OTHNEIL HAREWOOD is this year's RBTT Heroes Day Candidates Cup Champion.

Harewood, a veteran of local chess, was all smiles on May Day at the Barbados Chess Centre, Cavans Lane, St Michael, as Suriname national champion candidate master Roger Matoewi faltered in his eighth-round match against Bermuda's Nick Faulks.

Matoewi's loss to Faulks gifted Harewood the sole lead and with one round to go, the confidence that win, lose or draw, the RBTT Candidates was in the bag.

As fate would have it Harewood came out guns blazing, winning his ninth and final match against Dwayne Gilkes of Barbados, while the wheels dropped off on Matoewi, this time going under to the promising Combermere student Akeem Cox.

Harewood topped the RBTT Candidates standing with 7 1/2 points, followed on the better tie-break score by top local junior and Lester Vaughan student Alex Jackman on 6 1/2 points.

Faulks finished the tournament as the top-placed overseas participant with 6 1/2 points and third place, thanks to a final round win against former Barbados Under-20 champion Wendell Muesa.

Matoewi ended on six points and despite his losses in the eighth and ninth rounds secured fourth position.

Winning the prize for the Best Under-2000 rated player was Muesa whose five points earned him fifth place.

The Under-1800 and Unrated prizes were taken by Akeem Cox with a creditable 50 per cent score of 4 1/2 points in his first Heroes Day competition. (AH)