Sam moves into second at CAC Youth Chess Festival with back-to-back wins

Guyana’s Kataleya Sam climbed to second in the Under-14 girls’ division at the 21st Central American and Caribbean Youth Chess Festival after winning both of her games in rounds five and six to reach five points from six games.

Sam beat Jamaica’s Natalya Hinds in round five and Costa Rica’s Sofia Rodriguez Solano in round six. She next faces Costa Rica’s Leticia Fiorella Guerrero Diaz on the top board, with half a point separating them.

Candidate Master Sachin Pitamber remained unbeaten in the Under-16 open division. He drew with Puerto Rico’s Malcolm J. Perez Quinones in round five and defeated Honduras’ Brayan Jhair Juarez Meza in round six to move into fifth place with 4½ points.

Vir Narine also won both of his games. He beat Barbados’ Ian Harvey and Costa Rica’s Santiago Vargas Viquez to reach 3½ points and sit 22nd in the Under-12 open division.

In the Under-18 open division, Kyle Couchman drew with Guatemalan FIDE Master Ricardo Andres Ordonez Bonilla before losing to another Guatemalan FIDE Master, Hector Jose Linares Orellana. Couchman ended round six in 10th place with 3½ points.

Woman Candidate Master Aditi Joshi secured her first win of the tournament in round five, beating Guatemala’s Mireya Anahi Ponciano Gonzalez after four straight draws. She then lost to fellow Woman Candidate Master Diana Camila Bobadilla Deras of Honduras and was ninth in the Under-16 girls’ division with three points.

Abel Ayden Fernandez Ciria split his two games against Costa Rican opponents in the Under-14 open division. He lost to Mikel Gael Arrieta Lopez before beating Julian Garcia Mendez to finish round six in 32nd place with 2½ points.

Mark De Freitas was 31st in the Under-10 open division with two points after losses to Honduras’ Andre Maloff Makarova and Jamaica’s Aiden Brown.

Guyana recorded three wins and two draws in round five, then added four wins in round six. The nine-round tournament runs through November 7 at the Gimnasio Nacional. In round seven, Pitamber faces Puerto Rico’s Jarek Pacheco Calderon, while Narine meets Guatemala’s Marco Esteban Gramajo Tovar and Couchman plays Cuba’s Diego Jimenez Leyva.

Joshi is paired with Costa Rica’s Nayareth Gabb Diaz, Fernandez Ciria faces Honduras’ Eric Johel Navarrete Calix, and De Freitas plays Costa Rica’s Fidel Corrales Corrales.