2013 Jamaica Championship

Jamaica’s national championship has begun. Defending champion Damion Davy sets forth to defend his national title as ten hopefuls pawn off in the national chess fete. This year’s version is without a number of marquee players.

IM Jomo Pitterson, FM Warren Elliott, FM Shane Matthews (based in Barbados) and CM Duane Rowe (based in Oman), all former champions, are unavailable. According to an account by Claire Clarke, Elliott had this to say,

“The first invitation sent out was a Swiss … I don’t think a National Champion should be selected from a Swiss system unless the pool of top players is too large (not the case in Jamaica),” said FM Elliot. He added too that the lack of a prize fund and a decline in the participation of top players also guided his decision not to participate.”

In addition, last year’s co-champion Andrew Mellace is in Barbados participating in the Heroes Day Cup. He unsuccessfully lobbied to have his games postponed until his return. “I really wanted to play in the nationals. I really want to defend my title. Who does not want to defend their title?” he was quoted as saying in a Gleaner interview. This occurrence has somewhat dampened the anticipation and has created a bit of a controversy on the island, but the competing players will be prepared to fight no less.

Apart from Davy, National Master and Olympian Russel Porter will headline a list of contenders including a number of National Masters and some rather new entrants in the ten-player format.

See Clarke’s Gleaner article: https://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130426/sports/sports5.html

2013 Jamaican National Championship April 26th – May 12th, 2013 (Liguanea Club, New Kingston, Jamaica)
Players (Pairing #)
#	Name	Title	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	Pts.
1	Myers, Peter	NM	1995		0	0	1	0	0	0	½	0	1	2.5
2	Davy, Damion	CM	2162	1		1	1	1	½	0	1	1	1	7.5
3	Wisdom, Daren	NM	2072	1	0		1	1	½	1	0	1	1	6.5
4	Soares, Andre		1878	0	0	0		1	1	1	½	½	1	5.0
5	Williams, Walter		1825	1	0	0	0		1	1	½	0	1	4.5
6	Lorne, Malku	NM	2091	1	½	½	0	0		1	0	0	1	4.0
7	Wilkinson, Ian		1952	1	0	0	0	0	0		0	½	0	1.5
8	Wilson, Brandon	NM	2072	½	1	1	½	½	1	1		½	½	6.5
9	Porter, Russel	NM	2128	1	0	0	½	1	1	½	½		1	5.5
10	Thomas, Peter	NM	1825	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	½			1.5
Robert Wheeler, Arbiter

Email feedback, send in your games or upcoming tournaments to yourchessmate@yahoo.com and join the Facebook page “ChessMate”. Claire Clarke is a former Women’s National Champion, three-time Jamaica Women’s team Chess Olympiad representative, trained journalist and editor.