Guyana will field a blend of promising young players and seasoned campaigners at the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad, scheduled for September 14-28 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
The country will be represented by five players in both the Open and Women’s divisions. The teams recently completed six weeks of intensive training under Serbian Grandmaster Aleksa Striković.
Striković will captain the Open team at the Olympiad, while Slovenian Grandmaster Georg Mohr will lead the Women’s team.
Sixteen-year-old Candidate Master Sachin Pitamber, who has an Elo rating of 1991, headlines the Open squad. Pitamber is the reigning National Open, National Under-16 Open and National Rapid champion.
This will be his second Olympiad appearance after making his debut in Budapest, Hungary, in 2024, where he earned the Candidate Master title.
National Junior champion Kyle Couchman is set to make his Olympiad debut. The 16-year-old, rated 1995, previously represented Guyana at the 36th Pan American Youth Chess Festival and the FIDE World Youth Under-16 Olympiad in Colombia. He will be aiming to secure important points for Guyana while pursuing his first FIDE title.
Guyana’s highest-rated player, Candidate Master Taffin Khan, adds considerable experience to the team. Khan, rated 2066, first gained national recognition after winning the 2008 National Junior Championship and has since captured several National Open titles.
The 2026 tournament will be Khan’s fifth Olympiad appearance following his debut in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 2016.
FIDE Master Anthony Drayton, rated 2003, will also make his fifth Olympiad appearance. Drayton debuted at the 2014 event in Tromsø, Norway, and has remained a prominent figure in local chess. He is also a FIDE-certified school instructor who coaches young players across Guyana.
Former National Junior champion Keron Sandiford completes the Open team. The 1874-rated player won the 2026 National Open Championship Qualifier and will make his second consecutive Olympiad appearance following the 2024 edition in Budapest.
National Women’s champion Woman Candidate Master Aditi Joshi will lead Guyana’s Women’s team. The 16-year-old, rated 1790, earned her WCM title while representing Guyana at the 2024 Olympiad. She also recently competed at the Pan American Youth Chess Festival in Colombia.
Former national champions Jessica Callender and Sasha Shariff will provide experience in the Women’s lineup. Callender, a Woman Candidate Master rated 1552, has represented Guyana at previous Olympiads and regional competitions.
Shariff, also a Woman Candidate Master, has a rating of 1538 and has represented Guyana at the last three Chess Olympiads.
Rising players Ciel Clement and Kataleya Sam complete the team. Clement, 17, is rated 1484 and will make her second Olympiad appearance after competing in Budapest.
At 13, Sam is the youngest member of the delegation and will make her Olympiad debut. The 1525-rated player is the reigning National Under-14 and Under-16 Girls champion and won a bronze medal at the 2024 Central American and Caribbean Youth Chess Championship.
The Guyana Chess Federation thanked the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and ENet for providing the support needed to make the country’s participation possible.
The teams will travel to Samarkand in the coming weeks. They will be accompanied by Shenera Sam, Archana Joshi and Tanya Warren-Clement, who will serve as head of delegation.
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