Reigning national triple crown chess champion Orlando Husbands is set for his first competitive action of 2021 this weekend when the knockout rounds of the American World Cup 2021 Qualification Stage push off.

The 24-year-old Husbands, who did not contest the preliminary round – each Federation in the Americas was allowed to enter one player directly to the knockout phase – faces fellow International Master Jonny Cueto of Bolivia in the first round of the knockouts tomorrow.

Husbands, who holds a FIDE rating of 2348, is seeded at no. 59 among the 114 entries from 20 countries and will fancy his chances of overcoming Cueto, the 70^th seed who has a rating of 2241.

Six-time national champion Martyn Del Castilho, with a rating of 2304 and seeded at no. 63, clashes with German Spata of Argentina, who is seeded at no. 66 and has a rating of 2290. Reigning Caribbean blitz champion Justin Blackman, the no. 78 seed with a rating of 2192, comes up against Cuban International Master Gonzalez Lopez, who is seeded at no. 51 with a rating of 2379. Blackman defeated Lopez during the preliminaries two weeks ago.

Four other Barbadians who did not originally advance to the knockout rounds, will now get the chance play after other players who progressed opted out. They will all face Grandmasters.

Five-time national women’s champion Katrina Blackman, seeded at no. 107, meets no. 22 seed Duany Martinez of Cuba; one-time national women’s champion Julissa Figueroa, seeded at no. 108, faces no. 21 seed Darcy Lima of Brazil; veteran Cyprian La Touche, seeded at no. 112, clashes with no. 17 seed Quintana Almadra of Cuba; and the youthful Keon Lashley, seeded at no. 113, opposes no. 16 seed Akshat Chandra of United States.

While the preliminary phase was played as an online event under the fast rapid format where games lasted around 25 minutes, the knockout section will use the standard time control with games going more than four hours. It will also be played using the hybrid format – players resident in one country assemble at a venue to play their games online on their computers under the supervision of arbiters.

The Barbadians will play their games from the Massy Training Facility in the Coles Building on Bay Street in Bridgetown. Each round will feature return games. The first game of the first round is on Saturday at 3 p.m. and the second game on Sunday at 2 p.m.

The top eight players in the event, which is organised by the Confederation of Chess for Americas, will advance to the World Cup finals in Sochi, Russia, from July 10 to August 6. (BCF)