GM Holmes leads UWI tournament

Spanish Grandmaster takes lead in UWI chess tourney
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Jamaica Observer – Kingston, Jamaica

After three rounds of play in the Magnificent Chess UWI Masters International Tournament, the rating favourite, Spanish Grandmaster Alfonso Romero Holmes, led with 2.5 points from three games.

He was closely followed by Jamaican FIDE Master Warren Elliott who was on two points from as many games. Cuban International Master Jose Vilela was on 1.5, Jamaican National Master Shane Matthews and Swedish FIDE Master Bengt Hammar were each on one point, while Jamaican Fide Master Jomo Pitterson and Barbadian FIDE Master Delisle Warner were on 0.5 point each.

In Round Two games played Thursday morning at the Shirley Retreat Hotel, Holmes and Vilela drew after 25 moves.

The only other game to be played in Round Two saw real fireworks as Elliott wielded the white pieces with vicious effect, sacrificing a knight en route to dismantling Hammar’s Sicilian Nafdorf defence in just 21 moves.

In the Round Three games played in the Assembly Hall on the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies, Elliott again produced a gem of a performance using his Benko Gambit to rout Warner who could not put the white pieces to good effect.

GM Holmes maintained his slim lead after winning a pawn and grinding down Pitterson in 68 moves, the game lasting almost five hours.

The Spanish maestro, who was obviously drained by the effort, showered praise on his Jamaican adversary, stating that Pitterson was “very, very good”.

Here is the full article.