Bajans Husbands and Wilson win Sub zonal 2.3.3 Open and Women chess championships
Barbados chess history was created this week when local players won both the Subzone 2.3.3 Women and Open Chess Championships 2025 played in Trinidad and Tobago. The event contained the best players from the English and Dutch Caribbean along with Haiti.
International master Orlando Husbands lived up to his top ranking in the 96-player field from 15 different countries and won the Open section with 7 ½ points from a possible 9 matches. He won 6 games and drew three, with his last round draw against FIDE master Joshua Christie of Jamaica sealing the title.
International master Vishnu Singh of Trinidad placed second with 7 points, just ahead of a young Jason Yeung of Surinam on the tie-break also on 7.
Another Barbadian, ace road tennis player Emar Edwards put in an impressive performance to finish joint 4th, but 7th on the tie-break with 6 ½ points. His last round draw against the second seed FIDE master Joshua Johnson of Trinidad climaxed a good tournament result for Edwards. He was among the prizes and with his score more than two thirds, he will be provisionally awarded the FIDE master title. Chess has several titles which start with candidate master, rise to FIDE master, then to international master and finally grandmaster. They are based on performances at specific events and a players’ rating.
Justin Parsons, the other local participant in the Open section lost his last round game against Trini Yogendranath Ramsingh to finish with a creditable 4 ½ points.
Queen’s College’s 15-year-old Hannah Wilson then did herself, country, parents and all proud when she clinched the Female section by winning her last round game against Polina Karelina of the Bahamas to finish with 8 points from her 9 rounds. With this victory in such a prestigious event, Wilson will now have her woman FIDE master title upgraded to woman international master.
Barbados then had more glory as Wilson’s school mate , Chanon Reifer-Belle and also 15 years, drew her last round game against Victoria Kaslan of Suriname to finish in clear second with 6 ½ points, just ahead of Ysvett Hermoso Rodriguez of Trinidad with 6. Chanon will have her title upgraded from woman candidate master to woman FIDE master due to her placing. Both young ladies played tough chess throughout the event, and I believe that their fierce rivalry pushes both players to excel.
To justify the young ladies’ talents, Wilson’s only loss in the event came at the hands of Reifer-Belle. However, Wilson’s last wrong victim Karelina has defeated the Open winner Husbands over 8 years ago in a standard tournament game.
With their victories both Husbands and Wilson have qualified for the next chess FIDE World Cup. This is a knock out event that is part of the World championship cycle with the best players in the world from which the top three players will move forward to the candidates’ event, where the eventual winner of that will go on to challenge the current world champion Dommaraju Gukesh of India in the men and Ju Wenjun of China in the women for the world championship title.
As Husbands and Wilson will be the first participants to take part in a World Cup event from the English, Dutch or French speaking Caribbean, this is a momentous achievement by these young players. The only chess achievement, that I can say is as comparable for Barbados, is when Kevin Denny became the first international master from the English, Dutch or French speaking Caribbean in 2001 at the then Subzonal 2.3.5.
Kudos must go to these players, but also to their parents, coaches and supporters. In Husband’s case, special mention must be made of Dr. David Jordan who would have taught him the game at Lodge school and supported him in many of his early chess endeavors. In Wilson’s case , to her parents Albert and Jenita who have sacrificed a lot to support Hannah’s love for chess. These two players will now have to prepare earnestly for their next big challenge. Congratulations on an incomplete journey of hard work and dedication.
Latest News
Bajans Husbands and Wilson win Sub zonal 2.3.3 Open and Women chess championshipsApril 17, 2025 - 12:54 am
Barbados chess players making strong moves in TrinidadApril 13, 2025 - 5:31 pm
Harrison College “A” team takes Secondary School Team Under 20 Chess championshipApril 8, 2025 - 12:22 am
Six lead the CB Gilkes Open chess eventJanuary 24, 2025 - 4:52 pm
Husbands sweeps National Blitz chess championshipDecember 20, 2024 - 11:43 pm
