Saint Lucia's Rollercoaster Start at the CARICOM Chess Championship

A quartet of talented chess players from Saint Lucia is actively participating this week against the top competitors in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Classic Team Chess Tournament. Taking place at the Pegasus Suites and Corporate Centre in Georgetown, Guyana, the tournament includes eight national teams. The roster comprises Candidate Master Kaieem Elizee, Woman Candidate Master Chelsea Wahid, Sixtus Gabriel, and Kiara Lambert, competing in a time-controlled round-robin format. This inaugural event, launched in March 2024, aims to promote cultural exchange, sportsmanship, and intellectual excellence. During the first two days of matches, Gabriel, head of the Saint Lucia Chess Federation, triumphed over Guyanese Candidate Master Sachin Pitamber, though he succumbed to Jamaican FIDE Master Joshua Christie. Elizee bested Guyana’s Keron Sandiford before losing to Jamaican FIDE Master Shreyas Smith. Wahid secured a victory against Guyana’s Aniyah Crouchman but faced defeat from Jamaica’s Amy Stephenson. Meanwhile, 13-year-old Lambert encountered challenges against Guyana’s Woman Candidate Master Sasha Shariff and Jamaica’s Kaia Gayle. After a day of sightseeing and a blitz tournament, play resumes on Friday. Other teams participating include hosts Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Suriname, Dominica, and Barbados. The FIDE-rated CARICOM Classic is set to be held biennially, with...