Ten-year-old Tewana Mallace and the Liguanea Chess Club turned a few heads with their recent achievements at two international tournaments over the last few months.

The Rollington Town Primary student, Mallace, won the nine-and-under title at the Miami International Winter Championship, and was second at the Miami International Scholastic Junior Orange Bowl Tournament.

Club president Geoffrey Byfield noted that when they started to enter the championships eight years ago, they were a very under-rated third world team.

However, when the team travels to these tournaments nowadays, there is high expectations of them, and he said they have proven why their ratings have consistently improved.

The team copped the Under-12 title at the Junior Bowl Championship and finished fourth in the Under-19 section, while at the Miami International they placed second in the Under-12 and Under-19 categories.

Geoffrey Byfield (right) and members of the Liguanea Chess club show off their trophies and awards from their recent exploits at the Miami Winter Championships and the Junior Orange Bowl Tournament. (Inset) Tawana Mallace poses with his first and second place trophies won at the Miami International Winter Championships and at the Miami International Scholastic Junior Orange Bowl Tournament, respectively. (Photos: Bryan Cummings)

Other members who did well were Marq-Brandon Pitter, who finished seventh at both tournaments, Taj Buckley and Damani Reid, who were ninth in the Under-12, at the Miami and Junior Orange Bowl tournaments, respectively.

Meanwhile, Merl Grove's Shantel Reid, who took eighth spot at both competitions, became the first Jamaican female to win awards at these championships.

Byfield noted that the team was severely weakened for the Junior Bowl championship contested from January 3-5.
This was because after the Miami International some of the players had to return home, while others, including Mallace, had to move up into higher age groups.

However, the coach was convinced that the team still did themselves and their country proud.

He was especially proud of Mallace, whom he says has a great future in the game. "He was the best Jamaican performer at the tournaments, and I have heard him being described as the best in his age group in the English-speaking Caribbean," he said.

The soft-spoken Mallace, who won six and drew one game to win at the Miami International and drew two and lost one at the Junior Bowl Championship, said most of the games were easy for him and it is only because he lost concentration why he lost the one game.

However, he said he intended to represent his country and be a grand-master of chess in the future.
Byfield added that the club has have produced other outstanding players in the past, but without the right resources, those players eventually lost interest and disappeared from the game.

Now, he is hoping that the powers that be would see the value of chess and give their support to its development locally.

"This is one of the most popular games in the world... apart from football... and it is proven that students who play chess, tend to do better academically," he pointed out.

He also gave special thanks to SuperPlus, which he claims, have assisted them.

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