The venue is ready, the chess boards are set, and the players vying for the title of the top chess player in The Bahamas have been paired indicating that the kickoff for the 2023 Bahamas National Chess Championship is near.

The event will return on Friday as an elite over-the-board national championship event, featuring the strongest chess players in The Bahamas. The tournament will take place over two full weekends, and this year, the tournament will be held at the J. Whitney Pinder Building on Collins Avenue. Round One will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Friday January 13.

The slate of players for the 2023 Bahamas National Chess Championship are Candidate Master (CM) Kendrick Knowles, Shawn Barker, National Master (NM) Valentine Cox, Noah Albury, Curtis Pride Jr., Dr. Kenville Lockhart, Avian Pride, CM Byron Small, FIDE Master (FM) Cecil Moncur and Trevor Bridgewater.

"This tournament marks the return of the National Championship for the first time since the start of COVID," stated Elton Joseph, treasurer of the Bahamas Chess Federation (BCF). He continued: "Five-time National Champion, Candidate Master Kendrick Knowles is set to defend his title. This year, he is up against many aspiring young talented chess players in the country, junior players. It will be an exciting year for chess in The Bahamas as the nationals start off a great year for the BCF. We would also like to thank Colina for sponsoring the prestigious 2023 Bahamas National Chess Championship."

The 2023 Bahamas National Chess Championship is a FIDE (International Chess Federation) rated tournament, set up as a 10-round Swiss format with 'Game' in 90 minutes plus 30 seconds per move. Chief Arbiter for the championship will be International Arbiter (IA) Andre White and he will be assisted by Deputy Chief Arbiter Angel Pride.

The second and third rounds of the event will be held on Saturday, starting at 9 a.m., and the fourth and fifth rounds will be held on Sunday, also starting at 9 a.m. The sixth round is set for Friday January 20, starting at 6:30 p.m. The seventh and eight rounds will be held Saturday January 21, starting at 9 a.m., and the ninth and 10th rounds will be held on Sunday January 22, starting at 9 a.m.

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