National Chess Championship: Between Passion, Challenges, and Hope for the Future

Port-au-Prince, August 31, 2025 – Since 1985, the year the Haitian Chess Federation was created, national championships have been the main platform for gathering and promoting players across the country. Forty years later, enthusiasm remains intact, despite persistent structural and financial difficulties. On August 29, 2025, Quiskeya University hosted this new edition. A Structured and Demanding Competition The immediate objective of the ongoing tournament is clear: to determine the players who will join the national championship. After a first phase contested within clubs, the second stage, currently underway, brings together 87 participants from the Southern, Southeastern, Northern (notably Cap-Haitien), and other regions of the country. This stage is divided into two categories: an “open” tournament and a “women’s” tournament. The participation criterion allows each club to send up to five representatives in each section. The third phase, scheduled for the end of the year, will crown the champions and allocate two additional qualifying spots (3rd, 4th, and 5th position) for the Chess Olympiad, which will be held in Uzbekistan in September 2026. Between Passion and Precariousness While the organization demonstrates great seriousness, financial constraints remain heavy. The federation operates essentially on its internal budget, without external support. Participation fees paid by players are not enough to cover expenses for food, transportation, and especially accommodation, a major challenge for participants from the provinces. According to the organizers, it is the federation and a few volunteers who strive to support the most distant players, in a context where resources are extremely limited. Portraits and Testimonials: Voices that Convey Passion For Mérisena Cadeau, a young female player, the stakes go beyond simple games on the chessboard. “Every championship I participate in, I feel my desire grow,” he confides. Holder of the Candidate Master (CM) title, Cadeau has already faced international-level opponents, including a grandmaster. For her, her greatest strength in the game remains her conviction and self-confidence. A female player, whose smile conveys emotion, emphasizes: “Once I’m in a chess tournament, I’m always happy.” Her words resonate as a reminder of what this discipline represents for many young Haitians: a space for personal growth, reflection, and self-transcendence. For his part, Giovanny, a recently initiated player, perfectly illustrates the vitality of the next generation. “A friend taught me how to play chess. I’ve been practicing for a year now. When I started, I was always stressed. Today, my greatest strength is my attacks. I attack well. Chess is a beautiful game,” he confides simply. A Sport to Be Valued This championship reveals a dual reality: on one hand, a passionate youth, invested and eager to progress; on the other hand, a federation left to its own devices, forced to improvise to offer a worthy competitive framework. Yet, chess is not just a game: it develops rigor, analysis, strategy, and patience. All values that deserve to be supported through a more coherent sports policy. Despite the obstacles, the perseverance of players and organizers confirms a truth: chess in Haiti is not just a distraction, but a school of life and a vector for international influence.