After the final round of the 2024 National Female chess championship on Monday evening at the Coles Building in Bridgetown, woman FIDE master Hannah Wilson has been crowned the triumphant winner with a maximum of 8 wins from her 8 matches.
Wilson was the top – rated player in the field and lived up to her billing as the favorite. She was very efficient in executing victory in all her matches and played with great determination. Going into the last round Wilson faced Laura Nicholls and had already won the tournament as she sat two points clear of the field with only this sole round remaining. However, Wilson was in a no – nonsense mood and she won Laura’s queen for a minor piece just after the opening was completed.
With this clear advantage Wilson duly converted the match and with that won, to officially claim her second national female title, having won her first in 2022.
Woman candidate master Chanon Reifer-Belle finished second in the event with 6 points, two clear points behind the leader. In her final round game, Reifer-Belle played very tactically to force Leshay Springer to resign as she could not keep from losing her pieces. Springer finished in third position with four points in the event.
The next event on the Barbados chess Federation calendar is the 2024 National Rapid chess championship slated for next Saturday and Sunday at the Coles Building, Bay Street, Bridgetown.