Belize Sends Two to Prestigious Subzonal Chess Tournament in Honduras
- Belize Chess Federation
- Apr 13
- 2 min read
Nathaniel Reyes and Charlton Roches are set to represent Belize at the Subzonal 2.3.1 Absoluto 2025 tournament in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, from April 14 to 19. This prestigious event, hosted at Hotel Honduras Maya, brings together top players from Central America and Mexico in a nine-round Swiss-system competition.
Special thanks to FIDE America, Honorable Anthony Mahler and the Ministry of Sports and Caye International Bank , particularly Gladys Urbina Alamilla and Luigi Wewege for making our participation in this international chess tournament possible!
Selection of Belizean Representatives
Nathaniel Reyes earned his spot for his performance at the Belmopan Public Library Chess Tournament held in March 2025. In his past two tournament he has successfully defeated all members of the National Team 2024 as well as the National Champion. Nathaniel is currently ranked 5th in Belize.
Charlton Roches, a seasoned player who is currently ranked 7th in Belize, was initially slated to compete at the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad Budapest. However, due to unforeseen circumstances preventing his travel, he has been given the opportunity to represent Belize at the Subzonal 2.3.1.
Tournament Details
The Subzonal 2.3.1 Absoluto is a significant event in the FIDE calendar, featuring a Classical time control of 90 minutes plus a 30-second increment per move from the first move. The tournament is a 9 round Swiss held over a 1 week period.
The tournament is open to official and additional players from federations within Zone 2.3.1, including Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama.
List of all players and results after each round can be found here:
The Stakes
Along wish cash prizes and medals, winners of the tournament will have the opportunity to advance to higher levels of international competition, potentially earning titles and recognition on the global chess stage.
A big opportunity for players is the opportunity to be the first Belizean Chess players to obtain FIDE titles. Earning a score 4.5/9 earns a player a Candidate Master (CM) title and 6/9 earns then a FIDE Master (FM) title.
San Pedro Sun Report:
Nathaniel Reyes Interview:
As the tournament commences, all eyes will be on Reyes and Roches as they strive to make their mark and bring pride to Belize in this esteemed competition.
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