Three BVI chess players earn master titles at Samarkand competition

The Virgin Islands National Chess Team has arrived home after competing in the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, between 16 and 27 September, where three squad members attained elite Candidate Master status.

Shamoy Joseph and 14-year-old Kiara Phillip secured their Candidate Master ranks through their play in Samarkand. Jhon Samuel also reached the rank, though his achievement was conditional and based on his earlier performance at the 2022 Chess Olympiad held in Chennai, India.

Team VI entered players in both the Open and Women's divisions, taking on competitors from nations worldwide across 11 rounds of team-based play. The Department of Youth Affairs and Sports held a reception to mark the delegation's return and recognise their accomplishments.

Minister for Education, Youth Affairs and Sports Sharie B. de Castro commended the players' success and underscored the mental skills, critical thinking, strategy, adaptability and confidence, that international chess demands. She told the young athletes: "Don't let people disqualify you based on your age. Keep pushing. Keep striving. Keep building."

De Castro also noted chess's expanding footprint in local schools. Since the game was introduced at Innovation Week years earlier, more than 250 boards have been distributed to educational institutions across the Territory with help from Unite BVI. Teachers have reported shifts in how students behave and engage academically as a result.

Maurice Lettsome, head of the Virgin Islands Chess Federation, expressed satisfaction with the team's showing against delegations from far larger and more established chess-playing nations. He said the Federation intends to broaden its reach through additional regional tournaments and aims to eventually bring a regional competition to the Virgin Islands itself.

The Federation is already setting its sights on the next Chess Olympiad, scheduled for Abu Dhabi, and hopes to help current Candidate Masters advance further while nurturing the next wave of competitive players. Government backing for the Chess Federation's expansion plans remains firm.