The 14-year-old St Mary’s College third former was among the first ten youths selected for this honour which recognises outstanding achievement in the world of sport. The Arima youngster began his chess career at the age of seven when he won his first contest, becoming the national Under-8 champion. Since then Cabralis, his chess skill and stature in the sport rising inexorably, has garnered an array of trophies and records for his notable achievements in tournaments at home and abroad.

He is the youngest Trinidadian ever to defeat an International Master, the Cuban Humberto Pecorelli, a victory he scored at a simultaneous display in Port-of-Spain in 2005. It was Pecorelli’s only defeat in that event. Cabralis has demonstrated his strength among the country’s chess elite by placing third over the last two years in the national open championship, the youngest player ever to achieve that distinction. Now he is preparing to represent T&T at the next Olympiad in Russia in September.

In the following question and answer interview with Double Rooks, Cabralis expresses himself freely and candidly, revealing his love for the royal game, his appreciation of its value as an educational tool and his own personal focus.

Q: Your award as Youth of the Year stems from your success as the country’s leading junior chess player. As a possible guide to other aspiring youngsters, can you tell us to what do you owe your outstanding achievements?
A: Well, firstly I'd like to thank God for everything in my life and especially for those circumstances that have allowed me to attain a status as the leading junior in the country at the moment. Without God, nothing is possible. Along the way, I've had the support of my family which I must say has been instrumental in my development thus far. Their patience and dedication combined with the immense effort and relentless determination of my coach, FIDE Master Ryan Harper, to make me the best has led to my speedy transition from beginner to the top youth in chess in a matter of years. I myself have had to endure hours of training and practise to become better and to these factors, I owe my success at this stage.

It seems only a question of time before you win the national championship. Beyond that, what are your aspirations in the sport?
Well, capturing the national title itself would be a phenomenal achievement for me at this age but aside from that, my eyes are set on becoming the youngest FIDE Master in Trinidad and Tobago's history.

In the past, a number of promising young chess players have had to give up the game to pursue professional studies. Have you decided as yet on the life career you would want to pursue?
Yes, actually I have, but I believe that proper time management along with the sacrifice of many pastimes would allow me to maintain a high standard of both academic and extracurricular performance. I have no intention of allowing my dreams of becoming simultaneously the leading chessist in the English speaking Caribbean as well as a chemical engineer to be deterred by distractions and obstacles that reveal themselves everyday to young people. With my strong family support, I believe that I will continue to be guided in the right direction and achieve all that I want to in both my professional studies as well as in my chess career.

You are a member of the team which will represent the country at the Olympiad in Russia next September. How are you preparing for participation in this premier international contest?
Well, at the moment, I'm continuing my training with my coach as I am happy with my achievements which are there for all to see. With his guidance I expect that these results would persist and even improve. I also recognise, however, there is a major gap between the level of chess here and the level internationally, so my training would definitely need to intensify. Hopefully, the team would be granted assistance from the governing chess body, the TTCA (Trinidad and Tobago Chess Association) to further enhance our training programme in order for us to give our best at the Olympiad. I'm certainly looking forward to this prestigious tournament as I see it as a great opportunity to gain experience against some of the best players from other countries and maybe even incorporate a few of their ideas into my own style of play.

When and how did you learn to play chess and who or what provided your early inspiration?
When I was at the tender age of seven, my father undertook the challenge of teaching me the complex art of playing a game of chess. At the time, I had no other inspiration except the fact that my dad knew how to play chess and, wanting to be just like him, I was determined to learn. At that point, a close and enduring father-son partnership was formed. As I grew from strength to strength, he also made an effort to improve his game, keeping in stride with me. Alas, I have finally gone just beyond his reach but not with ease! In my early years, my father provided not only inspiration, but more than adequate support and competition. I'm truly blessed to say he is my father and to me will always be a far better inspiration than any of the top chessists in the world can be.