The 46th edition of the global Chess Olympiad is set to kick off in the historic Central Asian city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan, and a small but mighty delegation from the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia is ready to test their skills against the world’s top amateur and professional chess players. Running from September 16 to 27, this year’s tournament sees Saint Lucia fielding full rosters for both the open and women’s divisions, marking the latest milestone in the country’s steadily growing reputation in international competitive chess.
Eight of the 11-member delegation departed the island for Central Asia this past Saturday, with the full group led by head of delegation Tesa St Ange. The squad boasts significant international experience, with seven of its eight competing players having already competed in high-stakes global tournaments. The open division roster includes Candidate Master Kaieem Elisee, Saint Lucia Chess Federation (SLCF) President Sixtus Gabriel, Justin James, Arvin Nicholas, and Daniel Nunez. Competing in the women’s division are Woman Candidate Masters Tris-Ann Richards and Chelsea Wahid, joined by Sibani Elumalai, Vernesa James and Kiara Lambert.
This year’s Olympiad appearance builds on two years of strong showings for Saint Lucia’s national chess program, following their well-received campaigns at the 2022 Olympiad in Chennai, India, and an early 2024 event in Budapest, Hungary. During the 2022 Chennai tournament, Saint Lucia held higher-seeded national teams including Nicaragua and Cape Verde to hard-fought 2-2 draws, turning heads among international chess observers with their disciplined play. At the 2024 Budapest competition, the Saint Lucia open squad delivered a standout performance, climbing 23 spots above their initial seeding to finish 146th overall. The delegation also earned an official honor at the event, taking home the award for Best Sports Team Uniform.
Individual player achievements have also lifted the national team’s competitive standard in recent years. In Budapest, Tris-Ann Richards notched an impressive 7.5 points from a possible 9 competing on the first board, while Chelsea Wahid secured 6.0 points across 11 matches – a result that earned her the Woman Candidate Master (WCM) title directly from the tournament results.
These experienced players, led by Elisee in the open division and Richards and Wahid in the women’s draw, give Saint Lucia a solid competitive foundation for the 11 rounds of classical chess that will unfold across the two-week tournament in Samarkand.
Saint Lucia’s continued participation in top-tier international chess competition would not have been possible without the backing of key local corporate sponsors. This year’s delegation receives support from the Saint Lucia National Lotteries Authority (NLA), Computer and Business Services Ltd (CBS), Saint Lucia Electricity Services (LUCELEC) and Bank of Saint Lucia Ltd (BOSL).