The Tribune

THE results of the Warren Seymour Chess Classic demonstrate that the future of chess in The Bahamas is bright.

The Warren Seymour Classic is an open tournament at which junior and senior players square off against each other.

Open category in chess refers to a competition in which anyone can participate regardless of age or experience.

The Warren Seymour Chess Classic is the first of four qualifiers in The Bahamas Chess Federation’s 2023 Open Chess Series.

The Tournament took place over the weekend of June 24.

Round 1 kicked off Saturday morning, followed by an intense three rounds of competition that afternoon. Rounds 4 and 5 continued on Sunday.

The event was sponsored by The Sports Centre and Colina Insurance.

Noah Albury seized the title of winner of the Warren Seymour Chess Classic, winning all his games. His win qualified him for the 2024 Bahamas National Chess Championship.

Shawn Barker won second place, also qualifying for the 2024 Nationals. Curtis Pride Jr placed third.

The Warren Seymour Classic is a five-round Swiss format, a game in 60 minutes plus five seconds per move.

The Warren Seymour Classic is FIDE rated.

The 2024 Bahamas National Chess Championship is scheduled to be held in January 2024.

The 2023 Warren Seymour Chess Classic Tournament is also a qualifier for the Pan American Youth Chess Festival and the CAC Youth Chess Championship.

The Pan American Youth Chess Festival is scheduled to take place in Chicago August 11–18.

The CAC Youth Chess Championship will take place in Trinidad & Tobago and will feature leading junior players from Central American countries and the Caribbean.

The 1st place finishers in the Junior Sections (Under 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 categories) qualify to attend these prestigious international global tournaments.

The Warren Seymour Classic is named in honour of Bahamian hero Warren Seymourm who committed over 30 years of his life to growing the sport of chess in the Bahamas and contributing to the development of hundreds of young Bahamians.

During his prime, Mr Seymour selflessly visited over thirty schools a month, training young men and women in critical thinking and helping them to develop good, decision-making skills. Without any financial gain, he also taught chess at correctional facilities and assisted in the rehabilitation of prisoners.

“Congratulations to all our players!” said Curtis Pride, first vice president of The Bahamas Chess Federation and director of tournaments.

He said: “It is encouraging to see so many of you come out to compete. There is a lot of work to do at the federation level but we are committed to hosting more local tournaments and also providing support for our players to travel to compete in international competitions. Travelling to international competitions is particularly important for local players as we have such a small pool of chess players locally. Our players have to travel in order to increase their ratings, compete for titles and move The Bahamas forward in the sport of chess.

With the help of parents and corporate Bahamas, we will achieve our goals.”

International arbiter Andre White served as chief arbiter for the 2023 Warren Seymour Chess Classic. National arbiter Angel Pride served as assistant arbiter.

2023 Warren Seymour

Chess Classic Results

OPEN SECTION

1st Place: Noah Albury 5 points

2nd Place: Shawn Barker 4 points

3rd Place: Curtis Pride Jr. 3 ½ points

Best Female: Jayla Cargill 3 ½ points

JUNIOR SECTION

Top Junior: Noah Albury

U8: Caerwyn Turnquest

U10: Danica Rolle

U12: Adrian Dean

U14: Chika Pride

U16: Avian Pride

U18: Noah Albury

Best Female:

Jayla Cargill