Local chessists excel in Miami

THE QUARTET of Keron Cabralis, Johann Thairu as well as Prithvi and six-year-old Prasanna Ramakishanan done Trinidad and Tobago Chess Foundation proud.

The team earned a second-place finish in the nine-and-under division at the Junior Orange Bowl International Scholastic Championships, staged at the Embassy Suites Hotel, Miami, Florida last December. The foursome ended with 15.5 points, with Miami International Chess Academy prevailing with 18 points, while Jamaica (13.5) and Ecuador (13) were third and fourth respectively. But fortune did not favour the Chess Foundation players in the 10-12 and 13-15 divisions — Christopher Raphael and Mikkell Samaroo finished eighth in the 10-12s while Chantal Fitzpatrick and Margaret Thairu were 15th in the 13-15s.

Accompanying the juniors were Edison Raphael, preisdent of the Trinidad and Tobago Chess Federation, who described the TT performance as “good considering that this was their first international chess experience at a top level event.