The CARIFTA Chess Championships, a landmark hybrid chess tournament bringing together nearly 500 young and senior competitors from 114 nations, concluded on July 12 with Barbados delivering a standout performance across age-group and open divisions, claiming multiple podium positions ahead of the upcoming Central American and Caribbean Games.
Leading Barbados’ medal haul was FIDE Master Hannah Wilson, who turned in a dominant two-part performance across the youth and open adult sections. Competing in the Under-18 girls’ draw, Wilson outperformed a competitive field of 35 players, racking up seven points across nine matches to claim the division’s gold medal. She then returned to compete in the women’s open section, where she finished tied on seven points with fellow Barbadian Candidate Master Chanon Reifer-Belle. Only a narrow tie-break separated the two compatriots, with Wilson claiming second place and Reifer-Belle taking third in the final standings.
In other youth divisions, Charis Stuart turned in an impressive runner-up finish in the Under-14 Open. Facing 65 other competitors across nine rounds of play, Stuart posted seven and a half points to secure his spot on the podium. In the Under-12 Open, Jeremiah Farley joined a five-way tie for first place, but was bumped to second overall after tie-breaking calculations were applied. Young competitor Raef Clarke also claimed a podium position in the Under-8 Open, scoring six points to finish third. Nia-Snow Clarke rounded out Barbados’ youth results, taking fifth place in the Under-10 girls’ division with a total of five points.
In the senior open division, Emar Edwards represented Barbados as the country’s sole entry, finishing 20th overall out of 101 competing players in the large open draw.
This year’s CARIFTA Chess Championships ran in a hybrid format, with all competitors competing online from monitored national host sites overseen by official tournament arbiters, allowing broad global participation despite logistical challenges. Tournament organizers have called the 2024 event a complete success, citing high participation levels and smooth competition management.
Looking ahead, Wilson and Reifer-Belle are already scheduled to compete next, representing Barbados at the Central American and Caribbean Games set to run from July 25 to 28 in the Dominican Republic, where they will look to carry their strong CARIFTA form into the next regional competition.