Herbert and Reifer-Belle take girls’ chess titles

Jaeda Herbert of the Luther Thorne Memorial Primary School is this year’s Under-14 female chess champion. Herbert won the event over the last weekend at the Harisson College school on Crumpton Street.

In the round robin event, Herbert won all six of her games to finish with the maximum number of points.  The most crucial match was her first one against Naomi Lewis. It was a tough affair, but Herbert prevailed and after that, it was relatively smooth sailing until the end of the event.

Lewis would then go on a victory spree as she won her next five matches. She would eventually finish in second spot, just that dreaded point behind Herbert.

Erika Alkins of Queens College finished in clear third with four points only having lost her two matches against the first and second place finisher.

Reifer- Belle captures the Under-16 Girls’ title

Chanon Reifer–Belle made hay while the sun shone and convincingly won the national Under 16 female title with maximum points from a small field. The 2023 Under-14 female Central American and Caribbean bronze medalist was far superior to her opponents and was never really troubled during the event to finish on four points from her four games.

Top female Under-16 finisher, Chanon Reifer-Belle.

Joanna Hunte of the Combermere School finished in second spot with two and a half points, ahead of her fellow schoolmate Tedra Gibson with one and a half points.

(KD/PR)