Hannah makes perfect start to FIDE World School Chess Championship

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Barbadian Hannah Wilson (left) defeated Quispe Vizcarra of Peru in the third round. (BCF Pictures)

Hannah makes perfect start to FIDE World School Chess Championship

National ladies national champion Hannah Wilson has made a perfect start to the FIDE World School Chess Championship in Panama.

Competing in the Girls’ Under-13 category, Wilson has reeled off five consecutive victories to emerge as the front-runner at the half-way stage of the competition.

Wilson, who is seeded at no. 6 among the 34 entrants in the section, scored her biggest win on Tuesday night when she defeated no. 3 seed Bello Montejo of Cuba.

After Wednesday’s rest day, the Queen’s College student will encounter another stern test in the sixth round when she comes up against top seed Omya Vidyarthi of the United States on Thursday.

Wilson, the only Barbadian at the championship, started the nine-round event last Saturday with victory over Rodriguez Herrera of Venezuela.

She defeated American Sadhana Arivoli in the second round on Sunday and sustained her winning ways in Monday’s double-header by overcoming Vera Guzman of Peru and Bayarsaikhan Khulan of Mongolia.

Wilson heads the table with a maximum five points, holding a one-point lead on five players – Khulan, Vidyarthi, Araya Mayorga of Costa Rica, Quispe Vizcarra of Peru and Gurvanbaatar Urangoo of Mongolia.

Following Thursday’s double-header, the event will conclude with the last two rounds on Friday and Saturday.

Wilson is going after another accolade at the international level after her success of last year when she won the gold medal at the Central American and Caribbean Youth Festival and a silver at the Pan American Youth Festival.

She maintained her outstanding form by becoming the youngest Barbados ladies national champion at the age of 13 when she upstaged more seasoned opponents in this year’s Ladies National Championship in April.

The FIDE World School Chess Championship, is which being staged for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, has attracted 489 players from more than 30 countries.  It is being contested in five age-groups – Under-17, Under-15, Under-13, Under-11 and Under-9. (BCF)

BCF - Hannah Wilson at World School Championship (2)
Hannah Wilson is leading the standings in the Girls’ Under-13 category after five rounds of the FIDE World School Chess Championship.

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Double delight as Reifer-Belle wins Pan Am Youth blitz gold medal

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Chanon Reifer-Belle won the gold medal for Under-14 Girls in the blitz competition of the Pan American Youth Online Championship to follow up her victory in the rapid tournament. (BCF Picture)

Double delight as Reifer-Belle wins Pan Am Youth blitz gold medal

Rising chess player Chanon Reifer-Belle is celebrating the capture of her second gold medal at the Pan American Youth Online Championship.

The 12-year-old Queen’s College student took top spot in the Under-14 Girls’ section of the blitz event last weekend, two weeks after winning gold in the rapid competition.

Reifer-Belle, competing in a merged division that included male opponents, finished with five and a half out of a maximum nine points in the fast-paced blitz format which is often regarded as the equivalent of cricket’s Twenty20.

It was Reifer-Belle’s third international medal in recent months, following her bronze in the Under-12 girls’ section in the Central American and Caribbean Youth Festival last November.

She finished off the weekend with a creditable performance in the Queens’ Online Festival, a series of continental women’s online blitz tournaments organised by FIDE’S Commission for Women´s Chess in cooperation with its Events Commission.

Playing in the Under 1600 rated section, Reifer-Belle, who went into the event seeded at no. 52 out of 131 entrants, finished 20th with seven out of a maximum 11 points.

The other Barbadian competitor, newcomer Tahlia Scantlebury, earned four points.

In addition to Reifer-Belle, three other Barbadians participated in the blitz section of the Pan American Youth Online Championship.

Melvin Terence, competing in the Under-16 Open category that was merged with the Under-18s, ended with five points.

Jonathan Griffith, who was entered in the Under-10 Open section, collected four points, while Aaron Jaikaran, playing the Under-12 Open division that was merged with the Under-14s, gained three points. (BCF)

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Reifer-Belle wins Pan Am Youth rapid gold medal

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Chanon Reifer captured the gold medal in the Under-14 Girls’ section of the Pan American Youth Rapid Online Championship. (BCF Picture)

Reifer-Belle wins Pan Am Youth rapid gold medal

Promising chess talent Chanon Reifer-Belle kept Barbados’ flag flying high by winning a gold medal at the Pan American Youth Rapid Online Championship recently.

Reifer-Belle took top honours in the Under-14 Girls’ division in the two-day event that was contested on May 21 and 22.

Playing in a merged section that included competitors in the Under-18, Under-16 and Under-14 divisions, the 12-year-old Reifer-Belle finished with four and a half out of a maximum nine points.

It was Reifer-Belle’s second podium finish at an international competition in recent months following her bronze medal in the Under-12 girls’ section in the Central American and Caribbean Youth Festival last November.

She will now focus her attention to the fast paced blitz segment of the Pan American Youth Championship this weekend.

Six other Barbadians competed in the Rapid competition that attracted 54 participants.

Aaron Jaikaran, playing in the Under-12 Open division, also finished with a creditable four and a half points. In the same category, Ephraim Hope managed two points and Alexander Berry one and a half.

Newcomer Nathan Simmons-Patterson secured four points in the Under-10 section while Jonathan Griffith ended with three and a half.

Melvin Terrence, competing in the Under-16 Open division, finished with two and a half points. (BCF)

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Jamaican Christie takes spot in Heroes Day Cup, Wilson wins Challengers section

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Jamaican Joshua Christie (left) defeated Barbadian Justin Blackman in the final round to win the Masters section. (BCF Pictures)

Jamaican Christie takes spot in Heroes Day Cup, Wilson wins Challengers section

Leading local chess players Orlando Husbands and Justin Blackman missed out on top honours as Jamaican Joshua Christie captured the Masters section in the Barbados Chess Federation’s Heroes Day Cup.

Newly-crowned ladies national champion Hannah Wilson, however, made sure locals had something to cheer about by winning one of the two categories for lower rated players when the five-day event concluded on Thursday night, National Heroes Day.

The tournament was divided into three sections, the most significant being the Masters division which was keenly fought out by International Master Husbands and FIDE Masters, Christie, Blackman and Trinidadian Kevin Cupid.

Contested as a double round robin event (each of the four competitors played each other twice) over six rounds, the section produced six draws from 12 games.

In the final round decisive game, the 20-year-old Christie, the no. 2 seed behind Husbands, defeated Blackman to emerge champion with four and a half points.

Husbands, who won his last round game against Cupid, had to settle for second place with three and a half points, while Blackman was third with three points.

Going into the last round, Blackman was in contention to take top spot but missed out after losing to Christie in his only defeat of the tournament. Husbands also only lost once – to Blackman in the third round.

The 13-year-old Wilson, who became the youngest Barbados ladies national champion last week, continued to show her improvement by comfortably winning the Challengers section for players with a FIDE rating of under 1400.

Wilson, the no. 2 seed behind Kiarra Eversley, finished with six and a half out of a maximum seven points in the section that contained eight players and was contested as a round-robin.

Gaybrianna Moore took second place on the tie-break ahead of Chanon Reifer-Belle and Tarquin Clark after the three players ended with four and a half points.

The Candidates section, which was for players with a rating between 1400 and 1800, was convincingly won by top seed, veteran Trinidadian Candidate Master Frank Sears.

Sears finished with six and a half of out a maximum seven points, two points clear of Justin Parsons and Emar Edwards. Parsons placed second on the tie-break.

The event, which was not staged in 2021 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, featured 20 players in the three divisions and was held at the Coles Building on Bay Street, Bridgetown.

Barbados Olympic Association president Sandra Osborne made the first ceremonial move when the tournament pushed off last Sunday.  (BCF)

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Del Castilho wins 7th National Championship

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Martyn Del Castilho (right) defeated Orlando Husbands in a play-off to win the National Championship for the seventh time. (BCF Pictures)

Del Castilho wins 7th National Championship

Martyn Del Castilho is celebrating the capture of the national chess championship for the seventh time.

The 32-year-old FIDE Master was crowned the 2022 champion after winning an exciting play-off against arch-rival Orlando Husbands on Saturday evening at the Coles Building on Bay Street, Bridgetown.

The island’s two highest rated players faced off in a two-game play-off over the rapid format after both finished level on eight points over nine rounds of games in the longer, standard time control.

The first of the play-off games produced a tense draw but Del Castilho clinched the second to deny the 25-year-old Husbands, the no. 1 seed and four-time national champion.

It was Del Castilho’s first national title in five years and his seventh overall, having previously won the championship from 2009 to 2012 and again in 2016 and 2017.

International Master Husbands, who first won the championship in 2013, was also champion in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

There was much anticipation ahead of the play-off and it duly lived up to its billing as both players fought tooth and nail.

Del Castilho and Husbands were well clear of their rivals in the championship, finishing two points more than their closest challengers.

Adam Roachford took third place on the tie-break ahead of Emar Edwards and Louis Wilson after the three players finished on six points. Cyprian La Touche was sixth with four and a half points, prevailing on the tie-break ahead of Allan Herbert.

Del Castilho and Husbands were paired together in the third round but the contest never came off as Del Castilho won by default. The two players were then drawn to face each other in the fifth round where Husbands secured victory.

With both players level on points at that stage and having won their remaining games, it left the title to be decided by the play-off.

The championship, which attracted 13 players, was played simultaneously with the National Ladies Championship that was won by 13-year-old Hannah Wilson. They were the first over the board events hosted by the Barbados Chess Federation in more than seven months following the announcement by Government officials in March to allow a resumption of indoor sports.

On the heels of those events, the calendar moves into the Heroes Day Cup on Sunday at the Coles Building. The event will feature competitors from Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and St Lucia and will conclude on Thursday, National Heroes Day. (BCF)

BCF - Adam Roachford vs Emar Edwards
Adam Roachford (right) took third place on the tie-break ahead of Emar Edwards.

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13-year-old Wilson crowned youngest Barbados ladies national champion

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Thirteen-year-old Hannah Wilson (right) defeated front-runner Julissa Figueroa in the final round to be crowned the youngest Barbados ladies national champion. (BCF Pictures)

13-year-old Wilson crowned youngest Barbados ladies national champion

Rising chess talent Hannah Wilson has created history by becoming the youngest player to win the Barbados Chess Federation’s Ladies National Championship.

The 13-year-old upstaged more seasoned opponents, including two former ladies national champions, to win the title in exciting fashion when the Championship concluded on Wednesday night at the Coles Building on Bay Street, Bridgetown.

In what turned out to be a ‘final’ in the last round, Wilson, needing nothing less than a win against front-runner Julissa Figueroa, pulled out all the stops to defeat the 2018 ladies national champion in a four-hour duel and put her name in the record books.

Wilson, the no. 4 seed, ended the round robin event (each of the nine entrants played each other) with seven out of a maximum eight points and in the process became the youngest person to win the Championship – the previous youngest was Rashaana Blenman, who was 14 when she was crowned champion in 1993.

The 33-year-old Figueroa, the no. 2 seed who was unbeaten going into the final round with a half-point lead, finished second with six and a half points, while top seed and five-time national ladies champion Katrina Blackman, 29, was third with five and a half points.

Gaybrianna Moore, the only player to beat Wilson in the event, ended the five points to take fourth place on the tie-break ahead of Kiarra Eversley.

Wilson, who finished second behind champion Vanessa Greenidge in the 2020 Championship, first served notice of her intention to challenge for the title when she defeated Blackman in the second round on the opening day last Saturday.

Despite losing to Moore in the fifth round, Wilson held firm to take the honours to add another major accolade following outstanding international performances last year when she captured a gold medal at the Central American and Caribbean Youth Festival and a silver at the Pan American Youth Festival in the Under-12 female section.

The National Open Championship, which was played simultaneously with the National Ladies Championship, will be decided on Saturday afternoon with a play-off after the top two seeds, Orlando Husbands and Martyn Del Castilho, finished level on eight out of a maximum nine points.

The Championships were the first over the board events hosted by the Barbados Chess Federation in more than seven months following the announcement by Government officials in March to allow a resumption of indoor sports.

The next event on the calendar will be the Heroes Day Cup, which starts on Sunday and will run until next Thursday. (BCF)

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Del Castilho shares fourth prize at Zonal Chess Championships

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Martyn Del Castilho (right) receiving the prize for joint fourth place from president of the Dominican Republic Chess Federation Pedro Domínguez Brito. At left is treasurer of the Confederation of Chess for Americas Allan Herbert , who is also president of the Barbados Chess Federation.

Del Castilho shares fourth prize at Zonal Chess Championships

Six-time national chess champion Martyn Del Castilho finished in joint fourth place at the Central American and Caribbean Zonal 2.3 Chess Championships in the Dominican Republic.

FIDE Master Del Castilho was one of nine players who ended on six points – just off the medal positions – when the Championships concluded on Friday.

In a fiercely competitive Championships played over nine rounds, Barbados’ top rated player, International Master Orlando Husbands also performed commendably to finish with five and a half points that left him as one of nine players in joint 13th.

The Open section, which attracted 65 players, was won by top seed, Cuban Grandmaster Cabrera Albornoz with seven and a half points. International Master Alvarez Sanchez of Panama took second place with seven points, while another Cuban Grandmaster, Suarez Ortiz was third with seven points.

Del Castilho went into the Championships seeded at no. 17 while Husbands was seeded at no. 9.

Husbands, who tied for first place at the Sub-Zonal competition in the same country last November, was in contention for a podium finish going into the final round, but lost to the higher rated Colombian Pavas Avila.

In the women’s section that featured 24 players, five-time national ladies champion Katrina Blackman finished 13th with four and a half points, while another Barbadian, Julissa Figueroa was 16th with four points.

Top seed Cuban Woman International Master Llane Miranda won the section with seven and a half points.  Fonseca Hernandez of Colombia was second with seven points while Woman International Master Jimenez Corrales of Mexico was third with six and a half points.

The Championships, which served as a qualifier for the 2023 FIDE World Cup, featured players from 15 countries. In addition to competitors from the host country Dominican Republic, players come from Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cayman Islands, El Salvador, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, Venezuela,  The Bahamas and St. Lucia. (BCF)

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Husbands to lead Barbados’ charge at Zonal Chess Championships

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Orlando Husbands will lead the charge among the Barbadian players at the Central American and Caribbean Zonal 2.3 Chess Championships. (BCF Picture)

Husbands to lead Barbados’ charge at Zonal Chess Championships

International Master Orlando Husbands spearheads a group of four Barbadians set to compete in the Central American and Caribbean Zonal 2.3 Chess Championships starting on Sunday in the Dominican Republic.

Husbands, who tied for first place in the Sub-Zonal competition in the same country last November, is joined by compatriots Martyn Del Castilho, Katrina Blackman and Julissa Figueroa for the Championships that will be played over nine rounds.

Husbands, a four-time national champion who holds the highest ever FIDE (World Chess Federation) rating by a Barbadian, is seeded at no. 9  while Del Castilho, a six-time national champion, is seeded at no.17  in the Open division that has attracted 65 competitors.

In the Women’s section in which 24 players are entered, Blackman, a five-time national ladies champion, is seeded at no. 18, with one-time national ladies champion Figueroa seeded at no. 19.

The Championships, which serve as a qualifier for the 2023 FIDE World Cup, offer a top prize of US$3 000 in the Open division and US$2 500 in the Women’s section.

There are representatives from 15 countries in the six-day event which ends on Friday. In addition to competitors from the host country Dominican Republic, players come from Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cayman Islands, El Salvador, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, Venezuela,  The Bahamas and St. Lucia. (BCF)

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Husbands retains National Blitz Championship

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Orlando Husbands retained the National Blitz Championship with an almost flawless performance. (BCF Pictures)

Husbands retains National Blitz Championship

International Master Orlando Husbands put in an almost flawless performance to retain the Barbados Chess Federation’s National Blitz Championship last weekend.

Competing in his first domestic event of the year, Husbands scored eight and a half out of a maximum nine points to secure top honours in the Championship that was played as an online event due to COVID-19 restrictions on indoor sports.

The 24-year-old Husbands , the No. 2 seed, defeated the majority of his opposition but was denied a clean sweep, having had to settle for a draw  against top seed and fellow International Master Delisle Warner in the sixth round.

Husbands’ success followed his outstanding performance to share top spot at the recent Sub-Zonal Qualifier to the 2023 FIDE World Cup in the Dominican Republic after which he achieved the highest ever FIDE (International Chess Federation) rating by a Barbadian.

Warner, who won last month’s National Rapid Championship, finished second in the Blitz with seven and a half points. In addition to the draw against Husbands, Warner suffered a defeat to veteran FIDE Master Dr Philip Corbin in the third round.

Corbin took third place with seven points while Justin Parsons was fourth on six points.

Hannah Wilson, who finished fifth on five and a half points, won the prize for the Best Female, while five players who ended on five points  – Yeshua Hill, Chanon Reifer-Belle, Louis Wilson, Melvin Terence and Christian Mayers – shared the prizes for the Best Player rated between 1600 and 1401 and the Best Player rated Under 1400.

The Championship, played under a fast-paced format that is considered as chess’ equivalent to cricket’s Twenty20, attracted 21 players.

It came on the heels of last month’s National Rapid Championship where Warner, who has been resident in St Kitts in recent years, triumphed with six and a half out of a maximum seven points.

FIDE Master Justin Blackman took second place with six points, while Corbin and Emar Edwards shared third place with five points.

Gaybrianna Moore and Chanon Reifer-Belle, who both ended on four and a half points, shared the prize for the Best Female, while Louis Wilson, Melvin Terence, Adam Roachford and Travis Grant, who all scored four points, shared the prizes for the Best Player rated between 1600 and 1401 and the Best Player rated Under 1400. (BCF)

Delisle Warner
Delisle Warner finished second in the National Blitz Championship last weekend and won the National Rapid Championship last month.

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Husbands achieves highest ever FIDE rating by a Barbadian

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Orlando Husbands has achieved the highest ever FIDE rating by a Barbadian chess player. (BCF Picture)

Husbands achieves highest ever FIDE rating by a Barbadian

International Master Orlando Husbands has achieved the highest ever FIDE (International Chess Federation) rating by a Barbadian.

In the latest ratings published by the world governing body at the beginning of the month, Husbands moved his rating to 2374 to surpass fellow International Master Kevin Denny’s all time highest rating of 2367 achieved in 2007.

The 24-year-old Husbands improved his rating by 26 points following his impressive performance to emerge joint top of the table in the Venezuela and Caribbean Islands Sub-Zonal Qualifier to the 2023 FIDE World Cup held in the Dominican Republic last month.

Husbands, one of only four International Masters Barbados has produced, expressed his delight at attaining the new record rating.

“Breaking the 14-year record set by Kevin Denny is a very special feeling. It is also an honour. He is someone I have enormous respect for, for how high he has set the bar and for what he has been able to do for Barbadian chess. It is really good to be able to move that bar even higher,” he said.

At the Sub-Zonal Qualifier, which was Husbands’ first over the board tournament in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the four-time national champion scored seven and a half out of a maximum nine points and in the process earned a performance rating of 2467, the best by a Barbadian in a FIDE rated event.

Husbands described the event as one of the strongest Sub-Zonals he has competed in.

“It came at a pretty strange time for me because I was out of form. Due to COVID, I hadn’t played a serious competition in over a year and a half. Nevertheless it was a big opportunity for me,” he said.

“It’s the start of the World Championship cycle. We start in the Sub-Zone 2.3.5. A few persons qualified from there to go to the Zonals. The top three in the Zonals go on to the World Cup which is a pretty huge achievement. Qualifying for the Zonals for me is very big. I’m focused on trying to win that tournament next year.”

Husbands has made tremendous strides on the chess boards over the past decade, attaining the tiles on Candidate Master in 2013, FIDE Master in 2014 and International Master in 2017 when he became the first Barbadian since Denny to win the gold medal in Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Under-20 Championships. He is also a three-time CARIFTA Under-20 gold medallist and in 2018 and 2019 he achieved the unprecedented feat of winning a treble of local national titles – Open, Rapid and Blitz.

The former Lodge School student now has his sights set on becoming the first Grandmaster from the English-speaking Caribbean.

“My primary focus has to becoming Grandmaster. This is the highest honour any chess player can achieve. I actually took a big step towards this back in 2017 when I became the first person from the English-speaking Caribbean to win a Grandmaster norm. I did so by winning the CAC Under-20 Championships,” he said.

“Funding has and continues to be the biggest constraint in my way. For this reason, securing sponsorship is absolutely vital as I continue on my journey to become the first Grandmaster in the English-speaking Caribbean.” (BCF)

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