National Master Chess Coaches in Belize

The Belize Chess Federation (BCF) is the country's governing body and became a full FIDE member in 2022. Organized club chess dates back further, though — the Belize Chess Club was formed in the old capital, Belize City, in 1963. The modern boom came from the Belize National Youth Chess Foundation (BNYCF), co-founded in 2007 by Ian and Ella Anderson, which grew chess into more than 50 active clubs and over 1,400 players spread across districts from Corozal in the north to Toledo in the south, and which runs an annual national "Chess Olympiad" youth event in Belmopan every May. In 2023, Alfred Awe became Belize's first National Master after winning the national championship. In September 2024, Belize fielded a team — Nathaniel Reyes, Alfred Awe, Luis Mendez Jr., and Kenneth Perez — at its first-ever FIDE Chess Olympiad in Budapest, climbing 21 places from its seeding to finish 173rd of 197 teams.

• The Belize Chess Federation joined FIDE in 2022, so official ratings, titles, and Olympiad play are all still new here
• Youth chess is the backbone of the scene: the Belize National Youth Chess Foundation runs 50+ clubs nationwide and an annual Belmopan youth Olympiad every May
• Belize City and Stann Creek District (home to National Master Alfred Awe) are good starting points for finding organized play