Candidate Masters win United Insurance Secondary Schools Challenge

Candidate Master Martyn Del Castilho and Woman Candidate Masters Corinne Howard and Katrina Blackman posted an impressive 30 ½ - 2 ½ win in the United Insurance Secondary Schools Chess Challenge to officially open the 2009 United Insurance Secondary Schools Chess Championships on Wednesday March 4^th 2009 at The Lodge School

Barbados’ newest Candidate Masters Martyn Del Castilho of UWI, Corinne Howard of Barbados Community College and Katrina Blackman of Coleridge & Parry School were surgical in their dispatch of the thirty three egger students who came from Defending Secondary Schools Champion The Lodge School, Harrison College, Combermere, The St. Michael School, Alleyne and Coleridge & Parry.

Del Castilho had the toughest challenge of the three exhibitors taking on fifteen students simultaneous. However without even breaking a sweat he completed his assignment with ½ an hour to spare, winning all fifteen games.

Howard whose challenge comprised nine students came very close to a perfect score when she ran out of time in a won position against Justin Parsons, a 1^st form student at The Lodge School, to end with eight wins and one loss.

Blackman, who is still at Secondary School, put in a commendable performance by scoring seven wins, one draw and one loss. Winning against Blackman was Alchino Haynes, a 5^th form student of The Lodge School, while Jerome Harewood, a 1^st former of The Lodge, drew his game.

Attention now turns to the actual United Insurance Secondary Schools team competition which will be contested in three age categories Under-13, Under 15 and Under-20.

Defending Champions The Lodge School will be going for a historic 7^th consecutive Over-All title and up to press time their coach Dr. David Jordan appeared very confident about the school’s prospects.

In the Under-20 Division the main competition for The Lodge School is expected to come from Lester Vaughn which will be returning with most of the members of its 2008 team who placed 2^nd to The Lodge last year.

The Under-15 Division is expected to be the most fiercely contest age category with strong challenges to The Lodge School coming from Coleridge & Parry, Harrison College, Queens College and The St. Michael School.

In the Under-13 category The Lodge School are also expected to start as favorites with Harrison College possibly being the main rival.

Play start at 9:00 a.m. with the 1^st Round and 1:00 p.m. with Round 2 at The St. Michael School on Saturday March 7^th 2009.

The featured event of the ceremony will the United Insurance Chess Challenge, a simultaneous chess exhibition in which thirty six players from ten schools are expected to challenge Barbados’ newest Candidate Masters  Martyn Del Castilho of UWI, Corinne Howard of Barbados Community College and Katrina Blackman of Coleridge & Parry School.

Del Castilho, Howard and Blackman all qualified for their FIDE Candidate Master titles as members of the Barbados Chess Team at the 2008 World Chess Olympiad in Dresden, Germany.

A former student of The Lodge School and a freshman at UWI, Del Castilho is currently the highest rated junior player in the English Speaking Caribbean. In Dresden he played Board 2 for the Barbados Men where he qualified for the FIDE Candidate Master Title. He will play sixteen players in the United Insurance Chess Challenge, a feat which should be quite a challenge given that he only has 1 ½ hours complete his games.

Howard, a former student of Combermere and a final year student at the Barbados Community College, is a former Barbados Ladies Champion. She spearheaded the Barbados Ladies Team in Dresden with a Board 1 performance that would earn her a FIDE Rating and the FIDE Women Candidate Master Title. Like Del Castilho her time limit will 1 ½ hours but her challenge will be ten players.

Blackman, a 5^th former at Coleridge & Parry School, is the only member of the exhibitor panel still at secondary school. The reserve player on the Barbados Ladies Team in Dresden, this talented and determined teenager posted a performance beyond that of a reserve and qualified for the FIDE Women Candidate Master Title.  She will also play ten players for her part in the United Insurance Chess Challenge.

The Opening Ceremony is schedule to start at 1:00 p.m. at The Lodge School in St. John with representatives from the Ministry of Sport, National Sports Council and sponsors United Insurance on hand to make the ceremonial first move and officially open the competition.

Actual play in the Under-13, Under-15 and Under-20 Divisions will commences with the rounds one and two on Saturday March 7^th at 9:00 a.m. at The St. Michael School. Schools wishing to participate can still register by contacting BCF Vice-President for Junior Chess Trevor Griffith at 435-0798 or 234-6172.