Ladies' First at Caribbean Chess Carnival

For the first time in Trinidad and Tobago and the English speaking Caribbean, a chess tournament will be graced by the presence of a Woman Chess Grandmaster - Azerbaijanian Women's Chess grandmaster (WGM) Ilaha Kadimova.

Organised and hosted by the Trinidad and Tobago Chess Foundation; the Caribbean Chess Carnival is an annual international competition sponsored by the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs and CMMB.

Beginning on August 4 at the Queen’s Park Oval; the Carnival has attracted over 130 participants from Azerbaijan, Cuba, Barbados, Jamaica, Martinique, Nigeria, St Lucia, Suriname, St. Lucia, Venezuela, and Trinidad and Tobago for competition in the 9 round Swiss style tournament over 6 days, continuing daily from 9 am - ending on August 9.

Born in 1975, WGM Kadimova has a true championship pedigree:

• World Champion(under 18) 1992 and 1993,
• European champion(under 16 and 20) 1991 and 1993 respectively
• Student World Champion 1994
• USSR champion (under 18) 1991

And will, through mastery and knowledge; seek in the Open Category, to end the eternal debate as to the ability of women to compete with the men. Offering his own voice on the debate is Ryan Harper, Trinidad and Tobago’s top rated player, who will be seeking to become king of the Carnival. Also attempting to silence the naysayers will be Venezuelan WM Maria Gisela Ubaldo Suerez, who joins WGM Kadimova in withstanding

• IM Humberto Pecorelli Garcia CUB
• IM Gerardo Lebredo Zarragoitia CUB
• IM Kevin Denny BAR
• IM Julio Ostos VEN
• IM Oladapo Adu NGR
• FM Dr Philip Corbin BAR

National junior champions Vishnu Singh, Keron Cabralis, Kevin Cupid, Christian Ammon, Justin Labastide and Melissa Pereira, will lead the T&T juniors in the age group divisions.