Barbados womens’ chess team defeat Mauritius at chess Olympiad in Round 4

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New Under 11 and Under 17 Scholastics chess champions crowned

It was a day of mixed fortunes on day 4 of 2024 Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary for Team Barbados.

The ladies’ team of Hannah Wilson, Katrina Blackman, Chanon Reifer-Belle and Leshay Springer on the day recorded a 3 ½ – ½ victory against Mauritius.Reifer-Belle was the first to record victory as she pressed home a queen-side attack against her opponent Aamirah Becky and eventually was able to win a piece causing her opponent to resign. Leshay Springer then had to battle to a draw on board 4 against Stephanie Lee You Voon, even though Springer was a pawn down in the end game.

Next, national female champion Katrina Blackman who had won a piece early in her game was able to defeat Preetisha Devi Gungadoo. On board one, top junior Hannah Wilson won from  Chethanah Andhin after a lengthy battle. This was a good bounce back for the local team as they had gone down to Bangladesh 3 ½ – ½ in round 3.

In the Open section of the event, the team of Fide master Justin Blackman, Kemp Lynch, Emar Edwards and Lawrence Depradine went under 1-3 to the team of Uganda. Blackman won his match by default, the other three players put up a spirited performance, especially Edwards who was on the brink of a memorable victory before succumbing to defeat against Haruna Nsubuga.Final overall results for all teams were not available as of publishing, but the Barbados women’s team will be moving up the tables in the almost 190 country field.

Barbados teams bounce back in round two at chess olympiad

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Del Castilho lead Philip Corbin Open Chess Event

Barbados bounced back on the second day of the 2024 Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary with two commanding victories after suffering defeats in their opening matches.

The female team of women candidate masters Hannah Wilson, Katrina Blackman, Chanon Reifer-Belle and Kiarra Eversley all registered victories in their games to sweep the St. Lucian ladies team 4 – 0.

Current national female champion Katrina Blackman was the first to record victory against Chelsea Wahid, while top juniors Hannah Wilson and Chanon Reifer-Belle followed quickly against Mila Lui and Vernesa  James. Kiarra Eversley then brought home the whole hog when she defeated Shekinah Leonce.

The Barbados Open team of Fide master Justin Blackman, Kemp Lynch, Emar Edwards and Lawrence Depradine were just as impressive in their sweep of the U.S. Virgin Islands team.

Emar Edwards served notice early as he won a piece almost out of the opening in his game  against Abram Williams and duly won. Fide master Justin Blackman then recorded victory against Allen Daryl. The other two games were much longer affairs but Kemp Lynch and Lawrence Depradine in his first outing at this level won endgames to see Barbados record a comprehensive victory.

Barbados 4 – 0 USVI.

The Open team is currently lies in 101st  position of the 194 teams participating, with only Trinidad as the only English-speaking Caribbean team that lies  ahead of us. In the female section the team lies in joint 62nd from 180 teams. The  other top English-speaking Caribbean team Jamaica holds down a similar position.

In round three, the Open team will have a tough match against  Zambia, while the women team will play Bangladesh.

Del Castilho is new National Chess Champion

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Edwards leads 2024 National Chess Finals
FIDE master Martyn Del Castilho was crowned the 2024 Rock Hard Cement  National Chess champion when action was completed at the Coles Building over the last weekend.He went into the last round of the event on Sunday evening knowing that anything but a loss against the second positioned Emar Edwards would ensure himself of the title. Playing It safe and pragmatic, Del Castilho settled for a draw to reach 7 points and retain the national championship crown that he had last won a few years ago.

Edwards had his best performance ever in a National final tournament to finish in clear second on  6 ½ points. He was impressive throughout the event having suffered only one loss and one draw throughout his 8 matches.Kemp Lynch also had his strongest performance in a National final to come clear thirdin the 9 player field of qualifiers on. In the last round, Lynch defeated a hapless Muralidhar Areti.

Justin Parsons and Hannah Wilson tied on 4 ½ points each to come 4th – 5th respectively. In the final round Parsons won against Ronaldo Rochester, while Wilson scored the full point against Amari Blackett.

Edwards leads 2024 National Chess Finals

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At the half ways point of the 2024 Rock Hard Cement National Chess Championship final, Emar Edwards holds a slim half point lead from FIDE master Martyn Del Castilho, but Del Castilho has a game in hand.

Edwards has three points from his four games, while Del Castilho has two and a half points from his three matches. Edwards suffered an upset defeat at the hands of Adam Roachford in his last match, while Del Castilho had to be contented with a draw against Justin Parsons in his last round four outing.Roachford lies next with a group of four players on two points. These include himself, Kemp Lynch, Amari Blackett and Hannah Wilson.

The young Blackett has not been over awed by his first national finals and has managed to defeat more experienced opponents like Roachford.The other players in the field, Justin Parsons, Ronaldo Rochester and Muralidhar Areti bring up the rear of the field but will be hoping to make an impact in the final half of the event.The National finals is a 10 player round robin event, but this year, the late withdrawal of a player has turned it into a 9-player field. Action will continue this weekend at the Coles Building, Bay Street, Bridgetown, with games at 10.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.   .

New Under 11 and Under 17 Scholastics chess champions crowned

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New Under 13, 9 & 7 Scholastics Chess Champions Crowned

Jeremiah Farley won the Under 11 Scholastics Open chess championship last weekend at Harrison College in the city. Farley scored an impressive 5 ½ points from his 6 matches, to finish a half-point of the second-place finisher Charis Stuart over the two days of play.

Farley had struck the lead alone by the end of the first day as he had amassed the maximum of three points. Sitting in joints second, a half a point behind were Stuart and Ethan Alleyne, and based on their play, it was no doubt that the eventual winner of the event would come from one of this trio.On day two of the event, in round four, Farley defeated Alleyne to maintain his lead, drew with Stuart in round 5, and won his round 6 game against Raef Clarke to secure victory. Stuart placed a commendable second with 5 points, while Alleyne settled for third with 4 ½ points.Aaron Tash finished in clear fourth on three and a half points, while several players finished on three points in the middle of the field including Clarke, Dominic Cadogan, Theon Miller and Liam Neil. The girls played with the boys due to undersubscription, but Kalan Lovell was crowned girls champion after battling to two and a half points in a competitive overall field.Noah Clarke won the Under 17 section of the event with three points from his four games. His elder brother Loki was second, while Leshay Springer won the girls Under 17.

Farley will be part of a team which heads off to El Salvador to compete in the 2024 Central American and Caribbean Youth Chess championships to be played from August 2 – 8. Other members of the team include Raef Clarke, Daisha- Rose Parris, Janiyah Browne, Sameera Jaikaran, Chaz Reifer-Belle, Darren Toppin, Jaeda Herbert, Aaron Jaikaran, Mileke Sinckler, Naomi Lewis, Noah Clarke, Chanon Reifer-Belle, Nathan Griffith, and Hannah Wilson. We wish them the best of luck. The players will be representing Barbados in the 12 age categories from Under 8 to Under 18 open and female.

Del Castilho lead Philip Corbin Open Chess Event

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New Under 13, 9 & 7 Scholastics Chess Champions Crowned

After three rounds of the seven rounds in the 2024 Dr. Philip Corbin Open chess tournament, Fide master Martyn Del Castilho has struck the front of the field with three impressive victories from his three games.

In the last round Del Castilho showed his playing prowess in a tough game against the ever-improving Adam Roachford. At the start of the game, many pundits believed that Roachford had caught the former national champion out in the opening as Del Castilho moved his king early in the game and this is one of the moves that you are told from a junior not to do. However, Del Castilho played the line correctly and after soaking up some initial pressure he was able to turn around the attack and score a hard-fought victory.

Kemp Lynch lies a half point behind the leader with two and a half points after defeating Jerimiah Farley in the third round. Also sharing the second spot is Lawrence Depradine who won from veteran Cyprian LaTouche to also have two and a half points.

Other players recording victory in this third were Travis Grant, Julissa Figueroa and the ever-green Othneil Harewood.

The highlight game of the fourth round will see Del Castilho facing off against Lynch, while Depradine battles Roachford. Action will continue at 5.00 p.m. this Saturday at the Coles Building, with the final two rounds being on Sunday at 10.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m.

The first three finishers from this event will be the final qualifiers for the 2024 Barbados Open National chess championship finals.

Wilson campaigns at PanAmerican Youth Chess Championship

Top rated female player Hannah Wilson is the only Barbados player taking part in  the 34th PanAmerican Youth chess championships, being played in Florida, U.S.A. Wilson is playing in the Under 16 female section of the event, which has hundreds of players participating in the 12 age categories open and female/.

In the classical format of the event, Wilson currently sits in 11th position in the 23 player field with 3 ½ points from her 6 games so far. She has won two games, drawn three and lost only one to Hema Vikas of the U.S.A. Wilson sits 2 ½ points off the leader, woman’s international master Sofia Mayorga Araya  of Costa Rica who has won all 6 of her matches so far. Wison would be looking to close the gap at the backend of the event.

In the blitz section of the event, Wilson finished the event in joint third position on 5 ½ points from 10 games. She lost out on the tie-break to Vikas. Anika Rajaram of the U.S.A won the event with 8 points. Moyarga Araya was second on 7 points. Blitz is a fast form of chess where players have 3 minutes with a 30 second increment per move in order to complete the game.

Charles F Broome’s A team wins Primary Interschool Team Chess Championship

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Darren Toppin of Charles . F. Broomes Primary school is the new National Under 12 Open chess champion when he won the event over the weekend at Harrison College from a stacked field which included the defending champion Jonathan Griffith, the current Under 10 champion Charis Stuart and the Under 9 champion Jerimiah Farley. It also included the top rated under 12 player Chaz Reifer-Belle.

It came down to the final round in an intense finish as three players from the two dozen participants went into the final round with possible chances to win the event. These included Toppin and Farley on four points, as well as the then leader Nathan Simmons – Patterson, who led with 4 ½ points

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In the final 6th round, Toppin faced Simmons-Patterson, while Farley faced Stuart. In a round which saw these players spending as much time looking at the neighboring games as much as their own, the results saw Toppin toppling Simmons-Patterson and Stuart defeating Farley.

The final results thus saw Toppin in first place with 5 points with Simmons-Patterson on four points edging out Stuart on the tie-break. Farley, Reifer-Belle and Kymani Gayle finished just off the podium on four points. Toppin thus claimed his first title and will be looking to win more throughout the year.

Browne wins Under 12 Girls championship.

Janiyah Browne turned the tables on last years defending champion Jaeda Herbert to capture the national Under 12 female championships. She was in dominant form as she won all six of her games in emphatic fashion with her only challenging match being against the eventual second place finisher Herbert. Herbert finished in clear second on 5 points. Sameera Jaikaran finished in third spot with 3 points from her 6 matches. It was thus a double victory for the Charles F Broomes school. Kudos to the coach Mr. Corie Elcock.

The junior players will all be looking to compete over the next weekend in the Under 8. 10 and 14 championships to be played tentatively at the St. Michael school.

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Justin Parsons wins CB Gilkes Open chess event

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Justin Parsons won the recently completed 2024 CB Gilkes Open chess tournament to lead two other qualifiers to the final of the 2024 Open National Chess championships to be held later in the year.
Parsons, the second ranked player in the event, won with 6 points out of a possible 7. Ronaldo Rochester finished in second on 5 points, just ahead of women’s candidate master Hannah Wilson in third on the tie-break. These other two also qualified for the National finals.
The final qualifying spots came down to the last round of the event, where at least 5 players had a chance to capture the three spots. The important final round matchups saw Parsons against Wilson on the top table, Lawrence Depradine had the white pieces against veteran Othneil Harewood on the second board, while Under 13 scholastics champion Aaron Jaikaran battled against Rochester on the third board.
The results saw Rochester defeating Jaikaran, Depradine winning from Harewood and Parsons defeating the current Central American and Caribbean Under 16 champion Wilson. These results saw Parsons, Rochester and  Wilson being the ones rewarded with a qualification spot in the National Open finals.
Other final round results saw Noah Clarke defeating Cyprian La Touche, Chanon Reifer-Belle winning from Jerimiah Farley and Alfred Sparman defeating compatriot Ernest King. There were draws between Mileke Sinckler and Savion Little, as well as Allan Herbert and Chaz Reifer-Belle.
With these three latest qualifiers for the national finals, there are only three spots left for the taking.
The next event on the Barbados Chess Federation’s calendar will the return of the Primary Interschool Team chess championship which will be held next week on Monday and Tuesday at the Wildey Gymnasium.

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New Under 13, 9 & 7 Scholastics Chess Champions Crowned

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Aaron Jaikaran of Harrison College is the new Under 13 Scholastics Chess Champion after winning the event from a field of two dozen players when the event was completed recently at the Crumpton Street, the city venue of the school.

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Emar Edwards Crowned king of 2024 Heroes Day Cup ‘Challengers’ Section 

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Parsons sweeps the field to defend his Rapid Chess Crown

A final round push from Barbadian Emar Edwards crowned him king of the Barbados Chess Federation 2024 Heroes Day Cup ‘Challengers’ Section which concluded Wednesday night at Coles Building in the city.

Placed third after the eighth and penultimate round, Edwards outplayed the second-placed Enen-Sa-Tefa Ab Khafra of Trinidad and Tobago to sneak to the top of the 29-player standings on seven points.Having not previously led at any point across the nine-round chess tournament, Edwards’ six wins and two draws put him a half point above fellow Barbadian Adam Roachford who tied for second with Vincentian Chinedu Benjamin Enemchukwu.Roachford reached 6.5 points after producing a final round upset over Enemchukwu, the top seed who led proceedings for the four previous rounds.Khafra, early tournament leader Anthony Drayton of Guyana, and Barbadian Women’s Candidate Master all ended on six points to tie for the fourth position.

Meanwhile, in the six-man double-round robin ‘Masters’ section, International Master Roberto Carlos Sanchez Alvarez already has one hand on the US $1 000 cash prize with his total of 6.5 points in 10 games.

However, a rescheduled round one match between Barbadian FIDE Master Martyn Del Castilho and Venezuelan International Master Felix Jose Ynojosa Aponte will decide if Alvarez takes centre stage alone, after a drawn result with Barbadian International Master Orlando Husbands in the 10th and final round.Only a win would do the job for Aponte who currently holds the second position on 5.5 points with the game in hand.Cuban Grandmaster Luis Lazaro Aguero Jimenez and Trinidadian FIDE Master Joshua Johnson ended their campaign tied on 5.5 points, while Husbands placed fifth on five points.Del Castilho is in sixth position on one point.