Dez Graham | Sports

Dez began playing chess informally at age 10 and became deeply interested after

discovering YouTuber Levy Rozman (Gotham Chess) around 2021-2022. His enthusiasm

led his parents to take him to the George Town Public Library, where the Cayman Islands

Chess Federation (CICF) offered free lessons. There, he met National Youth Director and

National Master Ryan Blackwood, marking a turning point in his chess journey.

Dez has earned numerous national and international chess accolades since 2022. He

captained multiple school teams to top finishes, won national U14 titles, and represented

the Cayman Islands at the PanAmerican and Youth Chess Olympiads. He helped grow

the John Gray High School (JGHS) Chess Club and facilitated international participation.

Dez also won sections of CICF Rapid Championships and was part of the national junior

team that placed 1st in the U1200 section at the 2025 World Amateur Team

Championships. He became the first Caymanian junior to qualify for the National Chess

Championships and holds international ratings in FIDE and US Chess.

Dez is currently involved in teaching chess through CICF Masterclass sessions and

developing school chess clubs, including those at Prospect Primary and JGHS. He

mentors teams, promotes female participation, and supports national competitions. His

future plans include joining the CI Absolute Chess Team, completing the FIDE Teacher’s

and Arbiter’s courses, and balancing academic responsibilities with national chess

representation as a student-athlete.

Dez hopes to continue the visibility, development and promotion of chess as a sport and

an academic activity. He would like to continue his personal development in chess,

including ratings and titles (Candidate Master, Fide Master, International Master, Grand

Master). An interesting fact about Dez is that his longest match played to date was 4+

hours, while his shortest match played to date was just 1 minute, with victory in 3 moves.

Despite the victory, he was made to apologise to Coach Ryan for not using his time over

the board effectively! Dez is excited to keep growing in chess and to make his next big

play to advance his future in the sport.