The British Virgin Islands National Chess Team made a perfect start to the Caribbean Chess Cup last night, with Open Team players Anferny Raheem Hodge and Dimitri Fungfook both winning their opening-round games in their first regional competition.
The Elmore Stoutt High School students, who are also the youngest members of the BVI Open Team, faced opponents from host nation Aruba in the Under-18 category. The event marks Hodge and Fungfook’s first international over-the-board competition.
The tournament runs through 23 August, with players scheduled to play two rounds per day for a total of nine rounds. The competition gives BVI’s unrated players an opportunity to play FIDE-rated games and begin establishing their international FIDE ratings. It also provides valuable international experience against counterparts from across the Americas as Team BVI prepares for the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, this September.
The BVI Chess Federation’s preparation programme has also included tournament participation in Peru at the end of June by Brigade Flax Educational Centre students, Kiara Phillip and Makalia Fergus from the Women’s team, together with weekly professional training led by international coaches. These activities form part of the Federation’s effort to prepare its youngest delegation to date, helping players build confidence, gain experience against varied opposition, and prepare for the demands of international team competition.
“As we prepare for Samarkand, it is important to give all our players experience outside their usual competition environment,” said Maurice Lettsome, President of the BVI Chess Federation. “Our newer national-team players are gaining valuable exposure against players from across the Americas and the Caribbean. This preparation supports our overall performance at the Olympiad and helps prepare them for what will be their most challenging
competition.”
The 46th Chess Olympiad will take place in Samarkand from 15–27 September 2026, bringing together more than 200 national teams from around the world for one of chess’s leading international events.
The BVI will field both a Women’s Team and an Open Team. Colombian trainer and International Woman Master Angela Franco is serving as Women’s National Team Coach and Captain for the Olympiad. The Open Team is being coached by French-Egyptian Grandmaster Samy Shoker and will be captained by veteran national team member, Art Christopher.
Participation in the Caribbean Chess Cup has been made possible through support from FIDE Americas, the regional governing body for chess in the Americas, and the Georges-Rhymer Institute for Public Policy, in honour of former Deputy Governor and a founding member of the BVI Chess Federation, Elton Georges, OBE. Hodge and Fungfook are being captained and chaperoned in Aruba by BVICF Delegate, Sachkia Barnes.
The BVI Chess Federation encourages the public to follow BVI Chess on Facebook at /bvichess for team updates, tournament news, and ways to support Team BVI as it represents the Territory internationally.
The Elmore Stoutt High School students, who are also the youngest members of the BVI Open Team, faced opponents from host nation Aruba in the Under-18 category. The event marks Hodge and Fungfook’s first international over-the-board competition.
The tournament runs through 23 August, with players scheduled to play two rounds per day for a total of nine rounds. The competition gives BVI’s unrated players an opportunity to play FIDE-rated games and begin establishing their international FIDE ratings. It also provides valuable international experience against counterparts from across the Americas as Team BVI prepares for the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, this September.
The BVI Chess Federation’s preparation programme has also included tournament participation in Peru at the end of June by Brigade Flax Educational Centre students, Kiara Phillip and Makalia Fergus from the Women’s team, together with weekly professional training led by international coaches. These activities form part of the Federation’s effort to prepare its youngest delegation to date, helping players build confidence, gain experience against varied opposition, and prepare for the demands of international team competition.
“As we prepare for Samarkand, it is important to give all our players experience outside their usual competition environment,” said Maurice Lettsome, President of the BVI Chess Federation. “Our newer national-team players are gaining valuable exposure against players from across the Americas and the Caribbean. This preparation supports our overall performance at the Olympiad and helps prepare them for what will be their most challenging
competition.”
The 46th Chess Olympiad will take place in Samarkand from 15–27 September 2026, bringing together more than 200 national teams from around the world for one of chess’s leading international events.
The BVI will field both a Women’s Team and an Open Team. Colombian trainer and International Woman Master Angela Franco is serving as Women’s National Team Coach and Captain for the Olympiad. The Open Team is being coached by French-Egyptian Grandmaster Samy Shoker and will be captained by veteran national team member, Art Christopher.
Participation in the Caribbean Chess Cup has been made possible through support from FIDE Americas, the regional governing body for chess in the Americas, and the Georges-Rhymer Institute for Public Policy, in honour of former Deputy Governor and a founding member of the BVI Chess Federation, Elton Georges, OBE. Hodge and Fungfook are being captained and chaperoned in Aruba by BVICF Delegate, Sachkia Barnes.
The BVI Chess Federation encourages the public to follow BVI Chess on Facebook at /bvichess for team updates, tournament news, and ways to support Team BVI as it represents the Territory internationally.
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