Parsons makes right moves at chess qualifier

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, finished with six points out of a possible seven, one more than second placed Ronaldo Rochester. Women’s candidate master Hannah Wilson captured third place on the tie-break to clinch the other two automatic qualifying spots for the Nationals.

The final qualifying spots were decided in the last round of the event, where at least five players had a chance to capture the three top spots.

The important final round matchups saw Parsons against Wilson on the top table, Lawrence Depradine with 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 clinching the top three places.

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.

(PR)