Aditi Joshi, 13, currently sits at the helm of the 2024 Women’s Chess Championship Qualifiers following the conclusion of the fourth round on Sunday at the National Racquet Centre, Woolford Avenue.
This was confirmed by a release from the Guyana Chess Federation. According to the correspondence, Joshi, who is the national U-14 champion, has a perfect 4-0 record to date to lead the event, which comprises 20 players.
Two of her wins were against former champion Sasha Shariff in round three and Shazeeda Rahim in the fourth stanza.
Rahim currently sits in second place on 3 points,
while Ciel Clement and Nellisha Johnson are also on 3 points in the third and fourth positions, respectively. Shariff rounds out the top five with 2.5 points, while Treskole Archibald and Angelina Yhap are sixth and seventh, respectively.
“Juniors Priya Doodnauth, Saura Ruplall, Chelsea Harrison, Parnita Kishun, and Kaija Clement all share a standing of 2 points each. However, due to the tie-break system, Doodnauth reserves eighth place, with Ruplall holding ninth. The last round will end on Sunday, determining the top nine contenders to challenge the current women’s chess champion, Jessica Callender, for the 2024 National Women’s Chess Championship title”, the release stated.
The final three rounds of the event will occur at the same venue on Saturday and Sunday. The top nine players will advance to the championship segment. This tournament also serves as part of the selection process for the impending 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary, in September.
