Zara Majid

Zara Majid is a Cayman Islands chess player, student, and youth advocate who was awarded the title of Woman Candidate Master by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) in 2024. She was a member of the Cayman Islands women’s team at the 45th Chess Olympiad, which was held in Budapest, Hungary. At the chess tournament, the Cayman Islands team secured a silver medal in their category.

In 2026, Majid was awarded a full scholarship to attend the Yale Young Global Scholars programme at Yale University, where she was selected to participate in the Solving Global Challenges programme.

Early life and education

Majid was born in Trinidad and Tobago but moved to the Cayman Islands as a young child. The team included players Laia Swaminathan, Melinda Suico, Zara Majid, Anvita Niranjan Patil, and reserve player Abbie McClenaghan. Furthermore, the Cayman Independent referred to her as the National Female Chess Champion for the Cayman Islands.

The initiative was featured in an article published by ChessBase India, which identified Majid as the 16-year-old Woman Candidate Master from the Cayman Islands who leads the initiative’s podcast and youth affairs channels. Additionally, the Times of India also listed Majid as one of the international team members who are involved in the initiative.

Youth leadership and environmental advocacy

Majid is also involved in several other initiatives within the Cayman Islands. For instance, the Cayman Independent reported that Majid volunteers with the National Trust for the Cayman Islands to participate in initiatives targeting youth and the environment, such as Protect Our Future. Majid stated in the article that the Cayman Islands’ environment was essential for both its people and economy based upon tourism.

Awards and recognition

In 2025, Majid won the outstanding speaker award in the RBC Young Leaders Programme. Additionally, she was the second runner-up in the Cayman Islands Youth Parliament competition , on the government side at the Cayman Islands Youth Parliament awards ceremony.