JAMAICA ON THE SCORE BOARD EARLY!!!

If the Olympiad gold, silver and bronze medals were being given for "uniform appearance" then Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago would have copped all three colour medals. The warriors from all three West Indian nations were sartorially elegant (eloquent!), their outfits in the respective national colours, and, without a doubt, looked like teams in comparison to everyone else. In addition, Jamaica was the only team where all the players had national flags beside their boards!

THE DETERMINED RASTAMAN!!!!

Although losing 0.5-3.5, Matthews, Rowe and Porter falling to grandmasters, Jamaica had Her best starting results in several Olympiads when NM Ras Malaku Lorne (ELO 2110) used his Reti Opening to hold Macedonia´s  FM Nikola Vasovski (ELO 2324) on board 4. The fortunes swayed and fluctuated as Vasovski emerged a pawn up with a strong position in a tense middlegame but lost his way and allowed Lorne to queen a pawn. When the time trouble began the Macedonian had two rooks and two pawns to Lorne´s queen and one pawn but his nerves gave way first and after the dust settled Lorne had a queen against a rook in a winning position. The Jamaican blundered, however, and allowed the wily Nikola to sacrifice his rook resulting in stalemate.

FLOWING DREADLOCKS

Throughout the game, Vasovski kept looking at Lorne and I wondered if the youngster´s flowing dreadlocks held him spellbound. Perhaps the rest of the Jamaicans might have to get similar hairstyles, but something tells me that there is too little time for that! Indeed, barring the purchase of mops and glue it will be nigh impossible in some cases!

BRILLIANT CORBIN!!

Slovenia beat Barbados 3-1 but the toast of the round (if not Calvia!) must be Barbadian FM Dr. Phillip Corbin who discombulated IM Sakelsek on board 4, delivering a nasty mate in 24 moves with sacrifice after sacrifice. Indeed, Corbin employed the Elephant/Latvian Gambit and in less than 15 moves was a rook and two pawns down. Nevertheless, as if possessed by Morphy and Tal combined, Corbin found shot after shot and the coup de grace saw 24...Qb4 followed by the Bajan announcing "checkmate" to the delight of the crowd that had gathered.

Trinidad and Tobago lost 0.5-3.5 to Iceland, FM Mario Merritt playing well on board 3 to draw.

IAN G. WILKINSON
15th October, 2004
Captain, Jamaica
Hotel Acorn Pionero
Santa Ponsa Park