The Barbados team had a commendable day on day 6 of the 2024 Chess Olympiad currently being played in Budapest, Hungary.

The Barbados women’s team was in destructive mode once again as they swept aside Oman, 4-0 in round 6 of the chess Olympiad. The team of Hannah Wilson, Katrina Blackman, Chanon Reifer-Belle and Kiarra Eversley were never really threatened in any of their games and all the players looked impressive as they all won their individual games.

With this victory the Barbados team is now in 91st position from the 168 countries that are participating in the event with 6 from 12 match points. The team has so far had three victories and three losses. What has been good so far is that they have not suffered a match defeat where all the players have lost. Chanon Reifer-Belle has been the best performer up to this point with 4 points from her 6 games. Only Jamaica sits ahead of us from the English-speaking Caribbean on tie-break.

In the Open section the Barbados team was able to hold the much higher rated El Salvador team to a 2-2 draw. While Emar Edwards and Lawrence Depradine lost to their opponents, Justin Blackman and Kemp Lynch put in stellar performances to defeat international master Jorge Giron and Fide master Jorge Chavez respectively. This allowed Barbados to salvage he match. The team now lies 123rd out of 187 participating teams.

Trinidad and Jamaica are the only two English speaking countries above Barbados in the Open section with 6 match points each.

The new chess powerhouses, India, lead both the Open and women’s section respectively with 12 match points after winning all their matches. In round 7, the Bajan women will have a tough assignment against Algeria, while the men will have an equally difficult one against Luxemborg.

The female team of women candidate masters Hannah Wilson, Katrina Blackman, Chanon Reifer-Belle and Kiarra Eversley all registered victories in their games to sweep the St. Lucian ladies team 4 – 0.

Current national female champion Katrina Blackman was the first to record victory against Chelsea Wahid, while top juniors Hannah Wilson and Chanon Reifer-Belle followed quickly against Mila Lui and Vernesa  James. Kiarra Eversley then brought home the whole hog when she defeated Shekinah Leonce.

The Barbados Open team of Fide master Justin Blackman, Kemp Lynch, Emar Edwards and Lawrence Depradine were just as impressive in their sweep of the U.S. Virgin Islands team.

Emar Edwards served notice early as he won a piece almost out of the opening in his game  against Abram Williams and duly won. Fide master Justin Blackman then recorded victory against Allen Daryl. The other two games were much longer affairs but Kemp Lynch and Lawrence Depradine in his first outing at this level won endgames to see Barbados record a comprehensive victory.
Barbados 4 – 0 USVI.

The Open team is currently lies in 101st  position of the 194 teams participating, with only Trinidad as the only English-speaking Caribbean team that lies  ahead of us. In the female section the team lies in joint 62nd from 180 teams. The  other top English-speaking Caribbean team Jamaica holds down a similar position.

In round three, the Open team will have a tough match against  Zambia, while the women team will play Bangladesh.