THE national women’s chess title still belongs to Katrina Blackman.
Blackman, a Woman Candidate Master, captured the title for the fourth time when the Barbados Chess Federation’s National Women’s Championships concluded on Tuesday night at the Chess Centre on Exmouth Gap, Brandons.
Needing at least a draw to retain the crown in her sixth and final round match, the 25-year-old Blackman defeated CARIFTA Under-12 silver medallist Vanessa Greenidge.
Blackman, who was previously the women’s national champion in 2012, 2014 and 2016, finished with five and a half out of a maximum six points, half point more than Julissa Figueroa, wife of six-time national men’s champion Martyn del Castilho.
The Guatemala-born Figueroa, 28, defeated Kiarra Eversley in the final round to finish in second on five points but could only have won the title if Blackman lost her last game.
Azaria Johnson, one of six teenagers among the nine entrants, edged out a host of contenders for third place after defeating Harrison College schoolmate Gaybrianna Moore to end on three and a half points.
The next five competitors all finished on three points with 2015 champion Gabriella Cumberbatch taking fourth place, Greenidge fifth, Eversley sixth, two-time champion Donna Murray seventh, and Prikita Kandamaran, eighth.
The only game Blackman failed to win was in the opening round when she was held to a draw against Johnson, but reeled off five successive wins against Cumberbatch, Figueroa, Kandamaran, Eversley and Greenidge.
Meanwhile, the national Under-18 championships will conclude on Saturday with the final two rounds of games at The St Michael School.
After four rounds of games, Harrison College schoolmates Nitin Mahtani and Kyle Sandiford share the lead with three and a half points. The cousins won their first three games and played to a draw when they clashed in the fourth round.
Two other Harrison College students, Leigh Sandiford and Azaria Johnson, are next in the standings with three points. (HG)
