Saint Lucia has two newly titled chess players: Candidate Masters Dr Sixtus Gabriel and Justin James. Both were conditionally conferred their titles at the 2025 Subzone 2.3.3 Absolute & Women Chess Championships.
The week-long competition, a FIDE World Cup qualifier, concluded over the Easter weekend at the Cascadia Hotel and Conference Centre in St Ann’s, Trinidad & Tobago.
Gabriel finished 26th, climbing 11 spots from his initial ranking, while James placed 41st, up from his starting position of 40th. CM Kaieem Elizee gained nine rating points, moving to 42nd from 45th.
Woman Candidate Master Chelsea Wahid secured a seven-way tie for fourth place. The 17-year-old, who entered the tournament ranked 12th, delivered a strong performance despite early challenges.
After reaching seventh place in Round 2, she slipped to 20th by Round 4 but fought back with victories over Trinidad & Tobago’s Sandhya Ramsaroop and Keira Samuel Bisnath, as well as St Kitts & Nevis players Halla Sahely and WCM Mia Sahely. She also drew with Trinbagonian WCM Zara La Fleur but fell short against three fellow Candidate Masters: Jamaica’s Gabriella Watson, Guyana’s Jessica Callender, and Bahamas’ Polina Karelina.
Saint Lucia’s Minister of Sports, Kenson Casimir, attended the tournament and was warmly welcomed, making the ceremonial first move. He praised the event’s high standard of organisation, calling it a benchmark for future tournaments in Saint Lucia. Twenty teams competed in the Subzone Championships.
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