Frank Yee scores De Verteuil double

FM Frank Yee

FM Frank Yee has successfully defended his F.W. DeVerteuil Open Memorial title by scoring six straight victories in the seven round event. Although he lost the final game on Thursday to Ravishen Singh who also finished on six points, Yee's win was assured via the tie-break system.

In maintaining the championship of this popular annual tournament, Yee confirms the place he has long held among the country's leading chess players. On the way, he has had to overcome such formidable opponents as former national champion FM Christo Cave, Marcus Joseph, Keron Cabralis and Rohan Heerah.

The tournament, sponsored by RHAND Credit Union and played at its Abercromby Street building, attracted a total of 41 players, mixing a number of enthusiastic youngsters with a group of notable seniors.

Yee, employed at UWI as Computer Network Administrator, started playing chess while at Holy Cross College. He gained his FM title at the 2004 Sub Zonal in Equador and expects to be representing T&T at the Mind Games in Beijing, China, starting this week - that is, if last-minute complications about China's funding of the event are resolved in time. Among the highlights of Yee's impressive career are performances at several overseas events - three Olympiads in Russia, Istanbul and Mallorca, Spain; three other Sub Zonals in Venezuela and open tournaments in Suriname, Curacao and Barbados.

Since 2000, he has been a consistent qualifier for the national championship finals but the closest he has ever come to winning the title was third place. At 38, Yee believes he still has a lot of chess to play and keeps in form by entering most open tournaments at home and using opportunities on the Internet.

Although former national champion Cave has won the Memorial three times, Yee is the first to win the title twice on succession.

The tournament's prize giving function will be held at RHAND on Thursday October 16 starting at 7.30 pm and will include an open rapid play tournament. Yee and Singh, sharing the first and second prizes, will collect $1100 each. Christo Cave and Marcus Joseph, finishing on five and a half points each, will share third and fourth prizes, collecting $400 each; Marcus Cobham, Rohan Heerah and Hayden Lee who scored five points will share fifth and sixth prizes, getting $75 each.