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.

Corbin and Corbin take International master Kevin Denny Chess tournament

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Veteran FIDE master Dr. Philip Corbin and young Junior Corbin, unrelated, won the two sections of the 2026 I.M. Kevin Denny Open chess tournament when the event was completed at the Barbados Football Association headquarters over the last weekend.

In the Fide rated section of the event, Philip Corbin rolled back the years to record his first tournament victory in many years in what turned out to be a highly competitive section.

It all came down to the last round, where Jeremiah Farley went into his last match a half point ahead of Dr. Philip Corbin and current ladies champion woman fide master Hannah Wilson. Farley faced off against Justin Kirton, while Philip would match wits with Wilson.

In a tense atmosphere, Farley fought well but eventually found himself down some pawns in the late middle game and Kirton was able to use these extra pawns to secure victory.

While that was occurring, Philip was able to work up a furious attack on Wilson’s king in the center, where she inexcusably left it. In his element, Philip was able to apply significant pressure and was on the verge of winning a piece when Wilson resigned from the game. With these two results, it meant that Philip had leapfrogged Farley in the standings to finish in first on 5 ½ points, while Farley would come second on the tie-break with 5 points.

Justin Parsons also finished with 5 points along with Kirton and Ronaldo Rochester as all these players won their individual last round games. Parsons edged out the other two on the tie-break to finish third and grab the final qualifier spot from this event for the 2026 National Open chess championship finals.

Other victories in the last round came for Othneil Harewood, Jefferson Farley, Cyprian La Touche, Rebekah Lashley, Sameera Jaikaran and Paul Thompson.

In the Novice unrated section, it was even more tight as three players finished on 6 points, and it was Junior Corbin who won on tie-break ahead of Raef Clarke and Kevin St. Hill.

Going into the last round, all the three mentioned players topped the leader board with 5 points and all three duly won their respective matches to finish on 6.

Clarke would have led the event alone after 4 rounds with four straight victories, but when he fell to defeat against Corbin in round 5, it was now a matter of who could hold on to clinch victory. St. Hill also showed good staying power as also only last one of his 7 matches.

Other results in the last round saw victories for William Allen, Miguel Mings, Kendrick Corbin, Nia Snow Clarke, and James Alleyne.

With roughly 40 players competing in the two sections the event was deemed a success. It is played in honor of international master Kevin Denny, a thirteen-time national chess champion and is the second qualifier for the National Open chess championship finals.

The next event on the calendar will be the 2026 Primary Interschool team chess championship to be played June 18 – 19.

Young Players lead 2026 Kevin Denny chess tournament

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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.