FIDE MASTER MARTYN Del Castilho defended his title to take the 2012 National Chess Championship in a spectacular last round at the Bridgetown Chess Centre.
Going into the final round of the 12-player tournament, up to four players were in contention to take the title and each of these players were critically watching their own games and anxiously observing the games of their nearest rivals.
Entering the last round Del Castilho, on nine points, had a half point lead over fellow FIDE Master Delisle Warner, who himself had another half-point lead over International Master Terry Farley and top-rated junior Yutien Poon, both on eight points.
Del Castilho would have fancied himself to take the title as he had the lowest rated opponent of the leaders in first-time finalist Steven Lucas, while Warner faced the wily veteran FIDE master Dr Philip Corbin and Farley and Poon faced off against each other.
These three matches were the last to finish and the intensity could be seen among the players as they battled it out. Â
Of these three games, the first to finish was the Warner/Corbin battle.
Corbin tried to get in his pet elephant gambit opening as black but Warner sidestepped it with some devious home preparation.
Corbin then strayed in unfamiliar territory and Warner was able to outplay Corbin to claim victory and momentarily take the lead.
Next came an upset, as junior Poon defeated his coach Farley from what many observers thought was a drawish position.
This was Poon’s first victory over master Farley and showed his continued improvement as a player. Poon was now temporarily in joint second with Del Castilho.
So it was now down to the final game of Del Castilho versus Steven Lucas.
Lucas was giving it his all and with the black pieces had played the French defence to set up a stubborn solid blocking position to deny Del Castilho.
However, Del Castilho was not to be denied and he played with a level of determination that had not been seen from him before and he eventually was able to overcome Lucas and claimed his third consecutive national chess title. (PR)
