QC U20 chess champs

Queen’s College ‘A’ team won the Under 20 division of the recently concluded Secondary Interschool Chess Championship.

The formidable team – led by three females who are past or current Women’s Olympiad team members – of Hannah Wilson, Vanessa Greenidge and Chanon Reifer-Belle; along with Louis Wilson and Kimahri Holder, put in an excellent performance winning their six matches and scoring 59 points overall.

Vanessa Greenidge and Chanon Reifer-Belle of Queen’s College on the right and Combermere’s Leshay Springer backing.

The team event is played with five players per team with each person scoring two points for a win and a total of ten points a match.

Four of the five members won all their games, while Louis on board two allowed one draw against Azaria Johnson of Harrison College. It was during this round three match that Queen’s College faced their toughest test against archrival Harrison College who had a lineup that included Yeshua Hill, Azaria Johnson, Melvin Terence, Keon Lashley and Jaydn Gill. These players had experience in playing for Barbados at the CARIFTA level and should have provided a stiff examination for Queen’s.

However, the Harrison team started the match with only four of five players as they had no player for board five. On board three, Vanessa Greenidge got a clear advantage in the opening, which she eventually pressed home. Hill on board one succumbed to Hannah Wilson; Lashley went down to Reifer-Belle, and the only person who would trouble the score was Kolij’s board two player Azaria Johnson who drew with Louis Wilson.

Hannah Wilson vs Nathan Griffith

After that, Queen’s racked up three more consecutive victories by the maximum score to come out convincing winners.  Harrison College was second with 49 points, while Queen’s College ‘B’ finished in third place with 36 points. Queen’s College ‘B’ defeated Combermere ‘A’ 10 – 0 with wins for Nicholas Maxwell, Andrew Greenidge, Jaydn Odle, Makalo Grant and Kyei Hope.

Queen’s College (left) vs Harrison College (right)

Some players outside the two top teams performed creditable, including Combermere ‘A’ board one player Nathan Griffith; Queen’s College ‘B’ team pair Nicholas Maxwell and Makalo Grant won four of their six games. (PR)