Husbands retains National Blitz Championship

International Master Orlando Husbands put in an almost flawless performance to retain the Barbados Chess Federation’s National Blitz Championship last weekend.

Competing in his first domestic event of the year, Husbands scored eight and a half out of a maximum nine points to secure top honours in the Championship that was played as an online event due to COVID-19 restrictions on indoor sports.

The 24-year-old Husbands , the No. 2 seed, defeated the majority of his opposition but was denied a clean sweep, having had to settle for a draw  against top seed and fellow International Master Delisle Warner in the sixth round.

Husbands’ success followed his outstanding performance to share top spot at the recent Sub-Zonal Qualifier to the 2023 FIDE World Cup in the Dominican Republic after which he achieved the highest ever FIDE (International Chess Federation) rating by a Barbadian.

Warner, who won last month’s National Rapid Championship, finished second in the Blitz with seven and a half points. In addition to the draw against Husbands, Warner suffered a defeat to veteran FIDE Master Dr Philip Corbin in the third round.

Corbin took third place with seven points while Justin Parsons was fourth on six points.

Hannah Wilson, who finished fifth on five and a half points, won the prize for the Best Female, while five players who ended on five points  – Yeshua Hill, Chanon Reifer-Belle, Louis Wilson, Melvin Terence and Christian Mayers – shared the prizes for the Best Player rated between 1600 and 1401 and the Best Player rated Under 1400.

The Championship, played under a fast-paced format that is considered as chess’ equivalent to cricket’s Twenty20, attracted 21 players.

It came on the heels of last month’s National Rapid Championship where Warner, who has been resident in St Kitts in recent years, triumphed with six and a half out of a maximum seven points.

FIDE Master Justin Blackman took second place with six points, while Corbin and Emar Edwards shared third place with five points.

Gaybrianna Moore and Chanon Reifer-Belle, who both ended on four and a half points, shared the prize for the Best Female, while Louis Wilson, Melvin Terence, Adam Roachford and Travis Grant, who all scored four points, shared the prizes for the Best Player rated between 1600 and 1401 and the Best Player rated Under 1400. (BCF)