Campion win PCJ Group National Schoolgirls Chess Championships
Campion College captured the 2016 PCJ Group National Schoolgirls Chess Championship, after securing a 1.5-1.5 draw against Immaculate Conception High in the final round of the tournament which was recently held at the PCJ Auditorium in Kingston.
Campion went into the fourth and final round on six points, needing only a draw against Immaculate to secure seven points and top honours. Despite being the superior team on paper, the Campion team of Sheanel Gardner, Aulanni Kidd and Janique Lee decided not to take any chances and the girls from Old Hope Road eventually offered draws to their less fancied opponents on all three boards, which were gladly accepted.
Three teams ended on six points each including Wolmer’s Girls’ A, Immaculate and Excelsior A. Wolmer’s Girls’ A took home the second place on tiebreak over Immaculate who were adjudged third and Excelsior A ended up in fourth place.
Green Island A and Holy Childhood ended on four points each, however, when the tiebreak system was employed, Green Island A took fifth place over Holy Childhood who had to settle for sixth position. Wolmer’s Girls’ B were seventh with three points and Excelsior B took eighth place on tiebreak over Green Island B as both teams ended on two points. The best rural team award went to Green Island A.
Individual category prizes were awarded to Campion’s Sheanel Gardner, Aulanni Kidd and Janique Lee who were declared Best Board One, Best Board Two and Best Reserve, respectively. The best Board Three prize went to Alliyah Yankana of Wolmer’s Girls’ A. Campion’s coach, National Master Ryan Blackwood was adjudged the Best Coach.
In closing the Championship, Chair of the Jamaica Chess Federation’s (JCF) Women’s Chess Committee Listra Clemetson said, “The JCF’s Women’s Chess Committee is very pleased with the revival of schoolgirls chess and we plan to use the foundation we have laid this year to build for the future.
“We are thankful to the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica, who, over the last year and a half, has embraced the vision for the growth of the sport of chess in Jamaica at the junior level, through their support of the high schools chess championships and we are encouraging other corporate bodies to throw their weight behind the sport,” said Clemetson.
