Reigning national ladies chess champion Hannah Wilson dominated the National Scholastics Championships by winning two of the categories.

In the first local over-the-board action for juniors since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wilson captured the Girls’ Under-15 and Under-17 sections when the Championships concluded last Saturday at the Coles Building on Bay Street in Bridgetown.

In the Under-15 age-group in which the boys and girls were merged due to insufficient entries among the females, the 13-year-old Queen’s College student took the Girls’ category with five and a half out of a maximum six points. She had to settle for a draw against Aaron Jaikaran in the fifth round but had her way for the rest of the competition. Naomi Lewis of Harrison College finished second in the Under-15 Girls’ category with three points, while Sahara Brathwaite of Queen’s College was third with two points.

Samuel Greenidge and Kanye Williams, both of Queen’s College, made a favourable impression in the Under-15 Open section and both finished with five points, losing only to Wilson. Greenidge, however, was declared the champion on the tie-break ahead of Williams with Jaikaran taking third place on four and a half points.

Wilson completed a 100 per cent winning record in the Under-17 Girls’ age-group in which the boys and girls were also merged. She went into the final round in a top-of-the-table clash against the previously unbeaten Alesha Lovell and duly won to record a maximum five points with Lovell taking second place on four points.

Alex Sargeant was the Under-17 Open champion with three points, while Jamani Bowen took second place with two points.

Jaikaran, of Harrison College, dominated the Under-11 Open category by scoring a perfect six points to win by one and a half points ahead of Chaz Reifer-Belle of Charles F. Broome Primary. Alexander Berry of Harrison College placed third on the tie-break ahead of Nathan Patterson-Simmons of Charles F. Broome Primary after both players ended on four points.

In the Under-11 Girls’ category, Jaeda Herbert of Luther Thorne Primary and Kayla Culpepper of Harrison College emerged as joint champions with four and a half points each. They were unable to be separated after the third tie-breaker. Makayla St. Aimee was third with three points.

The Championships, which attracted 44 players, were contested over six successive days, with the Under-11s in action last week Monday and Tuesday, the Under-15s on Wednesday and Thursday and the Under-17s on Friday and Saturday. (BCF)