Wilson, Reifer-Belle share third prize in Margaret Prince Memorial Female Tournament

Rising chess talents Hannah Wilson and Chanon Reifer-Belle shared third prize as Jamaican Rachel Miller took top honours in the second Margaret Prince Memorial Rapid Online Female Tournament over the weekend.

The 13-year-old Wilson, who was crowned as the youngest Barbados ladies national champion in April, and the 12-year-old Reifer-Belle, who won gold medals in the online rapid and blitz events at the Pan American Youth Championships earlier this year, both ended with five out of a maximum seven points in the two-day event that attracted regional participation

Miller, a Woman International Master who placed second behind fellow Jamaican Raehanna Brown in last year’s inaugural event, won the tournament with six points and clinched top spot with a decisive victory against Kaithlyn Tjong Tjin Joe of Suriname in the final round.

Tjong Tjin Joe started the last round as the front-runner on five and a half points, but Miller, who dropped a point when she did not contest the fourth round, prevailed to emerge as the champion.

Wilson lost to Miller in the third round and also went under to Reifer-Belle when the two Barbadians met in the fifth round. Reifer-Belle also lost to Miller in the sixth round and her other defeat was against Tjong Tjin Joe in the third round.

Samantha Aponte of Aruba also finished with five points to share the third prize with Wilson and Reifer-Belle.

The event, which was organised by the Women’s Chess Sub-Committee of the Barbados Chess Federation (BCF), attracted 24 players.

It was played in honour of Margaret Prince, Barbados’ first ever women’s chess champion who was one of the most vocal advocates for women’s chess and a founding member of the Barbados Ladies Chess Association.

The next event on the BCF’s calendar will be the VEXX Tournament, which starts on Saturday and will be played over five successive days at the Coles Building on Bay Street in Bridgetown. (BCF)