Barbados will be represented by their largest ever overseas contingent for the seventh annual CARIFTA Chess Championships in Suriname over the Easter weekend.
The Barbados Chess Federation (BCF) has selected a 22-member squad in an effort to regain the title they secured in 2015 and 2016 before finishing as runners-up to hosts Jamaica last year.
The team, which is dominated by students of Harrison College (ten) and Queen’s College (five), was announced last Saturday by BCF second vice-president Trevor Griffith at the end of the awards ceremony for the 2018 Massy United Insurance National Youth and Cadet Championships, which served as the basis of selection.
Barbados will be without two of their most successful players in recent years. International master Orlando Husbands, a three-time Under-20 gold medallist, is no longer eligible, while FIDE master Yu Tien Poon, a double Under-20 silver medallist and an Under-16 gold medallist, is studying in Canada.
The squad, however, features two silver medallists from last year, Candidate master Leigh Sandiford and Vanessa Greenidge, who will both be moving up from the Under-12 division to Under-16. (HG)
The team
Boys’ Under-20: Nitin Mahtani (Harrison College), Shane Maughn (Queen’s College)
Girls’ Under-20: Gabriela Cumberbatch (Harrison College)
Boys’ Under-16: Kyle Sandiford, Leigh Sandiford, Taiye Estwick, Yeshua Hill (Harrison College), Tyson Holder, Aaron Haynes (Queen’s College)
Girls’ Under-16: Vanessa Greenidge, Kiarra Eversley (Queen’s College), Pritika Kandamaran, Azaria Johnson, Gaybrianna Moore (Harrison College)
Boys’ Under-12: Dominic Jackman (Harrison College), Jaydn Gill (Charles F. Broome), Kimahri Holder (Milton Lynch), Tarquin Clark (Wills), Rory Prescod (People’s Cathedral)
Girls’ Under-12: Alesha Lovell (Ellerslie), Jalia Linton (Lawrence T. Gay), Hannah Wilson (People’s Cathedral).
