December 2020 - Barbados Chess Federation

Husbands finishes year in fine style with fourth title

December 22, 2020/0 Comments/in Tournaments/by BCF

Husbands finishes year in fine style with fourth title

Barbados’ top chess player Orlando Husbands finished off the year in grand style by winning the Michael Forde Memorial Championship with a perfect record over the weekend to secure a fourth major title for 2020.

The 23-year-old International Master brushed aside each of his seven opponents and was crowned champion before the final round of games on Sunday at the Chess Centre on Exmouth Gap, Brandons, St. Michael.

Having secured 11 points in the FIDE ratings, the performance will push him to a career high rating of 2348 when the world governing body for chess updates its rankings list at the end of the month.

The triumph rounds off an amazing year for Husbands who achieved a national treble of senior titles for the second time by winning the National Open, Rapid and Blitz Championships – a feat he also accomplished in 2018.

Husbands started the Michael Forde Memorial Championship with a victory over Hannah Wilson when the tournament pushed off on December 10. He followed up with wins against Aaron Haynes, Cleveston Ifill, Emar Edwards, Louis Wilson, Kiarra Eversley and Adam Roachford

Ifill, the no. 2 seed who returned to returned to competitive chess in October after an absence of more than a decade, finished second with six points – his only defeat was to Husbands in the third round.

There was a thrilling battle for third place which went to Emar Edwards, who ended with four-and-a-half points. Edwards, the no. 3 seed, was among eight players separated by a half-point going into the final round.

Three players – Louis Wilson, Eversley and Tarquin Clark – all finished on four points and also won prizes in the process.

Louis Wilson took fourth place on the tie break and was the Best Player rated under 1600. Eversley was fifth and also won the prize for the Best Female while Clark, who was sixth, was the Best Player rated under 1400.

The Championship, the final event on the Barbados Chess Federation’s 2020 calendar, attracted 13 entrants. (BCF)

Cleveston Ifill (left), who took second place, playing against Louis Wilson, who won the prize for the Best Player rated under 1600.

Third-placed Emar Edwards (left) battling against Adam Roachford

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Husbands completes another national treble

December 8, 2020/0 Comments/in Nationals, Tournaments/by BCF

Husbands completes another national treble

Barbados’ most decorated chess player over the past five years, Orlando Husbands, has completed an amazing treble of national titles for the second time.

The 23-year-old International Master secured his third major title for the year by narrowly winning the National Blitz title on Sunday.

Contested as an online event for the first time, the Championship was a straight fight between Husbands and 2019 champion Justin Blackman with both players finishing with eight out of a maximum nine points.

The first two tie-breaks failed to settle the deadlock but Husbands prevailed on the third tie-break to duplicate the treble he first achieved in 2018 when he became the first player to simultaneously hold the three major senior national championships – Open, Rapid and Blitz.

It was an exciting event in which Husbands suffered a shock defeat against 18-year-old Adam Roachford in the second round.

Husbands, however, was back on level terms with Blackman when he defeated the Caribbean Blitz Online champion in the fifth round. Neither player dropped a point for the final four rounds, forcing the Championship to be decided on the tie-breaks.

It was the second straight week that Husbands, who was crowned the National Open champion for third time in October, prevailed over Blackman for a title, having defeated the 29-year-old FIDE Master in a play-off to win the National Rapid Championship the previous Sunday.

Nitin Mahtani took third place in the fast-paced Blitz Championship with six-and-a-half points, having lost only to Husbands and Blackman.

Justin Parsons was fourth with six points and the top five was completed by 13-year-old Melvin Terence, who ended with five points.

Terence also won the prize for the Best Player rated under 1600, while Louis Wilson, who was sixth with four-and-a-half points, took the prize for the Best Player rated under 1400.

Kiarra Eversley, who completed the top half of the 14-player field with four-and-a-half points, was the Best Female.

The Barbados Chess Federation’s 2020 calendar of events will conclude with the Michael Forde Memorial Championship which starts on Thursday at the Chess Centre on Exmouth Gap, Brandons, St. Michael. It will run over seven rounds and concludes on December 20. (BCF)

Justin Blackman took second place after he was edged on the tie-break.

Kiarra Eversley was the Best Female.