|
By Ian Wilkinson,
2003 Masters Knockout
2003
CHESS MASTERS KNOCK-OUT
The national championships aside, the Masters’ Knock-out chess competition
is probably the tournament which features the most national masters. With
a match-play format, the event features individuals facing each other
in mini-matches with the chance to play one’s opponent with both
colours. The preliminaries are two-game matches while the “main
event” sees matches of four games each. The loser of each match
is eliminated from the competition.
The bad news for the 2003 Masters’ Knock-out chess competition was
that the defending champion and national champion, NM Shane Matthews,
will not be participating because of job commitments. Similarly, last
year’s losing finalist NM Jomo Pitterson will also be absent due
to personal commitments.
The tournament commenced on the 17th May 2003 at the serene Shirley Retreat
House (co-sponsors of the event) on Maeven Avenue, St. Andrew. Alain Morais,
Markland Douglas and Bertram Scott obtained byes and were elevated to
the main event. In the first round games (preliminaries), former national
champion Daren Wisdom won (by default) over Allan Wilson; defending national
female champion Deborah Richards won (by default) over Mark Bowen and
Mark Henry advanced, also by default, over Alvin Tracey.
In the remaining
preliminary games, Brandon Wilson, one of Jamaica’s leading Juniors
defeated the fast-rising Joseph Heird 2-0 while Ian Wilkinson, after a
1-1 result against the twenty-year veteran Sidley Matthews Jnr., won the
30-minute rapid tie-breaks 1.5 - 0.5 to advance.
The round
of 16 (the “main event”) is scheduled to commence on the 31st
May, 2003 at the University of Technology with the playing of the first
game in the four-game matches. After the playing of the preliminaries
the draw for colours was made with assistance from defending champion
NM Shane Matthews and his brother, Sidley Matthews Jnr., the proposed
tournament director for the event.
The pairings
are as follows:
1. Daren
Wisdom v. FM Warren Elliott.
2. Andrew Mellace v. NM Duane Rowe.
3. Bertram Scott v. NM Robert Wheeler.
4. NM Mark Holness v. Ian Wilkinson.
5. Mark Smith v. Markland Douglas.
6. Equitable Brown v. Deborah Richards.
7. Humphrey Gayle v. Brandon Wilson.
8. Alain Morais v. Mark Henry.
The players with the white pieces are named first. The time control is
forty (40) moves in two hours with thirty (30) minutes to complete. If
the matches are tied after the 4 games are played then two 30-minute rapid
games will be played. If there is still deadlock then two blitz games
will be used to separate the players.
The proposed
schedule for the event is:
Round of
16: Game 1 - 31ST May, 2003
Game 2 – 1st June, 2003
Game 3 – 7th June 2003
Game 4 – 8th June, 2003
Q-FINALS:
Game 1 – 15th June, 2003 (Sun)
Game 2 – 18th June 2003 (Wed)
Game 3 – 21st June, 2003
Game 4 – 22nd June, 2003
SEMI-FINALS:
Game 1 – 28th June, 2003
Game 2 – 29th June, 2003
Game 3 - 5th July, 2003
Game 4 – 6th July, 2003
FINALS:
Game 1 – 12th July, 2003
Game 2 – 13th July, 2003
Game 3 – 19th July, 2003
Game 4 – 20th July, 2003.
All weekend games are scheduled to begin at 1 pm while games on Wednesday
will start at 6 pm. Players will be given at least twenty-four hours’
notice of any change in playing date, time or venue.
Ian Wilkinson
President
Jamaica Chess Federation
|
