Annual General Meeting 2025

Belize Chess Federation Hosts Successful 2025 Annual General Meeting

On March 2, 2025, the Belize Chess Federation (BCF) held its Annual General Meeting to reflect on the progress of chess in Belize, address challenges, outline future plans, and elect a new board to guide the federation into the coming years. The general meeting was hosted online through google meets.

In Attendance: Alfred Awe, Steve Flowers, Marric Elijio, Kenneth Perez, Reyhan Rosado, Jairo Vasquez, Greg Vitko, Michael Campos, Joshua Baizer, Tony Sho, Jason Hsu, Roger Canto, Norlan Barbon and Erwin Wills.

Key Objectives of the AGM:

Achievements of BCF
Current Plans and Future Goals
Announcements
Ongoing Challenges
Board Elections

Achievements (2022–2024):

The BCF has made remarkable strides in promoting chess across Belize:

National Chess Championship 2024: Successfully organized a national championship cycle that lead to the birth of our first official National Champion.
Establishment of National Ratings: Implemented a national rating system, allowing players to track their progress, set goals, and earn recognition for their performance in official events.
FIDE Membership: Secured membership with the international chess governing body.
Partnership with the National Sports Council: Strengthened ties with national sports authorities.
Participation in the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad: For the first time we represented Belize on the world stage, giving players valuable international experience.
Hosting 18 Rated Events: Organized a steady stream of rated tournaments.
Launch of the Belize Chess Website: Created an online platform to centralize information, promote events, share results, and serve as a hub for the chess community.

Future Plans and Goals:

National Championship 2024/2025: The national Championship Cycle was changed to a two year cycle and will conclude at the end of the year.
1–2 Monthly Chess Tournaments: Establish a consistent calendar of events to allow players the opportunity to compete against each other.
Securing FIDE Development Fund Support: Apply for and utilize FIDE funding to support chess initiatives, training programs, and infrastructure development.
Hosting the National Blitz Chess Championship 2025: Introduce Belize's first National Belize Chess Championship.
Belize Grand Swiss Tournament: The grand Swiss will be a prestigious event that brings together the nation’s strongest players with the winner getting a spot on the National Team and the National Master Title.

Belize National Master Title

The BCF is introducing a National Master (NM) Title to recognize top players, inspire rising talents, and serve as a stepping stone to international FIDE titles.

To obtain the National Master Title, a player must achieve one of the following:

Belize National Chess Master — Criteria for Belize National Master Title

If a player obtains a FIDE rating of above 2000 they will also earn the National Master Title.

Belize's First National Master - Alfred Awe

Current Belize National Champion and Rank 1 Player Alfred Awe will earn the title of Belize's first national master.

The Belize National Team

The Belize National Team will be a gathering of top Belizean chess players who have earned the right to represent Belize in International Events and the FIDE Chess Olympiad.

The team will comprise of eight players who earn their place on the team through several qualification methods.

The goal of the National Team is to further develop the top players and prepare them for International events. The players to represent Belize in the FIDE Chess Olympiad will be selected from the players in the National Team.

Selection for the National Team will be held every two years and will coincide with the National Championship Cycle.

Selection Criteria for the National Team shall be as follows:

Belize National Champion
National Championship Runner-up
Belize Grand Swiss Winner
Belize Grand Swiss Runner-Up
Highest BCF Rated Player
Highest BCF Rated Player
Highest BCF Rated Player
Highest BCF Rated Player

Read more on the National Team at: https://www.belizechess.com/belizenationalteam

Upcoming Chess Events:

Below is a list of all upcoming events for 2025.

Tournament	Location	Date
Belmopan Library Swiss	Belmopan Public Library	15th March 2025
San Ignacio Swiss, Cayo	Quality Chicken Express, San Ignacio	5th April 2025
Orange Walk Championship Qualifier	Louisiana Government School, Orange Walk	12th April 2025
2nd Annual Admiral's Cup	Admiral's Restaurant and Bar, Belize City	26th April 2025
Online Wildcard Invitational Qualifier	Chess.com	May-June
Challengers Finals	Belmopan, TBD	July
Belize Grand Swiss	George Price Center, Belmopan	August
National Championship Match	George Price Center, Belmopan	August
Belize National Blitz Chess Championship	Belmopan, TBD	September

Ongoing Challenges

Despite these achievements, the BCF acknowledges ongoing hurdles:

Filling Board Vacancies: Finding dedicated volunteers to serve on the board and contribute their time and expertise to running the federation effectively.
Establishing a Bank Account: Overcoming logistical and administrative hurdles to set up a formal bank account, which is essential for managing funds, handling sponsorships, and ensuring financial transparency.
Securing Sponsorship: Attracting corporate and community sponsors to fund events, cover travel expenses for international tournaments, and provide resources for player development.
Expanding Chess Clubs and Player Base: Promoting chess in schools, community centers, and public spaces to grow the player base, cultivate young talent, and ensure the long-term sustainability of the chess ecosystem in Belize.

2025 BCF Board Elections:

The AGM concluded with the election of a new board to lead the federation:

President: Kenneth Perez
Vice President: Alfred Awe
Vice President: Marric Elijio
Secretary: Jairo Vasquez
Treasurer: Reyhan Rosado
Media Specialist: Luis Mendez Jr.
Advisors: Steve Flowers, Michael Campos, Joshua Baiza

Other Matters:

BCF board will focus initially on securing an official bank account. Organization structure will be formally changed to a non-profit.
BCF will prepare to join the Morning Show to explain about the current state of chess in Belize.
The BCF will look to acquire and distribute chess sets to smaller clubs in Belize.

The board and membership remain committed to developing chess in Belize.