GoodHeart | Je’Nasiya Mais turns her love of chess into victory

Seven year old Je’Nasiya Mais still remembers the sting of her first chess tournament — the tears, the confusion, the empty hands where a trophy should have been. Today, those same hands hold a gold medal from the Classical section of the 2025 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Youth Chess Festival.

In Dorado, Puerto Rico, the Grade Three student of Morris Knibb Preparatory School conquered the Under-8 Female category, later adding a silver medal in Blitz. Yet, long before tie-break scores, international rankings, and national pride, there was simply a little girl who wanted to do what her big brother was doing.

Je’Nasiya was introduced to chess in K2 as an extracurricular activity. Her motivation was uncomplicated: her older brother Jotham, now 10 and Jamaica’s reigning Under-10 runner-up champion, played — and she wanted in.

“I love chess because it helps me focus really hard,” she told GoodHeart, adding, “It feels like a mind-reading game, but all the secrets are right there on the board.”

Her routine now extends beyond the classroom. In addition to training several times a week at the Chess in Motion Academy, she participates in gymnastics and Brownies at school and sings and dances at her church. But chess remains the heartbeat of her life. Her relationship with the game, however, was not born in victory. At her very first tournament at Queen’s Preparatory School, she lost all her matches.

“I cried [and] I kept asking my mom and my coach why I didn’t get one. I went there to win,” Je’Nasiya recalled. But, that moment became a quiet turning point.

At home, competition is constant. She practises with her father, her coaches, and fellow junior player Khalel Davy, whom she has defeated only once and hopes to beat again. Her favourite opponent is her father, once unbeatable and now often outplayed.

Her brother Jotham remains both rival and protector. She admits she avoids facing him often, because he usually wins, but he is also her loudest cheerleader.

EXCEPTIONAL FUTURE

By 2024, her coaches were already predicting an exceptional future, with Puerto Rico being the next step forward. But, it nearly became impossible.

Days before the tournament, Hurricane Melissa struck the island. Je’Nasiya’s family feared for the safety of a missing relative. Flights were uncertain and funds were already stretched thin.

International youth chess, her mother Nastassia Mais explained, demands enormous sacrifice.

“People see the medals but they do not see the cost behind them,” she said, noting, “There are monthly tournaments, eight-hour competition days, private training sessions, travel expenses, accommodation, meals, and almost no institutional funding. Vacations have become chess trips [and] savings accounts have become entry fees.”

At one point, the CAC journey seemed financially out of reach. Then, three days before departure, help arrived through extended family, friends, and what Je’Nasiya’s parents describe simply as faith.

In Dorado, the pressure was immediate. Je’Nasiya dominated her early rounds but lost one crucial match after playing too quickly. She cried afterward, convinced her chance at gold had slipped away.

Another tense battle against a competitor tested her resolve even further. Je’Nasiya gained an early advantage, then watched helplessly as her opponent promoted a pawn at lightning speed.

“I really wanted that win,” she explained, “I thought I had ruined everything.”

When the final scores were tallied, the standings were tied. The decision came down to tie-break points.

“I didn’t understand at first,” Mais admitted. “[But], when they explained, I felt so happy. Very, very happy.”

Her parents described the moment as overwhelming relief. “That final game decided everything,” Natassia recalled. “When she won, it showed her discipline, her patience, and her ability to overcome obstacles that almost stopped her from even being there.”

For her coach, Melisha Smith of Chess in Motion Academy, the victory was confirmation of what Je’Nasiya had seen from the beginning.

“From the very start, her ability to absorb advanced concepts stood out. But, more than talent, she has resilience. She listens carefully. She refocuses when she makes mistakes. She finishes what she starts,” Smith explained, noting that, even when the hurricane forced the academy to move training online, Je’Nasiya simply adapted.

The gold medal did more than decorate a shelf. It elevated Jamaica’s profile in youth chess and offered a powerful image to young girls across the Caribbean, who rarely see themselves reflected in competitive strategy sports.

Je’Nasiya is now scheduled to compete at the World Chess Festival in Orlando, the CAC Championships in Costa Rica, and the Pan-American Youth Festival in 2026. Her parents are actively seeking corporate partners to support her journey, which they hope will one day lead to International Master and eventually Grandmaster status.

For Je’Nasiya, however, the philosophy remains simple: “Sometimes I cry when I lose. But I don’t give up. I just work harder.”

nyoka.manning@gleanerjm.com