Press Release: 15/07/2002
RECORD START AT MUTUAL

The 2002 Mutual Open Junior Chess Championships is off to record start with the largest turnout of junior players in the event's 21 year history. Some 60 youngsters from Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago and the US were under starters orders at the Community College.

The opening round saw no major surprises, with the top ten seeds all winning comfortably against less experienced opposition.

Board 1 saw Junior Taitt, a former winner of the Open Junior and National Junior Champion, paired against the Barbados Under 12 Junior Champion Sumant Nanduri of St. Cyprians Primary. In a match featuring old guard against new, it was the old that carried the day with Taitt winning comfortably.

The four members of Trinidad squad also won their opening games. Allan Munro, who is the top Trini in the event, Imran Hosein, Nissan Pow and Christopher Raphael will rest easy know they have gotten past the 1st round without dropping any points.

Unfortunately, 8 year old Marcus Greene of the US did not have similar fortune as the Trinis and finding himself on losing end to Lodge School's Dovan Austin.

Others to win in the opening round were 2nd seed Justin Kirton of St. George Secondary, National Junior Champion Mark-John Alleyne, former Junior King winner Dwayne Gilkes, Olaudah Pryce of St. Leonards Boys, Jamel Richards of Louis Lynch, Muralidhar Areti of Queens College and Kevin Allman from Harrison College.

The tournament continues on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, at Community College, starting at 9am each day.

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