On Saturday, June 6, the community of Olympic Gardens in Kingston, Jamaica played host to a vibrant celebration of emerging chess talent, drawing more than 120 young participants from across the St Andrew West Central constituency for the 2026 St Andrew West Central Chess Fun Day.
The oversubscribed community gathering, hosted by Jamaica’s Prime Minister and local Member of Parliament Dr Andrew Holness, was held at the Jamaica China Goodwill Infant School. The event brought together young players of all skill levels, from first-time beginners to seasoned competitive youth competitors, for a full day of structured coaching, ranked matches and youth engagement centered around the strategic board game.
This initiative is part of a long-term effort to provide children in the constituency with access to constructive, developmental activities that build core life skills including discipline, focused attention, critical analysis and self-confidence. Over the course of the day, certified chess coaches guided sessions tailored to each skill group: new players were walked through the fundamentals of the game, from how each piece moves to core defensive strategies for protecting the king and the importance of planning ahead before committing to a move. For experienced young players, the event offered a low-pressure, supportive space to refine existing skills and test their abilities against peers in structured competitive play.
Separate competitive divisions were held for beginner and advanced players, with MVP medals awarded to the top five performers in each category. Eight-year-old Je’Nasiya Mais, a local community resident and student at Morris Knibb Preparatory School who already holds the title of 2025 Central American and Caribbean Youth Chess Champion, claimed the top honor as Chess Champion of the Day. Prime Minister Holness personally presented Mais with a trophy, medal and new tablet for her outstanding performance. Eleven-year-old Tradail Boodie took home first runner-up, also receiving a trophy and medal for his strong showing across the day’s matches.
One of the most anticipated highlights of the event was Holness’ own participation in two friendly exhibition blitz matches. The prime minister first faced off against the day’s champion Je’Nasiya Mais, before taking on rising young chess star Jaden Shaw, drawing a crowd of excited young spectators who gathered to watch the casual, engaging contests.
In his address to participants after the matches, Holness encouraged the young players to continue pursuing chess and take the sport seriously, noting that it holds international recognition and delivers cognitive and personal benefits that extend far beyond competitive play. Sharing his own long history with the game—dating back to his high school years—the prime minister explained that he has personally experienced the transformative benefits of chess, which builds patience, discipline, sustained concentration, confident decision-making, long-term strategic thinking, and the ability to anticipate multiple steps ahead.
Holness emphasized that every move in chess carries measurable consequences, making the sport a uniquely effective tool for teaching young people personal responsibility, the value of advance preparation, and clear, calm decision-making under pressure. He added that Jamaica already holds all the raw talent needed to produce more elite chess players and future grandmasters, particularly as more children gain access to the sport through structured community and national programs.
The prime minister also outlined his administration’s ongoing commitment to growing chess across Jamaica, highlighting the national government’s longstanding partnership with the Jamaica Chess Federation through the GM-in-10 Programme, a flagship initiative to develop elite Jamaican chess talent that has received a $40 million investment from the Sports Development Foundation. Looking ahead to local development projects in St Andrew West Central, Holness announced plans to integrate chess facilities into new and upgraded public parks and recreational spaces across the constituency, making the sport readily accessible to residents, especially children and young people.
The 2026 Chess Fun Day was staged in partnership with Ian Wilkinson, President of the Jamaica Chess Federation, who was publicly recognized for his decades of support and contributions to the growth of chess in Jamaica. Additional support for the event was provided by the Jamaica Chess Federation’s executive team and coaching staff, independent private chess clubs, the Jamaica Constabulary Force, the principal and staff of the Jamaica China Goodwill Infant School, the Penwood Cadet Unit, Porosi Procurement, and Genius Empire Sound.