Barbados’ Women sweep Kuwait at Chess Olympiad

Barbados’ Women’s team completed a clean sweep of the boards against Kuwait to register their third victory at the 44^th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Chennai, India on Saturday.

The Bajan girls, seeded at no. 111 out of 162 teams, romped to a 4-0 win against 132^nd ranked Kuwait in the eighth round of games at the Sheraton Mahabalipuram Resort and Convention Centre.

Barbados’ Open team also put in a spirited showing against the higher rated Jordan but went under 2.5-0.5.

The Women, however, kept the Bajan flag flying high by crushing Kuwait to record a victory that lifted them to 103^rd in the standings.

National ladies champion Hannah Wilson completed her fourth win in seven games, while five-time National ladies champion Woman Candidate Master Katrina Blackman and Kiarra Eversley both won for the third time.

The 13-year-old Wilson, who was crowned as the youngest Barbados ladies national champion in April, defeated Aeshah Alazmi, while Blackman and Eversley won against Rabab Ahmed Nema and Zainah Alhasan respectively.

Reifer-Belle, 12, the youngest Barbadian to compete at an Olympiad, completed the clean sweep by prevailing over Mohammad Kalandar Hadeel to record her second win.

In the Open section, Barbados, ranked no. 124 out of 188 teams, offered a gutsy challenge before going under to 99^th ranked Jordan.

Barbados’ no. 1 player Orlando Husbands won his first game of the tournament by defeating fellow International Master Sameer Mansour while Justin Parsons played to a draw against Alwahsh Ibrahim.

FIDE Master Justin Blackman lost for the first time in eight games, suffering a defeat at the hands of International Master Al Khatib Ahmad and Emar Edwards also went under to Marwan Aboudi. (BCF)