Trinidadians Ryan Harper and Esan Wiltshire are the champions of the fifth edition of the FIDE-World Chess Federation Umada Cup after winning the tournament on Monday to end five days of intense battle against a field of international chess players.
In the open category , Harper completed a three-peat by winning the tournament for a third successive time after finishing with eight points from nine games while his countryman Wiltshire finished with 7.5 to win his inaugural Umada Cup title. Following Harper was second place finisher Barbados’ Orlando Husbands with 6.5 points, Vishnu Singh (T&T) and Dominica’s Christopher Guzman who ended on five points each for the joint third place.
Wiltshire prevailed with 7.5 points in the challengers’ category, a section that can be viewed as the seesaw category where close competition saw the lead being shared among several players throughout the rounds. He managed to hold off Jamaica’s Andrew Mellace who led in most of the rounds and finished second by a mere .5 of a point behind. Local player Anthony Drayton and Deborah Richards (JAM) finished third with 6.5 points apiece.
Following their success this newspaper caught up with the winners who had contrasting pre-tournament preparations. Unlike Harper who warmed up for the Umada Cup by featuring in a tourney in Suriname that included grand and international masters, Wiltshire a 24-year-old university student said he did not train much ahead of the tournament because of his busy study schedule.
However, he said, this did not in any way diminish his optimism about winning. “I know I was not fully prepared but I had the will to win the tournament and was confident of doing so at any positive cost necessary,” he said. Wiltshire won seven of his nine games, tied one and lost the other. However, after being defeated by Guyana’s Kriskal Persaud in the third round, he said he regained focus and concentrated on making the right moves to win his remaining games.
With titles in two other international tournaments, the Miami Orange Bowl (Miami 2007) and the Heroes’ Day tournament in Barbados, the new champion declared that this event was the most mentally taxing as his studies hampered his preparations. After this tournament, Wiltshire plans to return to training so that he is fully prepared for future contests.
Meanwhile, an elated Harper said his hard work has paid off with stellar results. “I prepared with a much tougher tournament leading up to this tourney, finishing sixth overall after being defeated by two grand masters and an international player…I have managed to rebound to win this tournament for a third consecutive time and that’s a great feeling of which I am happy,” he said.
The eight-time T&T national champion who has about 15 years of international chess experience said he is looking to evolve as a player by participating in tournaments to gain an international master’s norm and a rating of 2400. He also said his next major tournament is expected to be the Heroes’ Day tourney in Barbados but he will contest smaller tournaments at home.
Harper won the US$2,500 and Wiltshire the US$1,500 first prizes. Mellace received US$1,000 for his second place finish in the Challengers Category while Drayton and Carter shared the US$750 prize.
At the post tournament presentation, GCF President Irshad Mohamed extended felicitations to the players for the well-contested tourney.
