Wilson wins Barbados’ ever first medal at Pan Am Youth Chess Festival

Rising chess talent Hannah Wilson secured silver to create history by winning Barbados’ first ever medal at the Pan American Youth Chess Festival.

The 12-year-old Wilson finished second in the Under-12 Girls’ category by collecting six and a half out of a maximum nine points when the hybrid section of the event concluded on Friday.

Given the COVID-19 pandemic, the longer standard time control was contested under the hybrid format where players resident in one country assemble at a location in that country to play their games online on their computers under the supervision of arbiters.

Wilson, seeded at no. 4 among the 28 players entered in her category, went into the final round challenging for the gold medal. She faced off against front-runner Serrano Caely El Hage of Bolivia needing victory to finish top of the podium. Wilson, however, had to settle for a draw in the decisive game.

El Hage won the gold medal with seven points, while Wilson took silver on the tie-break ahead of Beitia Asley Castillo of Panama and Sofia Ascama Paredes of Peru after all three players ended on six and a half points.

Wilson, who placed tenth in the same section two years ago, lost her opening game against Juliana Silva of Brazil last week Saturday. The 2019 CARIFTA Under-12 female gold medallist bounced back to score five successive victories, defeating Solar Ayaucan of Peru, Gajardo Azocar of Chile, Daniela Cerna of Peru, Sofia Ascama Paredes of Peru and Fiorella Mayeregger Gonzalez of Paraguay.

After the sixth round, Wilson moved to the top of the standings but lost to Luciana Andrea Arenas of Peru in the seventh round. She won against Maria Salazar of Brazil in the eighth round to set the stage for the decisive final round game.

Chanon Reifer-Belle, Barbados’ other entrant in the Under-12 Girls’ section, scored four points to finish 20^th.

Barbados also had a creditable performance from Gaybrianna Moore in the Under-18 Girls’ division. Moore, who was Barbados’ best player at last month’s FIDE Online Olympiad, finished fifth of 14 competitors after starting the event as the no. 11 seed.

In the Under-18 Open division, Aaron Haynes scored four points and Louis Wilson three and a half.

Barbados fielded three players in the Under-14 Open division where Tarquin Clark and Melvin Terence got three points each and Keon Lashley two.

The other Barbadians in the event scored two points – Alex Sargeant (Under-16 Open), Alesha Lovell (Under-16 Girls) and Jonathan Griffith (Under-10 Open).

The 11-member Barbados contingent played their games from the Coles Building on Bay Street, Bridgetown after the Barbados Chess Federation was granted permission by government authorities following recently implemented restrictions that prohibited indoor sports.

The Festival, which has attracted more than 400 players from 15 countries will continue with the shorter forms over the weekend with the online Blitz competition scheduled for Saturday and the online Rapid event on Sunday. (BCF)

Video:

A one-minute video clip of the Barbados team participating in the event can be accessed by clicking on the following link:

https://we.tl/t-HxLbLAzJlU