Defending?Sagicor Under-20 Junior chess champion Orlando Husbands of The Lodge School is on track to retain his title and join an exclusive club of repeat Sagicor Open Junior winners.
The Central American and Caribbean (CAC)?Boys’ Under-14 gold medallist tops the Under-20 leader board with a perfect score of five points.
He defeated schoolmate and Barbados Under-14 champion Yu Tien Poon in Round 3; Guyana’s Under-20 champion Haifeng Su in Round 4 and Asabi Layne from the UWI Cave Hill Academy of Sport in Round 5.
Poon, the top seed, is in second position with four points, having recovered from his third-round loss with wins against Lawrence Depradine of the Barbados Community College and Guyana’s junior champion, Haifeng Su.
Su, Layne and Depradine share a four-way tie for third place, on three points, with Girls’ Under-20 CARIFTA gold medallist Katrina Blackman of the UWI Cave Hill Academy of Sport.
In the Sagicor Under-16 age category, Jakeel Harewood, of The Lodge School, forged ahead of the field with five points.
He had victories over CAC?Girls’ Under-16 bronze medallist Gabrielle Cumberbatch of Harrison College in Round 3; top seed and schoolmate Bryan Prescod in Round 4 and Foundation School’s Allon Richards in Round 5.
Harewood is trailed by his twin brother Jerome Harewood, Bryan Prescod, Richards and Trinidad’s Sylvan Yearwood, all of whom are tied in second spot on four ponts.
In the Sagicor Under-12 age group, the Trinidadian sister and brother pair of Shannon and Sean Yearwood top the standings on 4 ½ points having drawn their third-round match.
Giovani Warner of Arthur Smith Primary is in third place with four points, followed by Shane Skinner of St Cyprian Boys, who is fourth on 3 ½ points. (RB/PR)
