Zapata moves ahead Digicel Heroes Day Masters Cup

A hard fought win by Grandmaster Alonso Zapata of Colombia over World Under-16 Girls Champion Nazi Paikidze of Georgia secured a precious ½ point lead over the field for the Colombian Grandmaster in the 2009 Digicel RBTT sponsored Heroes Day Cup International Chess Tournament currently being played at the Bridgetown Chess Centre.

Paikidze, who despite her tender age of 15, has continued to play some fearless chess giving the Grandmasters a real run for their money. Her fourth round match against Zapata could possibly be the highlight of the tournament where she sacrificed her Queen for Zapata’s Rook, Bishop and Knight.

What followed for the next 40 moves was a nerve racking, on the edge game where the slightest inaccuracy by either player would be fatal. It was in this environment that Zapata showed why he is one of the top grandmasters from the Americas. He patiently maneuvered his Rook and Queen to eventually squeeze a win from a position many thought favored his opponent.

Zapata tops the Digicel Masters tables with 3 ½ points, dropping only a ½ point to International Master Martyn Neubauer of Austria in round 3.

Barbados National Champion, International Master Kevin Denny, had a good 3rd and 4th round with a patient win over International Master Augusto Moran of Ecuador and a draw against Neubauer.

US Grandmaster Alexander Shabalov recovered form his 2nd round loss to Zapata with wins in Round 3 against German Grandmaster Rainer Buhmann and Round 4 against Jamaican FIDE Master Jomo Pitterson.

Denny joins Neubauer and Shabalov on 3 points for three way tie for 2nd place and are followed by Moran and Rainer with 2 ½ points in 5th position. Paikidze is 7th with 2 points.

In the RBTT Candidates Section there is a traffic jam at the top of the tables with Top Seed Equitable Brown of Jamaica, Gilles Suez-Panama of Martinique, and Lyndell Halliday of Barbados sharing the honours on 3 points.

Brown’s points in rounds 3 and 4 came from a tense draw against Karl Rapon of Martinique and a win against Defending RBTT Candidates Champion Othniel Harewood of Barbados.

Suez Panama on the other hand found the going slower and was held to draws in both of his games by compatriot Raymond Marbot and Demetrio Moore of Barbados.

Halliday after a draw in round 3 against Dwayne Gilkes of Barbados scored a critical win against Martinique’s Karl Rapon to stay with the leaders.

Raymond Marbot moved to 4th position with 2 ½ points thanks to aa 4th round victory over Juanita Garnett of Barbados, the lone female player in the RBTT Candidates Section.

Trevor Griffith, Demetrio Moore and Defending RBTT Candidates Champion Othniel Harewood share 5th position on 2 points

Play continues on Saturday May 2nd, 2009, at 10:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. at the Barbados Bridgetown Chess Centre in Cavans Lane, Bridgetown. Admission to the public is free.