Barbados repeat as CARIFTA chess champions

BARBADOS are still the kings of the Caribbean chess tables.

The Bajans became the first non-host country to win the CARIFTA Chess Championships when the fifth annual event concluded in St Croix on Monday.

Showing impressive consistency in each of the three age-groups – Under-20, Under-16 and Under-12, Barbados were convincing winners in the seven-team championships, having accumulated 31 points over four days and seven rounds of games at the Divi Carina Bay Hotel.

Aruba were a distant second on 16 points, while Suriname were third with 12 points.

In the final round of games this morning, Orlando Husbands, who had already been confirmed of a gold medal in the boys’ Under-20 division, completed his seventh successive victory to end the championships with a 100 per cent winning record.

Barbados’ other gold medallist was Azaria Johnson, who took the top spot among the Under-12 girls in what was a very close battle.

Johnson, the head girl at Charles F Broome, narrowly clinched the gold by winning her final game to finish on four points, a mere half-point ahead of three other rivals.

Barbados also captured silver medals courtesy of Yu Tien Poon (Under-20 boys) and Nitin Mahtani (Under-16 boys) and bronze medals by way of Bryan Prescod (Under-20 boys) and Segan Sandiford (Under-16 girls).

The Bajans won the title on home soil last year to continue the trend that had been established by previous hosts – Trinidad and Tobago (2012), Jamaica (2013) and Martinique (2014). (HG)

Barbados’ medal winners

Gold: Orlando Husbands (Under-20 boys), Azaria Johnson (Under-12 girls)

Silver: Yu Tien Poon (Under-20 boys), Nitin Mahtani (Under-16 boys)

Bronze: Bryan Prescod (Under-20 boys), Segan Sandiford (Under-16 girls)

Read more in Tuesday’s DAILY NATION.