University of Guyana student Keron Sandiford is the new Milex Junior Chess Champion. During the 8th round of the tournament, Sandiford had disposed of Ricardo Narine, last year’s champion and his biggest obstacle. Queen’s College student Kyle Couchman placed second in the tournament and Ethan Lee was third. Meanwhile, the seven-round Women’s National Qualifiers Tournament begins on July 29 and runs until August 6.
The high-ranking Men’s Milex Junior Chess Championship was held at the Providence National Stadium.
The Guyana Junior tournament is important because it would, ideally, identify the champions of the future. The 2023 National Chess Championships would, provocatively, be interesting, for both the men and women. Our seasoned chess champions would have the task of disposing of the top finishers of the Junior Championships and possible overseas entrants.
Championship and Queen’s
College student Kyle Couchman
According to Loris Nathoo, a director of the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF), all Guyanese overseas entrants are welcome to contest the Nationals. The GCF will give the Guyanese overseas entrants an opportunity to compete in the classical Grand Prix tournaments, including the 2023 and 2024 Nationals, and eventually represent Guyana at the international level.
Nathoo put it this way: “If a Guyanese overseas entrant wins the Nationals, and the year is an Olympiad year, he/she would represent Guyana on Board 1 at the Olympiad”. It means Guyana would be presenting its finest chess players to the world. I am aware the cities of New York and New Jersey are abundant with Guyanese chess players and I’m hoping 
someone will take up the offer of competing in the Grand Prix and the Nationals. The first Grand Prix tournament is scheduled for the month of August.
Meanwhile, at the international level, the Women’s World Championship Match in China ends tomorrow. The defending champion Ju Wenjun and challenger Lei Tinglie, are both Chinese. Recently, Ding Liren won the Men’s World Championship Chess Match versus Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi, thereby cementing China’s supremacy. 
