Neto wins GCF junior chess qualifiers

Tournament favou-rite Roberto Neto played undefeated to win the National Junior Qualifiers which ended Sunday.

Siblings Saeed and Sheriffa Ali were second and third respectively.

Neto, a reserve player on the national team to this year’s 42nd annual Chess Olympiad, in Baku, Azerbaijan, ended on 6.5 points from his seven games.

From left, Joshua Gopaul, WCM Sheriffa Ali, Saeed Ali, Roberto Neto, Aravinda Singh and National Coach CM Wendell Meusa, Missing from photo are  Nellisha Johnson, Jayden Taylor and Ghansham Allijohn.
From left, Joshua Gopaul, WCM Sheriffa Ali, Saeed Ali, Roberto Neto, Aravinda Singh and National Coach CM Wendell Meusa, Missing from photo are Nellisha Johnson, Jayden Taylor and Ghansham Allijohn.

His nearest rival Saeed Ali, with whom he drew their third round encounter, was one point behind on 5.5 points while Ali’s sister, Woman Candidate Master (WCM) Sheriffa Ali ended on five points.

Joshua Gopaul, who also ended with five points was fourth while Ghansham Allijohn and Jaden Taylor with four points each were fifth and sixth respectively.

Former Queen’s College student Aravinda Singh made a return to chess and made the cut ending with four points while Nellisha Johnson of Christ Church Secondary, claimed the final qualifying spot ahead of her sister

Waveney Johnson   who also ended on four points but lost out on the tiebreaker.

According to a press release, the National Junior Chess Closed championships will be held in two weeks and the qualifiers will participate in a round robin Swiss system tournament to determine the eventual champion.