Wilson upstages top seed to win National Chess

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Louis Wilson (right) clinched the Qualifier after winning in the final round against Rory Prescod, who was the Best Under-16.

Wilson upstages top seed to win National Chess

Teenager Louis Wilson pulled up an upset win against top seed Justin Parsons to pave the way for his capture of the Barbados Chess Federation’s (BCF) National Championship 3rd Qualifier.

The 15-year-old Wilson, the no. 5 seed, toppled the previously unbeaten Parsons in the sixth round of the Qualifier last Wednesday night and clinched the event with another victory in the final round of games on Friday night at the Chess Centre on Exmouth Gap, Brandons, St. Michael.

Both Wilson, the reigning National Under-16 champion and Parsons, a former National Under-20 champion, finished with six out of a maximum seven points but Wilson was declared the winner on account of winning the head-to-head clash.

Nitin Mahtani ended with five-and-a-half points to clinch the third qualifying spot for next month’s National Championship finals.

Hannah Wilson, who was fourth with four-and-a-half points, was the Best Female for the second successive Qualifier, while Rory Prescod, who ended with four points to take fifth place on the tie break ahead of four other competitors, was the Best Under-16.

Cyprian La Touche, Aaron Haynes, Jalia Linton and Keon Lashley also finished on four points to round off the top half of the competition which attracted 19 entrants.

After Louis Wilson’s win against Parsons in the penultimate round, the stage was set for an exciting finish as six players went into the last round with a chance at taking the honours.

Parsons was the first to win on the final night, defeating Haynes on Board 1 but then had to await the outcome of the game between Wilson and Prescod on Board 2. Once Wilson emerged victorious, he was confirmed as the winner of the Qualifier.

Wilson, Parsons and Mahtani will join the top three from the January’s 1st Qualifier (Kyle Sandiford, Emar Edwards and Akeem Cox ) and the first three from last month’s 2nd Qualifier (Othneil Harewood, Mark Lowe and Adam Roachford) in the National Championship finals scheduled for October 10 to 20. The nine qualifiers will be attempting to dethrone two-time defending champion Orlando Husbands. (BCF)

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Top seed Parsons leads National Chess Qualifier

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Justin Parsons (right) defeated Nitin Mahtani in a top-of-the-table fourth round game. (BCF Pictures)

Top seed Parsons leads National Chess

Top seed Justin Parsons has marched to a 100 per cent winning record to establish himself as the front-runner at the half-way point of the Barbados Chess Federation’s (BCF) National Championship 3rd Qualifier.

The 23-year-old Parsons, a former National Under-20 champion, has scored four successive victories, including a key win in a top-of-the-table clash against no. 2 seed Nitin Mahtani at the Chess Centre on Exmouth Gap, Brandons, St. Michael last Saturday night.

Both players went into the game with unblemished records, and Parsons’ win has made him the favourite to win the Qualifier with three rounds of games remaining.

Five players follow Parsons on three points with Mahtani occupying second place on the tie-break.  The youthful trio of Louis Wilson, Rory Prescod and Hannah Wilson and veteran Cyprian La Touche also have three points to set the stage for a fierce battle to determine the top three qualifiers for next month’s finals.

When the tournament pushed off last week Saturday, Parsons opened with a win against Tarquin Clark and followed up with victories in the second round against Prescod and in the third round against La Touche.

Parsons will next meet Hannah Wilson when the Qualifier continues on Monday with fifth round games.

The event, the second hosted by the BCF in the COVID-19 environment, has attracted 19 competitors. It follows the 2nd Qualifier where veteran Othneil Harewood, the no. 2  seed, secured top spot ahead of no. 1 seed Mark Lowe with Adam Roachford finishing third.

The 1st Qualifier, which was played in January, saw honours going to Kyle Sandiford ahead of Emar Edwards and Akeem Cox.

The nine qualifiers will aim to dethrone two-time defending champion Orlando Husbands in the National Championship finals scheduled for October 10 to 20.

Special COVID-19 protocols have been established for the Qualifiers which require players to wear face masks and undergo temperature checks on entering the venue.

Additionally, spectators are not allowed but the BCF is providing live streaming of the event to allow fans to follow the games in real time. (BCF)

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Veteran Harewood wins National Chess Championship 2nd Qualifier

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Othneil Harewood (right) defeated Adam Roachford in the final round to clinch the Qualifier. (BCF Pictures)

Veteran Harewood wins National Chess Championship 2nd Qualifier

Veteran Othneil Harewood held off a challenge in the closing stages and stood firm to win the Barbados Chess Federation’s (BCF) National Championship 2nd Qualifier.

After losing a top-of-the-table clash against Mark Lowe in the fifth round, the 68-year-old Harewood bounced back in the sixth round and sealed the honours with another victory in the seventh and final round when the tournament climaxed in exciting fashion on Thursday night at the Chess Centre on Exmouth Gap, Brandons, St. Michael.

Harewood, the no. 2 seed in the absence of some of the island’s top-rated players, finished with six out of a maximum seven points, to win ahead of top seed Lowe, who had to settle for draws in his final two games.

Lowe was second with five points, while Adam Roachford narrowly took third place on the tie-break, pipping the Wilson siblings, Louis and Hannah after the three teenagers ended on four-and-a-half points.

Louis took the prize for the Best Under-16 Player and 11-year-Hannah was the Best Female Player in the first over the board tournament hosted by the BCF in the COVID-19 environment.

The stage was set for a thrilling finish as the leading four players battled it out on the top two boards on the last night of competition in the event that attracted 14 competitors.

Harewood, who went into the final round with a half-point lead, was confirmed as the winner after defeating Roachford, who started the contest in joint second-place on the tie-break after drawing with Lowe in the penultimate round on Tuesday night.

Lowe and Louis Wilson played to a draw on Board 2, leaving Lowe a clear second and forcing the calculators to decide the third and final qualifying spot after Hannah Wilson also managed a draw with Taiye Estwick on Board 3.

Harewood, Lowe and Roachford join the top three finishers from January’s 1st Qualifier – Kyle Sandiford, Emar Edwards and Akeem Cox – in the National Championships finals scheduled for October 10 to 20.

The final three competitors will come from the 3rd Qualifier which pushes off on Sunday and will run until September 19. The nine qualifiers will be joined in the finals by two-time defending champion Orlando Husbands. 

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