Veteran Cecil Lee leads New

The quartet is on 4.5 points each after six rounds of the competition which is taking place on weekends at the Southern Chess Club venue, Presentation College in San Fernando. Veteran player Lee, who recently returned from Turin, Italy, where he managed the national team at the 37th World Chess Olympiad, seems set to make it to the national finals again. However, another veteran, Sears who returned to active competition last year after a long lay-off will be hoping to defeat top junior player Roland Mahabirsingh, a student of Presentation College, Chaguanas.

Close behind the leaders on 4.0 points are Ian Ali, Roland Mahabirsingh and national junior champion Marcus Joseph. The top three players from three zones in Trinidad ( North, East and South) and the top two from Tobago zone will qualify for the finals of the national chess championship.

The defending champion is FIDE master Ryan Harper.

The national championships are organised by the Trinidad and Tobago Chess Association and for the fifth consecutive year is being sponsored by New India Assurance.

Also at stake is the Prime Minister’s Challenge Trophy for the winner. In the first qualifier played at Cherckmater Chess Club the three qualifiers were Dr Edison Chang, FIDE master Frank Yee and Kurtis Chung.

And in the second qualifier played at the Kings and Queens venue David Christopher, David Jones and Hayden Lee made it through to the national finals.

The New India National Assurance National Chess Championship Finals is schedule to begin on September 16 at the Rhand Credit Union, Abercromby Street, Port-of-Spain. Simultaneous with the national finals is the National Women’s Championship which is an open tournament.

The New India Assurance National Blitz championship will also take place at the same venue. The fourth qualifier will take place in Tobago on August 19 and 20. Players interested in participating can contact Joffrey Marcelle at 728-1833 or Bhisham Soondarsingh at 628-5068 Sixth Round results on the five top boards :

Kishore Ramadhar drew with Frank Sears; Cecil Lee beat Marcus Joseph; Mario Merritt defeated Steve Maharaj; Ian Ali beat Emmanuel John; and Roland Mahabirsingh defeated Raymond Gidney. Pairing for the seventh and last round on the top boards:

Mario Merritt vs Cecil Lee; Marcus Joseph vs Kishore Ramadhar; Frank Sears vs Roland Mahabirsingh; Rohan Heerah vs Ian Ali.