Jamaica Chess Federation charts new course for growth after securing key sponsorship from Burger King for National Championships

 The Jamaica Chess Federation (JCF) officially concluded its 2026 Burger King National Chess Championships on February 1, marking the successful execution of the Absolute, Female, and National Senior categories.

 The event, made possible in part by the landmark support of 2026 main sponsors, Burger King Jamaica, served both as a celebration of local chess excellence and a strategic launchpad for the federation’s growth plans.

The 2026 Championships saw a return to full-scale competition, notably reintroducing the National Seniors for the first time since 2020. And according to Tournament Committee Chairman Warren Elliott, having the “whole gamut” of games is part of a broader move toward higher professional standards and reflects the vital input of the federation’s long-term partners and new sponsors in elevating the sport’s growing infrastructure.

JCF President Ian Wilkinson explained that the federation is already moving to modernise the sport’s operations. “We are planning to improve in a number of ways,” Wilkinson stated. “We want to lift the standards even higher than they have been. From freestyle chess to professionalising our coaching, the Federation is poised for greater things,” He said.

Wilkinson highlighted a new era of accountability, including the introduction of mandatory JCF coaching certifications to standardise training across the island and a fixed annual calendar to ensure tournament consistency. He also emphasised the reintroduction of digital game-inputting requirements for players to improve the accuracy of the national database and facilitate better preparation for international play.
At the end of the week-long championships, FIDE Master (FM) Shreyas Smith captured his 7th title with a rare “perfect score” in the Absolute category, while FM Adani Clarke secured the Women’s Championship. Both victors are now intensifying their training for the 46th World Chess Olympiad in Uzbekistan this September.

During the event, an underlying message ringing throughout the JCF headquarters was that the road to the Olympiad requires a standard of training that is only possible with sustained training opportunities as well as continued corporate backing.

For her part, Burger King Communications, Community, and Strategy Executive, Rashai Graham noted that the decision to support the National Championships was a natural extension of the brand’s decades-long commitment to nurturing Jamaican youth through academic and competitive excellence.

“At Burger King, we are in the business of the crown,” Graham stated. “While our athletes conquer the world with their speed, these competitors conquer the world with their strategy. An investment in chess and all of its virtues is an investment in the tools that we build our nation’s future with; logic, patience, and critical thinking,” she stated.

The JCF’s Wilkinson signalled the federation’s intent to pursue ongoing sponsorship opportunities with Burger King and other supporting partners. And with the Olympiad on the horizon, winners such as FM Shreyas Smith also called for steadfast support from corporate Jamaica. 

Smith stated, “We need our leaders to be great thinkers. So helping a sport like chess, which gets people thinking – I can’t think of a better investment than that.”