Kyan Muradali, Chandresh Prabhakar and Keagan Ragoobar’s took top honours to help Naparima College of San Fernando win the National Secondary Schools Chess Tournament held at Presentation College, Chaguanas, recently.
The trio’s outstanding performances came in the rapid play version of the game, which was contested over seven rounds in the Swiss format. They each had scores of six points. Also contributing to the win were Luke Balliram with 5.5 points, along with Amir Mahadeo, Jonathan Ramdass, Rayshard Hosein, Brendon Subhanee, Aditya Sampath, Adam Ramkissoon, each with five points, together with 4.5 points each from Rayden Rampersad and Tristan Balliram.
Naparima teacher Prahhudai Jaggernath Ramnarine Singh and parent Dr. Roydon Rampersad were on hand to support and spur on the players.
In second place was Hillview College with individual scores of 6 points from Tristan Siewdass, 5.5 points from Saqiv Williams, Sanjiv Joseph, Aiden Seegoolam and Anai Beharry; 5 points from Tristan Lackha and 4.5 points from Syon Mano. Hillview’s Vice Principal, mother of player Trishan Lackhai, was also present to give full support to the players.
Fatima College was close behind in third place. Tristan Siewdass was the leading player for Fatima with a score of 6 points. Other top players included Luke Gillette with 5.5 points along with Aaron Chaitram, Xavier Nurse, Julian Zhan and Daniel Ince, who each scored 5 points.
However, Zara La Fleur of St Augustine Girls High School and Sameer Bharath of Vishnu Boys’ Hindu College were the top individual players, scoring a maximum 7 points each.
Naparima and Hillview are coached by FIDE Instructor Dev Soondarsingh, who had an outstanding year, while Fatima College was managed by John and Lynette Gillette.
Several FIDE-rated tournaments were hosted by the T&T Chess Association member clubs together with the T&T Chess Academy and Promotions.
On April 21, the Knights Chess Club Open was held and Andrew Bowles finished ahead of Brad Munroe-Brown with Doff Drayton and Kael Samuel-Bisnath with tied third place.
At the Knights Chess Club’s DeVerteuil Open, which took place from September 3, Zara La Fleur topped the competition. In second place was Aradhana Ramnarine Singh, and a five-way tie for third place among Marlon Austin, Trishan Siewdass, Leonard Duncan, David Fortune and Bowles.
At the Kenneth Phillip Open hosted by the Paladins Chess Club, which was held from September 23, Woman Candidate Master (WCM) Shemilah James won on tie-break ahead of International Master (IM) Vishnu Singh and in third place was Munroe-Brown.
On December 15 at the F.E.M.S. Chess Club’s Christmas Blitz Tournament, Trevor Haynes finished ahead of Gabriel Ramdial, Marlon Austin, Bowles and Munroe-Brown, who tied for second.
Checkmaters Chess Club will host the opening tournament this year in memory of Cecil Lee, its former president, who passed away earlier this year.
Secondary Schools Results
and individual scores
1 Naparima College
6 points: Kyan Muradali; Chandresh Prabhakar; Keagan Ragoobar.
5.5 points: Luke Balliram.
5 points: Amir Mahadeo; Jonathan Ramdass; Rayshard Hosein; Brendon Subhanee; Aditya Sampath; Adam Ramkissoon.
4.5 points: Rayden Rampersad; Tristan Balliram.
2 Hillview College
6 points: Tristan Siewdass.
5.5 points: Saqiv Williams; Sanjiv Joseph; Aiden Seegoolam; Anai Beharry.
5 points: Tristan Lackhai.
4.5 points: Syon Mano.
3 Fatima College
6 points: Adam Harford.
5.5 points: Luke Gillette
