Cayman Islands Chess Federation

*** CICF Summer Rapid Tournament won by defending champion Mike McDonald; Emily Emanuel wins the U1500 section on debut! ***

The CICF Summer Rapid Chess Tournament was held today, Sunday 7 June 2026, at John Gray High School, featuring tough competition in the Open and U1500 sections.

Full results:

Open Section:
1st Mike McDonald
2nd NM Ryan Blackwood
3rd CM Shaun Tracey

Open Section Top Female:
1st Abbie McClenaghan
2nd Lia Dimitrova

Top absolute in the U-1500:
1st Emily Emanuel
2nd Reshmila Ramachandran
3rd Ross Blackwood

U-1500 Top Female:
1st Emily Emanuel
2nd Reshmila Ramachandran
3rd Riyashini Reddy

Both of our champions made a perfect score of 6/6!

Many congratulations to all, and our thanks to Tournament Director Coach Enfield Bush, to all parents and supporters and to JGHS.

*** “Battle of the Best" – Cayman Islands Government Schools Online Chess Championship 2026 ***

Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM – Approximately 10:10 AM
Platform: ChessKid.com
Format: 11-Round Swiss System
Time Control: 3 Minutes per Player (3+0)
Duration:70 min approx

The Cayman Islands Chess Federation (CICF), through its highly successful Chess in Education (CIE) Programme, proposes the staging of the first-ever Government Schools Online Battle Arena Championship.

This landmark event will bring together the strongest student chess players from government schools currently participating in the Chess in Education Programme. The championship will serve as a celebration of student achievement, strategic thinking, sportsmanship, and the continued growth of chess across Cayman Islands schools.

The tournament aims to identify the "Best of the Best" among government school chess players while creating what is expected to be a record-breaking online chess event for the Cayman Islands educational system.

The following government schools with active Chess in Education programmes will be invited to participate:

- John Gray High School (JGHS)
- Clifton Hunter High School (CHHS)
- Lighthouse School (LHS)
- Red Bay Primary School (RBPS)
- Edna Moyle Primary School (EMPS)
- Theoline L. McCoy Primary School (TMPS)
- Prospect Primary School (PPS)
- Sir John A. Cumber Primary School (SJACPS)
- Marie Martin Primary School / (PIN) Programme

Objectives

The championship seeks to:

1. Showcase the success of the CICF Chess in Education Programme.
2. Promote the partnership with ChessKid.com
3. Foster healthy competition and school pride.
4. Provide students with an exciting national platform to demonstrate their chess abilities.
5. Strengthen collaboration among participating government schools.
6. Identify top-performing players across the programme.
7. Create a historic and record-breaking online chess event within the Cayman Islands educational system.

Competition Format

- 11-Round Swiss Tournament
- 3 Minutes per Player (3+0)
- Conducted entirely online through ChessKid.com

Schedule

Time| Activity
8:45 AM| Player Login & Check-in
9:00 AM| Round 1 Begins
10:10 AM (Approx.)| Final Round Completed
10:15 AM| Results Verification & Awards Announcement

Expected Outcomes

- Highlight the exceptional progress made by students participating in the Chess in Education Programme.
- Demonstrate the effectiveness of integrating chess into educational development.
- Generate excitement and motivation among current and future student participants.
- Provide valuable data on player performance across schools.
- Strengthen the national profile of school chess in the Cayman Islands.

Recognition & Awards

- Overall Champion
- 2nd Place
- 3rd Place
- Top Primary School Player
- Top Secondary School Player
- Top Female Players
- Best Performing School
- Highest Average Team Score

Historical Significance

This championship has the potential to become the largest and most significant online inter-school chess competition ever conducted among Cayman Islands government schools.

By bringing together students from multiple schools simultaneously on a single competitive platform, the event will serve as a powerful demonstration of the impact and reach of the Cayman Islands Chess Federation's Chess in Education Programme.

The Government Schools Online Battle Arena Championship will not only identify the strongest student chess players in the programme but will also showcase the Cayman Islands as a regional leader in educational chess development and innovation.

The Cayman Islands Chess Federation proudly invites all participating government schools to be part of this historic occasion. Together, we will celebrate excellence, encourage student achievement, and showcase the remarkable success of the Chess in Education Programme.

One Championship. One Platform. One Opportunity to Crown the Best of the Best.

NM Ryan Blackwood
Youth Chess Director
Cayman Islands Chess Federation

The Cayman Islands Chess Federation wishes a very happy birthday to Grandmaster Nigel Short MBE!

Nigel is a long-standing friend of the CICF who was instrumental in its formation in 2019 and admission to FIDE in 2020.

These photos are from Nigel’s visits to Grand Cayman in 2017 (for our first Grandmaster Corporate Challenge fundraiser) and in 2019 for meetings with Government and the launch of the federation.

We also introduced Nigel to the stingrays…!

Happy birthday Nigel!

*** CICF Summer Rapid 7 June @ John Gray High School - Registration open, in Open & U1500 categories ***

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdJmGErjI6Y_GgXjVgVY4ljpP6FHDoRvSaezybQu76u0e7QFg/viewform

*** Community congratulations post ***

At its heart, the Cayman Islands Chess Federation is a community institution, so we pause to congratulate some of our members on personal milestones.

Congratulations to Pallavi Patil upon being chosen as a featured artist within Cayman Art Week. Pallavi’s watercolors are being exhibited today at Indigo Bay in Grand Harbor!

Congratulations to Laia and Rhea Swaminathan upon graduating Cayman International School. Laia and Rhea both competed against Grandmaster Nigel Short in his simultaneous display at the George Town Public Library in 2017, and Laia went on to represent the Cayman Islands at the FIDE Chess Olympiads in Chennai (2022) and Budapest (2024), earning the Woman Candidate Master for her performance on board one. Rhea has been active as a writer, including for the Camana Bay Times. Laia is pursing a career in medicine and Rhea plans to go into law. Congratulations to both!

Finally, we congratulate Christopher and Danielle Young upon the marriage of their daughter Saskia!

*** Cayman Islands Chess Federation represented at Cayman Youth Asset Fair 2026 ***

The Cayman Islands Chess Federation is presently participating in the launch edition of the Cayman Youth Asset, which brings together youth development organizations and young people to promote youth development in the Cayman Islands.

This special event was honoured by the presence and inspirational words of Her Excellency the Governor of the Cayman Islands Mrs Jane Owen.

The event is organized by the Cayman Islands Youth Development Consortium led by Dr Sylvia Wilks and promoted by the Cayman Islands young parliamentarians which include Cayman Islands National chess team member, WCM Zara Majid, whose introductory remarks welcomed attendees to the event.

The CICF is being represented by CICF directors Sophia Graham and Michelle & Fayad Majid, and Proud of Them Honouree Dez Graham - many thanks.

Online adult beginner classes available this week, taught by WIM Anzel Laubscher, FIDE Senior Lead Instructor - and former Cayman Islands national chess coach.

Registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSect3aHtkz1LLc1_H8ZOTrFfGuQnMrZFcU0iBKxv9qZYYw4GA/viewform?usp=publish-editor

*** CICF Masterclass continues at GT public library tomorrow, Saturday 23 May, from 10am-12 noon. Free of charge. ***

*** Cayman Players Shine at XXVII IRT Americas Hybrid Tournament ***

Nineteen players representing the Cayman Islands Chess Federation (CICF) participated in the XXVII IRT Americas Hybrid Tournament hosted over the weekend by the Venezuelan Chess Federation. The Cayman delegation competed across four sections, with John Gray High School serving as the official hybrid venue.

Cayman’s young players delivered outstanding performances throughout the event, highlighted by a dominant showing in the Under-10 section. Ross Blackwood captured first place with an impressive score of 6 points from 7 games, while brothers Matthew and Christian Moore tied for second place on 5/7 to complete a Cayman clean sweep of the section.

In the Under-12 section, Arty Clarke secured second place with 5½/7 and gained an impressive 77 international rating points. Lia Dimitova also performed strongly, finishing fifth overall and earning the title of top female player in the section.

The Under-14 section saw another excellent result for Cayman, with Julian Rasch finishing unbeaten on 6/7 to claim first place while adding 63 rating points to his international rating.

In the Open section, Lyubomir Dimitov tied for second place with 5/7, while Alejandro Wilson and Owen Franklin shared fourth place honors on 4½/7.

The hybrid tournament format continues to provide Cayman’s players with valuable international competition opportunities without the significant expense of overseas travel. Players compete online under strict arbiter supervision, ensuring FIDE standards are maintained throughout the event.

Youth Chess Director Ryan Blackwood served as the local arbiter for the Cayman-hosted venue.

The Cayman Islands Chess Federation congratulates all players on their performances and continued development on the international stage as we look forward the Pan-American Chess Championships in Medellin Colombia.