UPEI English student earns prestigious chess title

Jorge Moreno, a third-year English student at UPEI, qualified for the prestigious title of International Chess Federation (FIDE) Candidate Master at the 2026 Canadian Closed Chess Championship held in Montreal, Quebec, from April 2–7. 

Moreno is PEI’s number one-ranked classical player and two-time provincial champion, said Chess PEI in a news release. He scored five out of nine points against some of the strongest competitors in Canada to earn the title of FIDE Candidate Master.

At present, he is the only player in the province eligible for this title and, based on Chess PEI’s records, the first to attain it while representing PEI. The last time PEI had a representative in the Canadian Closed Chess Championship was in 1999.

Originally from Peru, Moreno has been a competitive chess player since he was 17. 

“I love the mental challenge that chess presents. It is a game that combines creativity and logic. To succeed, you must improve and use your memory, calculation skills, and visualization abilities. It is an immense game, and even with years of experience, there is always something new to learn.”

Since he arrived on PEI in 2022, he has become very involved in the Charlottetown chess community while keeping up with his studies at UPEI. 

“I am deeply grateful to everyone who has helped me since my arrival on Prince Edward Island. Here at UPEI, my professors were incredibly supportive even before the semester began. When I informed them of my plans to compete in Montreal this April, they understood how meaningful it was for me, which allowed me to travel with peace of mind. Maintaining a balance between my studies and my competitive activity is essential to me, and the support of my professors has been a key element for that. My sincere thanks to Dr. Anne Furlong, Dr. John McIntyre, Dr. Shannon Murray, and Dr. Esther Wohlgemut.”

He plans to work toward obtaining the next title, that of FIDE Master, but for now, he is prioritizing completing his degree in 2027 and then applying for a post-graduate program.