CHAMPIONS crowned in 12 sections of the National Age Group Chess Championships played at The University of the West Indies last weekend.

The event, staged at the Rex Nettleford Multipurpose Room, saw close to 150 youngsters from across the island matching wits on the boards.

The participants showed tremendous fighting spirit and three sections went all the way to play-offs to determine a winner.

Under-8 favourite Emilia-Rose Leake of Creative Kids Learning Academy lived up to her billing by producing a perfect 6/6 score to top the Under-8 Absolute section (usually only boys) and also the Under-8 Female section. Emilia-Rose is one of only three females to ever win both the boys’ and girls’ section combined, in the history of the local age group championships.

St Andrew Preparatory student Liam Logan shined in the Under-10 Absolute section by winning with a 6/6 score. He is now the new Under 10 national representative.

The Under-12 Absolute section had to be determined by a thrilling play-off towards the end of the event as three players tied for first place. Zahmir Smikle, Aaron Mckoy and Ronak Shergill all battled it out in a three-way speed play-off after accumulating 5/6 points each. In the end Smikle, of Campion College, emerged victorious by winning both games. Harrison’s Prep student Mckoy was second by regular tiebreaks while the former Under-10 champion Shergill, who attends Porter Center for Knowledge, was third.

It also took a play-off to break the deadlock in the Under-12 Female section. Online champion Danielle Yankana, from Stella Marris Preparatory, faced off with Dedipiya Sunkara after they both finished with 5/6 points in their section. After two exciting speed chess victories Yankana emerged the winner; Sunkara of Campion College therefore finished second. Third place went to Victoria Salazar of Hillel Academy with 4.6/6.

More exciting play-offs were in store when J-Loy Chin from St Jago High and Wolmer’s Boys’ Corbin Harvey both tied with 5/6 points in the Under-14 Absolute section. Chin won the play-offs and was crowned Under14 Absolute Champion. Second was Harvey and third was Jaheim Smart of Campion College who finished on 4.5/6.

The Under-14 Female section had a clear winner in recent Olympiad representative Kaia Gayle. The St Andrew High School girl finished with 3.5/6. Woman candidate master Zaina O’Conner of Meadowbrook High finished with 3/6 to cop second place, and Jessica Chang of Immaculate High finished third with 0.5/6.

A real exciting section was the Under-16 Absolute which saw a strong performance by Aayush Jain of Ardenne High to finish on a perfect 6/6 points. In the process he won versus top-rated Candidate Master Jaden Shaw of Wolmer’s Boys’ who finished second with 4.5/6.

Amy Stephenson of Wolmer’s Girls’ won the Under-16 Female section with 4/6.

Under-18 Absolute favourite Darren McKennis came back from a tough start to win clearly with a 4.5/6 score.

The lone Under-18 Female entrant, Candidate Master Raehanna Brown, finished with 3/6 points to add to her Online championship win earlier in the year.

The annual Jamaica Chess Federation event was sponsored by Grace Vienna Sausages. Their representative, Sha-Tara Carter said, “I was very impressed with the level of concentration seen from the young children. The growth of the sport was clearly visible.”

Co-event organiser for the Jamaica Chess Federation, Warren Elliott says each category winner shows incredible potential and will be a force to reckon with in the region.

“The future of chess is in good hands,” he opined.

Winners are now aiming to compete in the Central American and Caribbean youth Championships, set to be held in Honduras in November.