On Saturday, February 22, 2025, John Paul The Great College, in collaboration with the Belize Chess Federation (BCF), successfully hosted their 7th Annual Chess Tournament. With 32 participants from Belize, Orange Walk, and Cayo, this event marked one of the largest and most competitive opens in recent years.
The tournament featured several prominent players, including members of the Belize National Team and top-ranked players such as defending champion and rank 3 Luis Mendez Jr., rank 5 Kenneth Perez, rank 10 Nathaniel Reyes, San Ignacio qualifier winner rank 13 Roger Canto, rank 17 Kelvin Baizar, and former champion Kurtis Valdez. Junior players like Gregory McGibney, the Davis brothers and Ella Carvalho also had commendable performances.
Round-by-Round Recap:
Round 1:
Erwin Wills vs. Luis Mendez Jr. (0-1)
In his first match back at the board, Erwin Wills, one of Belize Chess’s longest-standing members, put up a strong fight against Luis Mendez. Despite eventually losing, Wills extended the match, making it the last game to finish in the round.
Round 2:
This round saw generational clashes, with veteran players facing off against rising stars. The experienced players proved that they are still on top and won the matchups.
Luis Mendez vs. Joshua Davis (1-0)
Gregory McGibney vs. Kenneth Perez (0-1)
Joseph Davis vs. Nathaniel Reyes (0-1)
Joseph Carvalho vs. Eli Carvalho (1-0)
A heartwarming father-son duel saw Joseph triumph over Eli.
Round 3:
Roger Canto vs. Luis Mendez Jr. (1-0)
On board one, Roger Canto faced Luis Mendez in a critical match. A surprising opening choice as Mendez opted to play his first tournament game of the Dutch Defense , but Canto remained composed. After an even game, time pressure led Mendez to make mistakes, handing Canto a vital win.
Kelvin Baizar vs. Kurtis Valdez (0-1)
Valdez dominated the opening and maintained his advantage for a clean win.
Round 4:
Nathaniel Reyes vs. Kenneth Perez (1-0)
A clash between two members of our 2024 Olympiad National Team, Nathaniel and Kenneth have played each other twice before with their previous matchups ending in a draw. This game was also very even with both players entering a balanced endgame. Kenneth however had a weak isolated pawn which Reyes managed to capitalize on and secure the first decisive game in their head to head.
Kurtis Valdez vs. Roger Canto (1-0)
Another key matchup was between Kurtis Valdez and Roger Canto. Both players played a complicated game, Canto had the advantage however in time trouble failed to calculate the winning sequence and Kurtis was able to strike back and win the match.
Round 5:
Kurtis Valdez vs. Nathaniel Reyes (1-0)
Board 1 has a clash between the younger generation of Belizean chess players. During the game Kurtis gained an advantage out of the opening and skillfully used a pawn majority on the queen side to slowly win the game and secure the championship.
Kelvin Baizar vs. Luis Mendez Jr. (½–½)
In board 2 Kelvin faced off against Luis. While Luis had the advantage throughout most of the game, some great defensive play by Baizar lead the game to a draw.
Roger Canto vs. Gregory McGibney (1-0)
One of our the top ranked U-15 Player Gregory finished his tournament with a loss however his great performance earned his 8th place in the event and he is now ranked 17th in Belize!
Joshua Davis vs. Josiah Davis (0-1)
In a sibling showdown, Josiah emerged victorious with an impressive performance of 4/5.
Ella Carvalho vs. Wei Zhen (1-0)
Ella closed her tournament on a high note, finishing with 3/5 points.
Blitz Tie-Breaks Determine Final Rankings
With four players tied for second place, blitz tie-breakers were held:
Kenneth Perez vs. Josiah Davis (1-0)
Roger Canto vs. Nathaniel Reyes (0-1)
Nathaniel Reyes vs. Kenneth Perez (0-1)
Final Standings:
Champion: Kurtis Valdez (5/5 points)
Second Place: Kenneth Perez
Third Place: Nathaniel Reyes
Fourth Place: Roger Canto
Congratulations to all participants for making this event a resounding success, and special applause to Kurtis Valdez for his flawless performance. The Belize Chess Federation and John Paul The Great College look forward to continuing this annual tradition, fostering chess growth and camaraderie across Belize.
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