Overseas players dominate SITTU Barbados Open Chess Tournament

The second edition of the SITTU Barbados Open wrapped up over the weekend at the Barbados Beach Club, Maxwell, Christ Church, with international players making a major impact across the four sections.

The tournament drew over 100 competitors from ten countries. Three sections were claimed outright by single players, while the fourth saw a dramatic four-way tie that required tiebreakers to decide the winner.

In Section A, Canadian grandmaster Shawn Rodrigue-Lemieux, won the event comfortably with 7 ½ points from his nine games in the ten-player, all play all event. Rodrigue-Lemieux was consistent throughout the event, winning  six games and drawing the other three. 

 

Finishing in second and third position were fellow Canadians international masters Mark Plotkin and Aaron Reeve Mendez. Both players scored 6 ½ points with Plotnik edging out Mendez on the tie-break.

 

The top local finisher in this section was current national champion FIDE master Martyn Del Castilho who finished with 4 ½ points. He finished off the event with a victory over candidate master Darren McKennis of Jamaica.

 

In section B, FIDE master Jose Mora Moron of Venezuela won with an impressive seven wins from seven games. Mora Moron was the class of the field and by round six , he had already captured the event. He celebrated his victory with a crushing victory over the Barbados female champion, woman FIDE master Hannah Wison in their final round match to finish an impressive outing.

 

Local ace tennis player Emar Edwards finished in second on five points following his last round over Jerimiah Farley and with a draw between Justin Parsons and Guyanese Taffin Khan, Edwards was able to secure second position alone. Khan, Wilson and Parsons finished joint third to fifth in that order, all on 4 ½ points in the 18-player field.

 

In Section C, Loki Clarke dominated the event to win with seven points from his seven  games. By Round six, Clarke had already won the event but kept his foot on the gas in the last round by defeating woman candidate master, Kiarra Eversley to ensure a perfect score.

Savion Little finished in clear second with 5 ½ points following his last round draw with Allan Herbert, while Aaron Jaikaran clinched third spot with a last round win over veteran Cyprian LaTouche. Eversley, Herbert along with Charis Stuart finished joint  fourth – sixth on 4 ½ points in the 26-player field.

 

The most competitive section of the event was the Novice Section D. Here four players ended on six points after a dramatic last round. Going into the final round, young Nathan Simmon-Patterson was in the sole lead with his six wins, however tragedy struck and Simmons-Patterson fell to defeat against Conrad Grits, along with this, Derick Boyce and Harry Shepherd also secured victories which also allowed them to climb up to six points as well.

 

Thus, a four-way tie had occurred, and it was the winner Harry Shepherd who edged out the three others by the slimmest margin on tie-break. Jaekeb Barrow, Rene Lashley, Gabriel Canterbury, Ernest King and Savinos Minas of Canada brought up positions five – nine in this 50-player field.

It was five days of exhilarating  chess in the sun and the chess community will be eagerly looking forward to next year’s edition.