Four Barbadian chess players have been conditionally awarded titles following their performance at the 44^th FIDE Olympiad in Chennai, India.

The four are reigning national ladies champion Hannah Wilson, double Pan American Youth Championships gold medallist Chanon Reifer-Belle, former national Under-20 and Under-18 female champion Kiarra Eversley and former national Under-20 champion Justin Parsons.

Parsons has been conditionally awarded the title of Candidate Master, while Wilson, Reifer-Belle and Eversley have been conditionally awarded the title of Woman Candidate Master.

The quartet, competing at their first Olympiad, achieved the requirement of attaining a 50 per cent record from a minimum seven games during the July 29 to August 9 event. They must now fulfil a minimum rating requirement to be fully awarded the title.

Parsons, who scored six out of ten points and moved his rating to 1795 after the Olympiad, needs to achieve a rating of 2000 to be awarded the Candidate Master title, while the requirement for the three female players to be awarded the Woman Candidate Master title is a rating of 1800.

The 13-year-old Wilson, who was crowned as the youngest Barbados ladies national champion in April, scored five and a half out of ten points at the Olympiad and improved her rating to 1573.

Reifer-Belle, 12, who captured gold medals in the online rapid and blitz events at the Pan American Youth Championships earlier this year and became the youngest Barbadian to compete at an Olympiad, achieved three and a half out of seven points and moved her rating to 1269.

Eversley, 20, who is also a CARIFTA medallist, gained four points out of ten – she satisfied the requirement for the conditional title by having four points after eight rounds – and now has a rating of 1374.

Two other Barbadians narrowly missed out of achieving conditional titles. Emar Edwards collected four and a half points from ten games, while Gaybrianna Moore scored three points from six games. (BCF)

Barbados’ Women achieved their third clean of the boards and fourth victory overall on the penultimate day of the 44^th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Chennai, India on Monday.

The Bajan women, seeded at no. 111 out of 162 teams, made light work of 119^th ranked Guam to win their tenth round game 4-0 at the Sheraton Mahabalipuram Resort and Convention Centre.

For the second successive day, Gaybrianna Moore defeated a higher rated player by overcoming Grace Co Estur.

National ladies champion Hannah Wilson, 13, recorded her fifth win with victory over Ruth Nacario, while five-time national ladies champion, Katrina Blackman completed her fourth triumoph by defeating fellow Woman Candidate Master Myra Ollet.

Twelve-year-old Chanon Reifer-Belle, who returned to the line-up in place of Kiarra Eversley, ensured the clean sweep for Barbados with a win against Carmina Jasmine Ramas to notch her third victory.

The 4-0 win for Barbados’ Women followed similar victories earlier against Djibouti and Kuwait and lifted them to 103^rd in the standings.

For the fourth successive day, there were mixed fortunes for Barbados as the Open team lost 3-1 to the higher rated Angola.

Justin Blackman and Justin Parsons battled to draws against FIDE Masters Sergio Miguel and Domingos Junior as Barbados, ranked no. 124 out of 188 teams, put up a fight against 93^rd ranked Angola.

Both Emar Edwards and Adam Roachford lost, going under to Vanderson Dias and Candidate Master Amaro Lutuima respectively.

Barbados were without their top rated International Master Orlando Husbands who was forced to sit out because of dental challenges that have been affecting him for most of the tournament.

The Olympiad concludes on Tuesday with the 11^th and final round of games with the Open team opposing Cameroon who are seeded at no. 162, while the women will meet 84^th ranked Monaco. (BCF)

Barbados’ Women’s team completed a clean sweep of the boards against Kuwait to register their third victory at the 44^th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Chennai, India on Saturday.

The Bajan girls, seeded at no. 111 out of 162 teams, romped to a 4-0 win against 132^nd ranked Kuwait in the eighth round of games at the Sheraton Mahabalipuram Resort and Convention Centre.

Barbados’ Open team also put in a spirited showing against the higher rated Jordan but went under 2.5-0.5.

The Women, however, kept the Bajan flag flying high by crushing Kuwait to record a victory that lifted them to 103^rd in the standings.

National ladies champion Hannah Wilson completed her fourth win in seven games, while five-time National ladies champion Woman Candidate Master Katrina Blackman and Kiarra Eversley both won for the third time.

The 13-year-old Wilson, who was crowned as the youngest Barbados ladies national champion in April, defeated Aeshah Alazmi, while Blackman and Eversley won against Rabab Ahmed Nema and Zainah Alhasan respectively.

Reifer-Belle, 12, the youngest Barbadian to compete at an Olympiad, completed the clean sweep by prevailing over Mohammad Kalandar Hadeel to record her second win.

In the Open section, Barbados, ranked no. 124 out of 188 teams, offered a gutsy challenge before going under to 99^th ranked Jordan.

Barbados’ no. 1 player Orlando Husbands won his first game of the tournament by defeating fellow International Master Sameer Mansour while Justin Parsons played to a draw against Alwahsh Ibrahim.

FIDE Master Justin Blackman lost for the first time in eight games, suffering a defeat at the hands of International Master Al Khatib Ahmad and Emar Edwards also went under to Marwan Aboudi. (BCF)

National ladies champion Hannah Wilson and Kiarra Eversley pulled off upset victories against higher rated opponents to earn Barbados’ women a draw against Botswana on the sixth day of the 44^th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Chennai, India on Wednesday.

The 13-year-old Wilson, who was crowned as the youngest Barbados ladies national champion in April, defeated Woman FIDE Master Naledi Marape while Eversley won against Woman Candidate Master Natalie Katlo Banda at the Sheraton Mahabalipuram Resort and Convention Centre.

Their efforts helped Barbados’ Women, who are seeded at no. 111 out of 162 teams, play to a 2-2 draw against 88^th ranked Botswana.

It was Wilson’s third victory in five games while Eversley scored her second win.

Barbados’ two other players, Woman Candidate Master Katrina Blackman and Chanon Reifer-Belle suffered defeats, losing to Woman FIDE Master Masaiti Besa and Woman Candidate Master Arona Moshoboro respectively.

While Barbados’ women were able to earn a share of the points, the Open team crashed to a 3.5-0.5 defeat against the higher rated Zimbabwe.

FIDE Master Justin Blackman maintained his unbeaten run and for the third time in the tournament helped Barbados avoid a clean sweep of the boards.

Blackman, playing on Board 1 in the absence of Barbados’ highest rated player, Orlando Husbands, earned to a draw against the higher rated International Master Rodwell Makoto to move his record for the tournament to three wins and three draws.

Barbados’ Open team, ranked no. 124 out of 188 sides, however, came out on the losing end against the 94^th ranked Zimbabwe as Emar Edwards went under to Spencer Masango, Justin Parsons lost to Jemusse Zhemba and Adam Roachford was defeated by Roy Mwadzura.

The Olympiad moves into its seventh round of games on Friday after Thursday’s rest day.

In the seventh round, Barbados’ Open team will face The Bahamas, who are seeded at no. 158, while the women will be up against 86^th ranked Puerto Rico. (BCF)

FIDE Master Justin Blackman maintained his unbeaten run and once again prevented Barbados from avoiding a clean sweep of the boards on the fourth day of the 44^th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Chennai, India on Monday.

The 30-year-old Blackman defeated the higher rated Nicholas Croad, but the Barbados Open team suffered a 3-1 defeat against New Zealand at the Sheraton Mahabalipuram Resort and Convention Centre.

It was another also another difficult day for Barbados’ Women who crashed to their third 4-0 defeat, this time going under to Tajikistan.

For the second successive day, both Barbados teams came up against higher ranked opposition and were unable to avoid defeat.

Blackman, Barbados’ most successful player at the 2018 Olympiad, however, kept his unbeaten record in tact by completing his second victory to go along with two draws.

Barbados’ Open team, which is ranked no. 124 out of 188 teams, faced off against 92^nd ranked New Zealand and found the going tough.

International Master Orlando Husbands, Barbados’ top rated player, lost to Daniel Hanwen Gong while Olympiad newcomers Emar Edwards and Adam Roachford went under to Felix Xie and John Stark respectively.

On the women’s boards, the Bajans, seeded at no. 111 out of 162 teams, were outplayed by 80th ranked Tajikistan.

Woman Candidate Master Katrina Blackman lost to Woman FIDE Master Nadezhda Antonova; Gaybrianna Moore, who replaced Hannah Wilson in the line-up after sitting out the previous two rounds, went under to Sabrina Abrorova; Kiarra Eversley lost to Rukhshona Saidova; and Chanon Reifer-Belle went under to Mutriba Hotami. (BCF)