Martyn Del Castilho is celebrating the capture of the national chess championship for the seventh time.

The 32-year-old FIDE Master was crowned the 2022 champion after winning an exciting play-off against arch-rival Orlando Husbands on Saturday evening at the Coles Building on Bay Street, Bridgetown.

The island’s two highest rated players faced off in a two-game play-off over the rapid format after both finished level on eight points over nine rounds of games in the longer, standard time control.

The first of the play-off games produced a tense draw but Del Castilho clinched the second to deny the 25-year-old Husbands, the no. 1 seed and four-time national champion.

It was Del Castilho’s first national title in five years and his seventh overall, having previously won the championship from 2009 to 2012 and again in 2016 and 2017.

International Master Husbands, who first won the championship in 2013, was also champion in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

There was much anticipation ahead of the play-off and it duly lived up to its billing as both players fought tooth and nail.

Del Castilho and Husbands were well clear of their rivals in the championship, finishing two points more than their closest challengers.

Adam Roachford took third place on the tie-break ahead of Emar Edwards and Louis Wilson after the three players finished on six points. Cyprian La Touche was sixth with four and a half points, prevailing on the tie-break ahead of Allan Herbert.

Del Castilho and Husbands were paired together in the third round but the contest never came off as Del Castilho won by default. The two players were then drawn to face each other in the fifth round where Husbands secured victory.

With both players level on points at that stage and having won their remaining games, it left the title to be decided by the play-off.

The championship, which attracted 13 players, was played simultaneously with the National Ladies Championship that was won by 13-year-old Hannah Wilson. They were the first over the board events hosted by the Barbados Chess Federation in more than seven months following the announcement by Government officials in March to allow a resumption of indoor sports.

On the heels of those events, the calendar moves into the Heroes Day Cup on Sunday at the Coles Building. The event will feature competitors from Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and St Lucia and will conclude on Thursday, National Heroes Day. (BCF)