Del Castilho wins third straight Grand Prix event

Martyn Del Castilho captured his third successive Grand Prix event. (BCF Pictures)

Akeem Cox placed third for the third time in the series to maintain third place in the overall standings.

Six-time national champion Martyn Del Castilho captured his third successive event in the Barbados Chess Federation’s online Grand Prix Series last weekend to take a firm stranglehold to secure the top honours.

The 32-year-old FIDE Master is on the verge of clinching the series with one event remaining after again overturning the challenge of Justin Blackman, the winner of the first two events.

Del Castilho, the top seed, defeated no. 2 seed Blackman in a top-of-the-table fifth round clash at the start of Sunday’s second day and duly went on seal the event with six and a half out of a maximum seven points.

Blackman, the reigning Caribbean blitz champion, took second place with six points while no. 3 seed Akeem Cox, who ended with five points, placed third for the third time in the series which be being played under the rapid format.

Emar Edwards was fourth on the tie break ahead of Louis Wilson after both players finished on four and a half points.

Under the format of the six-event series, players are awarded Grand Prix points in each event based on their percentage score in each tournament. Del Castilho, therefore, gained 92 Grand Prix points, Blackman 85 and Cox 71.

With three wins and two second places in the series, Del Castilho moved 448 points with Blackman, who opted out of the fourth event of the series, in second on 355 points and Cox third on 341 points.

Emar Edwards is in fourth place on 320 points and maintained his lead in the sub-category for the Best player rated between 1300 and 1599, while Rory Prescod is in fifth place on 292 points and still heading the sub-category for the Best player rated between 1000 and 1299.

The list of the top ten is completed Julissa Figueroa (278 points), Gaybrianna Moore (277), Hannah Wilson (276), Melvin Terence (262) and Chanon Reifer-Belle (256).

Figueroa heads the race for the top female sub-category in which just three points separate the first three players.

Taariq Callender moved into the lead in the sub-category for the Best unrated player with 169 points, one more than Joshua Blanchard, who missed the fifth event which featured 21 players.

The series will conclude next month with the sixth and final event. (BCF)