 5 ½ points from his 6 games. Zane Ward was second on 4 ½ points, while Aidan Goodard was third with four. Janiyah Browne won the Under 12 female section with 5 points, followed by Sameera Jaikaran with 3 ½ in second and Naja Howard in third with three points.

Charis Stuart put in an excellent performance to win the under 14 Open section with a clear 6 points. He was followed in second by Aidan Singh and Jonathan Griffith in 2nd and 3rd respectively with 4 ½ points. Singh, taking the higher position due to a better tie-break. Jaeda Herbert captured the female Under 14, ahead of Rebekah Lashley in second and Najara gamble in third.

While Aaron Jaikaran captured third place in the Under 16 Open with 4 points, the championship will be decided by a playoff at a later date between Savion Litte and Mileke Sinckler after both players finished the event with 5 points. Alternatively, Kayla Culpepper would have captured the Female Under 16 title, ahead of Naomi Lewis in second place.

The Under 18 female section had a small turnout which  saw Woman Fide Master Hannah Wilson capture the female title, while Noah Clarke won the Under 18 Open ahead of Eden Gibson.

Registration Deadline Extended for Third National Chess Championship Qualifier

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The Barbados Chess Federation has extended the registration deadline for the 2026 F.M. Dr. Philip Corbin Chess Open, the third and final qualifier for the 2026 National Chess Championship Finals.

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Players now have until 12 p.m. on Wednesday, July 15, 2026 to register.

The seven-round, FIDE-rated tournament gets underway at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 15, at the Barbados Football Association Conference Room, Wildey, St. Michael. Competition will be offered in both the Open and Novice sections.

The top three finishers in the Open section will secure the final qualifying places for this year’s National Chess Championship Finals, making this the last opportunity for players to earn their place in Barbados’ premier national championship.

Interested players can register here online.

For further information, contact the Barbados Chess Federation or visit its official social media channels.

Young Bajan chess player Jeremiah Farley doing well in US chess event

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Four local chess players are currently playing in the prestigious World Open chess event taking place in Washington DC, U.S.A.

The group comprises four players, seasoned national representatives Emar Edwards and Justin Parsons, along with promising junior Jeremiah Farley and his dad Jefferson Farley who has had some recent success by winning a few novice events.

The event is played in six sections with an Open section and 5 ratings section going from Under 1400 to Under 2200 with each group being at 200 rating points intervals.

And it has been 12-year-old Jeremiah Farley who has been flying the Bajan flag the highest as he has had a dream start with 4 ½ points from his 5 games in the Under 2000 rating section. Jeremiah started out with three straight wins, before being held to a draw in round 4 by Jeremiah Beckles of the Unites States of America. He then bounced back in round 5  to defeat Gabriel Burgos also of the U.S.A. Jeremiah now sits in joint second place with 6 other players, a half point behind the leader Shreyas Rajendra in the 218-player strong field. He next faces Connor Laio of the US.

Emar Edwards and Justin Parsons are both participating in the Under 2200 rating section.
Edwards had a fantastic start, winning his first three games. He, however, has recorded two consecutive losses to have 3 points from his 5 games. He is in 71st place in the 263-player field and will be looking to finish strong in his last three games to improve his final position.

Justin Parsons has found the going tough and has two points from his 5 games. He was able to record a morale boosting victory in his last game against Navid Hakim of the US. Svetoslav Federov and Rahul Malayappan share the lead in this section with 5 points each.

Jefferson Farley playing in the Under 1600 rating section, in his first international event has also found the event challenging but has scored 1 ½ points so far. He like Parsons will seek to improve their results over their remaining matches.

Barbados Set for CARIFTA Hybrid Chess Championship 2026

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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.

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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.

CARIFTA_2026_Regulations (1)Download

♟️ Your Next Move Could Take You to Costa Rica

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Bridgetown Barbados. June 25, 2026 — The search is on for Barbados’ next generation of youth chess talent as the 2026 National Youth Chess Festival takes place on July 4–5, 2026.

The tournament will determine the country’s Official Players for the 2026 CAC Youth Chess Festival in Costa Rica, where Barbados will compete against the region’s top junior players.

Hosted annually, the CAC Youth Chess Festival attracts competitors from across the Caribbean and Central America, providing young players with the opportunity to gain international experience and earn valuable FIDE-ratings and international designations.

The Barbados Chess Federation is inviting entries in the Under-8, Under-10, Under-12, Under-14, Under-16 and Under-18 divisions.

Registration costs BBD $50, with a BCF Junior Membership fee of BBD $30 where applicable.

Registration closes at 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 2.

Players can register online or by scanning the QR code on the event flyer.