The Barbados National Open Chess Championship Finals have reached their halfway mark at the Wildey Gymnasium, with two players locked in a deadlock at the top of the leaderboard ahead of this weekend’s decisive final rounds. Amateur contender Lawrence Depradine and defending titleholder FIDE Master Martyn Del Castilho both hold 3½ points, though Depradine holds an advantage: he has one scheduled match still to play that his co-leader has already completed.
Just half a point behind the front-runners, a small group of three contenders remains well within striking distance of the top spot, keeping the tournament’s outcome deeply unpredictable. Justin Kirton, veteran FIDE Master Dr. Philip Corbin, and rising junior talent Jeremiah Farley all sit on three points, with Kirton also holding an unplayed game in hand over many of his competitors.
In the most recent completed round, Del Castilho secured a solid victory over Justin Parsons, while Depradine claimed a win against Julissa Figueroa. Kirton overpowered Renaldo Rochester, Corbin defeated Emar Edwards, and Farley was held to a draw by Noah Clarke. One of the tournament’s most notable early upsets has already made headlines: 14-year-old junior Farley upset defending champion Del Castilho in the tournament’s second round, a result that has shaken up the standings and highlighted the depth of young chess talent emerging on the island.
With nearly half the field still within striking distance of the podium, the final rankings will not be settled until the final matches wrap up this weekend. Running parallel to the national championship is the 2026 VEXX Chess Tournament, which has also crossed its midpoint, with four of seven total rounds completed across all divisions.
In the VEXX FIDE-rated open division, which draws 29 competitors, Mileke Sinckler and Loki Clarke share the top position with a perfect four points out of four. Three players—Aidan Singh, Charis Stuart, and woman FIDE Master Hannah Wilson—tie for third place with three points each, while Janiyah Browne, Gaybrianna Moore, Amari Blackett, and Carlos Chase are all just half a point back on 2½ points. The chasing group is optimistic that the co-leaders will drop points in the final rounds, opening a path for them to claim the division title.
In the VEXX Novice division, which caters to less experienced players across a 12-person field, Benjamin Farmer holds a clear lead after four rounds, having earned a full four points. Jaeden Hutson, Nia Inniss, and Kashaun Brathwaite trail just one point behind on three points, setting up a tense battle over the final three matches. Farmer will now look to defend his advantage and hold off his challengers to secure a standout victory when the tournament concludes.