Maria Thomas relegated to 2nd place in 2nd Margaret Prince Celebration Chess tourney

Jan 28, 2013 Sports

Local chess player, Maria Thomas kept the Golden Arrowhead flying when she finished 2nd to Jamaica’s National Women’s Champion, Krishna Gray, when the curtains were lowered in the 2nd Margaret Prince Celebration Chess Tournament, played at the Chess Centre, Cavans Lane, Bridgetown Barbados, January 19-21 last.

Maria Thomas in action.

The Guyanese and Trinidad and Tobago Women’s Champion, Aditi Soondarsingh amassed 5 points each but Thomas was eventually adjudged second by dint of the tie break system. Thomas drew her 6th round game against Martinique Woman Champion Camille Sauveur and finished with a win against her compatriot, Queens College student, Lydia Nurse.
The tournament was intricately poised at the start of the penultimate round with four contenders, former Barbados Woman Champion, Corrine Howard, Martinique Woman Champion, Camille Sauveur, Thomas and Gray, enjoying similar points. The latter player then distinguished herself with a hard fought win against Master Sheena Ramsay, a former Barbados Champion. Gray then comfortably dispatched Guadeloupe’s National Woman Champion Michelle Duboue in the final round to secure 5 ½ points to emulate her countrywoman, FIDE Master, Deborah Richards, who won the inaugural Margaret Prince Celebration trophy in 2009.
Soondarsingh, the top seed, recovered from a sluggish start to win games in the 6th and 7th rounds against reigning Barbados Woman Champion Katrina Blackman and her predecessor, Donna Murray, and was eventually adjudged 3rd place.
Another former Barbados Champion, Corinne Howard, a member of the Chess Team in the UWI Sports Programme, placed 4th after amassing 4 ½ points.
She had been one of the frontrunners in the early stages of the tournament but was forced to quit at the last round to attend the funeral of a family member in Antigua and Barbuda. Before she was forced to terminate her participation, she had won her 6th round game against Donna Murray and was tied with Gray entering the final round.
However, she managed to seal off the 4th place on the better tie break after her UWI team mate, Katrina Blackman held Martinique’s Camille Sauveur to a draw.
Sheena Ramsey beat CAC Girls Under-14 Silver Medalist Gabrielle Cumberbatch of Harrison College in round 7 to end in 6th place with 3 ½ points while Katrina Blackman (3 points), placed 7th with the better tie break score from Lydia Nurse who finished 8th. Guadeloupe player, Michelle Duboue ended 9th while Donna Forde and Gabrielle Cumberbatch, both on 21/2 points each, finished 10th and 11th respectively.