Austrian master wins Rhand chess tourney

MARTIN NEUBAUER, an International Chess Master, who is now on a coaching assignment in Trinidad and Tobago demonstrated his class by winning the year’s first open tournament. This was played at the Rhand Credit Union offices, Abercromby Street, Port-of-Spain over the last two weekends. Neubauer finished the six-round Swiss tournament with a perfect score of six points, winning the first prize of $1,000. The Austrian chess master’s visit to TT has been arranged by the TT Chess Association with the assistance of the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs. President of the TTCA, Bisham Soondarsingh, said that Neubauer’s presence in TT will help to improve the quality of chess among local players.

“Not only as a result of his coaching sessions but also by his performance in the tournament,” said Soondarsingh. Taking second prize in the Semi-International tournament was Cesar Ramos who finished the tournament with five points. Joint third place winners were national champion Cristo Cave and Dr Edison Chang who scored four points each. Six players finished with three and a half points each — Michael Pouchet, Cecil Lee, Sean Perryman, Kishore Ramadhar, Prakash Persad and Hungarian player Laszlo Somlai. Tournament director was Dr Gregory Boyce.

At the presentation of prizes after the final round on Sunday evening, Soondar-singh thanked the Rhand Credit Union for providing an excellent venue for the tournament and a range of refreshments. Soondarsingh also anno-unced that national preliminaries in the North Zone will begin on Saturday and Sunday January 24 and 25 and continue on the following two weekends at ALGICO Plaza, Edward Street, Port-of-Spain. Play begins at 1 pm each day and entries will close at 12.30 pm on Saturday, January 24. Soondarsingh expressed the association’s gratitude to the New India Assurance Company for sponsoring the national preliminaries for the third consecutive year.