Ferguson was able to beat former Bahamas Chess Champion Franklyn Gibson in the last round to capture the open division trophy. The field oof 47 players also included Thierry Boeuf and Milton Evans, two other former champions.
Winner of the reserve division, comprised of those players who are rated under 1800 and who have never won a major tournament, was Lemaro Thompson (Kinsway Academy) who scored four out of five wins.
Lincoln Knowles from St. Augustine’s showed he is one of the most promising juniors by winning the Rook Division.
Frank Bethel from S. C. McPherson won the largest group, the Bishop Division.
Joseph Ferguson (2nd from Left) achieved a perfect 5-0 score to win the Polhemus Darling Memorial Chess Tournament on Sunday May 25. The five-round Swiss tournament of three 15 and two 20 minute games was held at C.C. Sweeting Senior High School and fielded 47 players that included three former Bahamas national chess champions. Shown from left to right are: Warren Seymour, Tournament Director; Joseph Ferguson, overall winner Open Division; Lemaro Thompson (Kingsway Academy), winner Reserve Division; Lincoln Knowles, (St. Augustine’s College), winner Rook Division; Frank Bethel (S.C. McPherson) winner Bishop Division; Thierry Boeuf, Bahamas Chess Federation President.
In the post-tournament commentary Tournament Director Warren Seymour said it was a pleasing turnout among the juniors but that students need to train in order to match the standards of chess in former years.
Seymour also thanked the wife of the late Polhemus Darling who continues the Darling legacy of giving generous support to chess.
“Polhemus Darling, through his company, Bahamas Engraving, was one of chess’ great benefactors. We greatly appreciate the support he gave and the support his wife gives now.
Mr. Seymour remarked how over the years he had seen that chess players did well in their school studies. “It’s remarkable that some schools such as Southhaven Academy are able to produce such a great number of active chess players. That’s because it’s on their curriculum. Chess teaches you how to think and how to cope with time pressure,” said Seymour.
The cool cloudy weather brought pleasant playimg conditions for the 47 chess players in the Polhemus Darling Memorial recently held at C.C.Sweeting Senior High. Joseph Ferguson beat a field that included Thierry Boeuf, Frank Gibson and Milton Evans, all former Bahamas Chess Champions.
Joseph Ferguson clinched the Open Division by winning a thrilling last round over Bahamian chess master and tournament favourite, Franklyn Gibson. In the 20 minute game, Ferguson countered Gibson’s d4 opening with the Benoni which is characterised as a sharp, fighting, on-the-edge defence where white suceeds in getting a pawn wedge and a space advantage. Black, however, has compensation with activity on the flanks, open lines, a powerful fianchettoed king’s bishop and a dynamic queenside pawn majority.
Gibson chose to close the position with d5 on the third move. Black normally immediately wants to reduce white’s wedge with 3…e6 but Gibson chose to delay this. By move 16 Gibson had a clear advantage but chose to swap off the black squared bishops (17. Bh6) whereas theory suggests he should have kept them on the board. Nonetheless by move 22 Gibson still had an advantage and had posted a central knight. He then sacrificed a pawn to arrive at a position where his queen could check behind black’s pawns.
With both players in time pressure the game went into a sudden-death scramble. Ferguson was subjected to multiple checks and lost a few pawns but managed to escape the checks by driving his king forward. With breathing room, Ferguson’s e pawn then threatened to queen and in the rush Gibson had to give up material. Shortly after Ferguson mated with his extra queen.
The Bahamas Chess Federation is holding two tournaments in June: The Bahamas Primary School Teams Championships on June 21st and the Bahamas High School,Team Championships on June 28th.
According to Federation President Thierry Boeuf the School Teams Championships are an important test for judging which students will be selected to represent the Bahamas in the Florida Orange Bowl.
“Our standard of chess in juniors could be a lot higher if we urged parents to let their children attend the Saturday tuition courses. The Federation’s selectors want to see students, not just turning up for the monthly tournaments, but in serious training,” said Boeuf. “You cannot really progress unless you study. The more advnaced players should be studying and mastering a few openings by learning from books.”
Warren Seymour added that in the School Teams Championships all players will be required to record all of their games and will have to use clocks. “Parents should contact the Federation for the proper equipment and start learning how to record their games,” said Seymour.
We’re very impressed with the turnout. We thank Family Guardian for their support and to the chess teachers at the schools,” said Seymour. “Our usual schools brought the expected numbers and, in particular, we had stronger-than-usual showings from Queen’s College, St Andrew’s and South Haven Christian Academy.”
“South Haven has made a great effort to give their students access to chess training and already they have a champion in Renaldo Cartwright for the Under 10’s,” said Seymour. “We’re very happy to see teams emerging from Queen’s College and St. Andrew’s. Both could be a future force in chess.”
“One new-comer was Travis Obregon from Queen’s College. He lost one of his early rounds but showed great determination to win the later games and went on to win his division. This was the first tournament he’s ver played. Which goes to show: that you don’t know how good you are until you enter,” said Seymour.
Chess Federation President Thierry Boeuf says the federation’s newly-elected officers have a mandate to more actively promote chess in schools and with the public in general. “The schools are the bedrock of chess in the Bahamas and we’re trying to do more to help cultivate serious learning there. In this era of TV and electronic games, chess is a healthier, more beneficial pursuit that is much more impressive on a young person’s resum�,” said Mr. Boeuf.
“We owe a debt of thanks to those teachers and school adminstrators that give their time and facilities for the chess students,” said Mr. Boeuf. “Family Guardian’s donation will also go towards our Chess-In-Schools Training Program.”
The federation’s next scholastic tournament is the School Teams Championship, scheduled for June 28 when Out Island schools are expected to send teams to Nassau. In the School Teams tournament any student can enter although the championship trophy goes to the school which collects the highest number of points from their top four players. No exactly: the players play one team against another team and it is highly recommanded to have actual teams instead of the usual last-minute-group-of-people-put-together that plays but doesn’t really compete. The federation will require players to record their games on score sheets.
On April 5th and 9th, the federation will hold the April Quads Tournaments where players of similar strength play in a league-style round-robins.
The federation holds regular Saturday chess clinics for beginners and students on Saturday at 1 p.m. Parents, schools and teachers can contact the Bahamas Chess Federation at 324-2062 or 325-6210.
