HEROES DAY CUP
Celebrating our Heroes in Chess
Bridgetown, Barbados April 26th – May 1st,
2008
PRESS RELEASE: 2008-05-03
Becerra takes Digicel Masters
Cup
Grandmaster Julio Becerra of the
USA brought the curtains down on the 2008 Digicel RBTT Heroes
Day Cup with a commanding performance, “washing off” Barbados
National Champion FIDE Master Delisle Warner and Swedish FIDE
Master Bengt Hammar, to finish unbeaten on 8 ˝ points and take
the 2008 Digicel Masters Cup.
Becerra, who is originally from
Cuba, was clearly in a class of his own and his display over the
last week will certainly provide much material for local coaches
to use with their charges.
Barbados Chess Federation President Peter Dawson (left) presenting
Digicel Heroes Day Masters Cup winners cheque to US Grandmaster
Julio Becerra
Second in the Digicel Masters goes to
English Grandmaster Keith Arkell who ended on 7 ˝ points. Arkell,
from whose table most of the tournament’s hardest and longest fought
matches originated, ended his Heroes Day Cup with wins against two
of Barbados’ finest FIDE Master Dr. Philip Corbin and National
Champion Delisle Warner.
FIDE Master Augusto Moran of Ecuador,
the 2006 Heroes Day Cup winner, finished in 3rd position
with 5 ˝ points. With Becerra and Arkell having locked down the top
two spots, Moran switched to cruise control and drew his final
matches against Trinidad & Tobago National Champion Ryan Harper and
FIDE Master Terry Farley of Barbados.
Colombian FIDE Master Mauricio Uribe,
needing a win and a draw in his last two matches against FIDE Master
Bengt Hammar and International Master Kevin Denny of Barbados, saw
his hopes of creating history by becoming the first player to gain
the International Master Chess Title on Bajan soil vanish as he lost
his penultimate round match against Hammar.
Uribe, clearly feeling the pressure
to force a win from what would normally be equal opposition, lost
the battle to nerves and a determined Hammar. This however did not
mean that his match against Denny would be an also ran affair. The
two closed the night in a fine display of fighting chess which end
in a draw giving the Colombian 4th place with 5 points.
Trinidad & Tobago National Champion FIDE Master Ryan Harper end his
Digicel Masters as the best of the English Speaking Caribbean with 4
points to secure 5th Place.
Trinidad & Tobago National Champion FIDE Master Ryan Harper, the
best of the English Speaking Caribbean Players at the 2008 Digicel
Heroes Day Masters Cup
Harper, no longer in the Norm hunt and
egger to secure bragging rights and rating points, finished with a
draw against International Master Moran and a win over FIDE Master
Dr. Philip Corbin.
National Champion FIDE Master Delisle
Warner, who after an excellent start, posted what could likely be
his worst finish in a chess tournament, when he lost his last four
matches to end on 3 ˝ points and 6th position.
Warner, who is scheduled to go to
Cuba shortly to play two tournaments, the Montana Open and Gildado
Garcia Memorial Open, will still have the consolation that,
disappointing as it is, his performance was still the best of the
Bajan offering on show.
Farley, Hammar and Denny jointly
ended on 3 points for 7th, 8th and 9th
positions respectively while Corbin was 10th with 1 ˝
points.
With the pawns back in their boxes
and the visiting players back home, the 2008 Digicel Heroes Day
Masters Cup will stand out as the strongest and most competitive
International Chess Tournament ever held in the English Speaking
Caribbean and the local chess community can only wonder what Digicel
and the organizers have is store to 2009!
HEROES DAY CUP
Results
Digicel Heroes Day Cup Masters - Rd8 Results.pdf
Digicel Heroes Day Cup Masters - Rd9 Final Standings.pdf
Digicel Heroes Day Cup Masters - Rd9 Results.pdf
Digicel Heroes Day Cup Masters Cross-Table.pdf
