Latest update October 28th, 2026 10:25 AM
Queenside Rapid Chess Tournament successful
Thirteen year old, Angelina Yhap (left) emerged winner of the Queenside Chess Tournament for Beginners and Unrated Players events.
– Angelina Yhap emerges as winner
Kaieteur Sports – The Queenside Rapid Chess Tournament, sponsored by Jade’s Wok and Pinnacle Business Services, successfully wrapped up on Saturday, October 12th at the School of the Nations Campus in Kingston, Georgetown. Organised by the Guyana Women in Chess Community (GWICC), the tournament aimed to encourage female players of all ages who are new to chess, including those without an ELO rating, to compete.
Thirteen-year-old Angelina Yhap claimed the Queenside Championship Title for Beginners and Unrated Players, securing seven points. The Marian Academy student, who has been playing chess for two years, celebrated her first-ever tournament victory. Close on her heels, eleven-year-old Queen’s College student Rebha Lachman also finished with seven points, earning her second place, while twelve-year-old Lusianna Farlot from the New Guyana School took third place with six and a half points. Both girls only started playing chess earlier this year.
Marcia Lee secured fourth place with six points, followed by thirteen-year-old Claire Cole from Queen’s College and St. Roses student Kaija Clement, both also finishing with six points in fifth and sixth place, respectively. Other standout performances included Shreya Harjohn with five and a half points, while Faraa Gaskin, Bianca Jessimy, Kyla Jordan, Raphaella Omarao, and Arianne Lynch all ended with five points each.
The tournament awarded monetary prizes totaling fifty thousand dollars to the top three winners, and trophies were presented to the top five. Special awards included the Best Girl Prize for Kaija Clement, Best Woman Prize for Mrs. Amanda Alli, Best Beginner Prize for Kyla Jordan, and the Youngest Player Prize, which went to Amy Ramphal. National Women’s Chess Champion Jessica Callender presented the prizes.
The event attracted twenty-one girls and three women, who competed across nine rounds of rapid games 15 minutes per player with a 5-second increment per move). Nearly half of the participants, including all three women, were first-time competitors. The Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) looks forward to continued growth in participation, as more girls and women join the programme.
Tournament arbiters included Jessica Callender, Odit Rodrigues, and John Lee. GCF President Anand Raghunauth thanked the players for their enthusiasm, which contributed to the event’s success. He emphasized that while the girls were competing, they also had the chance to socialize and form lasting friendships with others who share their passion for chess.
The GCF also expressed gratitude to sponsors Pinnacle Business Services and Jade’s Wok for their ongoing support of chess in Guyana, and to the School of the Nations for stepping in at short notice to host the event. A follow-up rapid chess tournament for females is scheduled for Sunday, October 27th, and is open to all female players.
Queenside Rapid Chess Tournament winners share photo-op with individual trophies.
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