Six-time national champion Martyn del Castilho took third place to emerge as the highest Barbadian finisher in the inaugural Caribbean Chess Cup.
FIDE Master del Castilho won his final-round match against fellow Barbadian Bryan Prescod to end the nine-round tournament with six points when the championships climaxed at Divi Southwinds Hotel yesterday.
del Castilho had drawn his two games on Saturday against compatriot Orlando Husbands and Jean Abreu of Dominican Republic, which dropped him down to fifth, but his final-round win allowed him to claim third place and $2 000.
The $5 000 top prize went to Abreu, who finished with six and a half points after defeating Jamaican Malaku Lorne in his final match, while Trinidadian Ryan Harper, who was the leader up until the seventh round, took the second prize of $3 000 with six points.
Husbands, who was ranked No. 2 at the start of the tournament, finished a disappointing ninth on four and a half points and ended with a defeat against Woman Candidate Master Polina Karelina of The Bahamas.
Prescod also ended with four and a half points, but was seventh on the tie-break. He followed fourth-placed Christopher Guzman (5.5) of the Dominican Republic, fifth-placed Shreyas Smith (5.5) of Jamaica and Lorne (5).
The other Barbadians in the Masters section were Kemp Lynch who placed tenth with four and a half points; Terry Farley, who was 12th with four points; Justin Blackman, who was 14th on three and a half points and Delisle Warner, 15th on two and a half points.
The Open section for lower rated players was won by Guyanese Anthony Drayton, who finished with eight points and $3 000 with Frank Sears (7) and Woman International Master Gabribella Johnson (6.5) took second and third places, respectively.
Dr Philip Corbin was the best Barbadian in this section, finishing fourth with six and a half points.
The Caribbean Chess Cup, which was organised by the Barbados Chess Federation in collaboration with the Continental Chess Association and the organisers of the 43rd World Chess Olympiad in Batumi, Georgia, was played as part of the Barbados Independence Invitational Games and attracted 53 competitors. (HG)
