Subzonal in 2.3.5 in full swing!
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The ongoing subzonal in Merida, Venezuela has at stake four qualifying spots to the 2009 Central American & Caribbean Zonal Championships. GM Eduarado Iturrizaga will head the field featuring four other Venezuelans, three players from Trinidad and two players each from Puerto Rico and Barbados.
The surprising omission was that no players were sent from Jamaica, one of the strongest nations in the Caribbean. Cuba is also not taking part in the festivities, but will no doubt be a part of the Zonals. The women’s competition is dominated by seven Venezuelans(!), two Ecuadorans and one player from Trinidad. The player pictured on the right is Rocio Vasquez-Ramirez, a Women’s International Master from Ecuador. Photo by Allan Herbert.
Where are the Jamaicans? 😐
Hi Folks,
Finally some words on what is happening at the 2.3.5 Subzonals!
Is there anyone reporting on this tourney, with pictures, games and the like?!
GM Eduardo Iturrizaga and FM Oliver Soto Paez of Venezuela are leading the field on 5.5/7. The Venezuelan men look as if they’re about to take the top four spots. They have almost invariably drawn each other and beat eveyone else. Fellow Venezuelans IM Raphael Prasca and Fernando Osorio are 3rd-4th on 5-2. WIM Rocio Vasquez Ramirez of Ecuador is dominating the women’s group with a 7/7 romp (TPR 2732).
PHOTOS by Allan Herbert (Barbados)
FM Ryan Harper (Trinidad & Tobago)
Fernando Osorio (Venezuela)
(foreground) Martyn Del Castilho (Barbados) vs. Alex Winter-Roach (Trinidad)
(background) Marcus Joseph (Trinidad) vs. Justin Blackman (Barbados)
Allan has taken some nice images. Hopefully more are to come.
The Venezuelans are still dominating and hold the top four spots with Iturrizaga and Soto both on 6.5/8. Prasca and Osorio pictured above) are on 6/8.
Daaim, do you have the website for this? I found one but it only has the first 4 rounds updated.
I’m getting reports directly from Allan Herbert. I’m updating now. Neither the Confederation of the Americas nor the Barbados Chess Federation had updated content. Here is what I have gathered from the reports…
Ranking and Games after round 9 of Subzonal 2.3.5 Men
1st-2nd: Eduardo Iturrizaga, Oliver Soto Paez, 7.5
3rd-4th: Raphael Prasca, Fernando Osorio, 6.5
5th: Wiston Boada, 4.5
6th: Ryan Harper, 4.0
7th-8th: Mark Machin-Rivera, Justin Blackman, 3.5
9th-11th: Marcus Joseph, Martyn Del Castilho, William Bermudez Adams, 3.0
12th: Alex Winter-Roach, 1.5
Ranking and Games after round 9 of Subzonal 2.3.5 Women
1st: Rocio Vasquez Ramirez, 9.0
2nd-3rd: Ingrid Han Wong, Zaida Hernandez, 6.5
4th: Carla Heredia Serrano, 6.0
5th: Luzalba Ricon Gonzalez, 5.0
6th: Celisbeth Rios, Annyd Otazo, 3.5
7th: Leonela Gutierrez, 2.5
8th: Milagros Diaz, 2.0
9th: Soondarsingh, Aditi 0.5
It appears that the Venezuelans stayed true to their formula of drawing each other and beating everyone else. There were only two decisive battles between the quintet. Vasquez-Ramirez was simply dominant… there’s nothing else to say. To go 9-0 at any level is difficult, but she was focused (see pic above) and took no prisoners.
I have just catalogued the 9-0 performance of WIM Rocio Vasquez-Ramirez. The games are of good quality and she won convincingly because she apparently trained hard to obtain this result. She definitely has a feel for the game and is a Sicilian aficionado from both sides of the board. You will note in her games that her endgame technique is also strong. She trained well. Congratulations!!
Do you have access to the other men’s games as well?
All the ones I received are at the link above in the original post. They are PGN format. Are you talking about games with Java Board?
I was looking for the Harper game in round 9. Its fine all the same thanks
Sub-Zonal Chess Championship
Merida, Venezuela, June 22-27 2008
(L-R) Rocio Vasquez Rimerez, Professor Unvencio Blanco
and Eduardo Iturrizagga
Grandmaster Eduardo Iturrizaga of Venezuela and Woman International Master Rocio Ramirez Vasquez of Ecuador won their final matches against Martyn Del Castilho of Barbados and Woman International Master Milagros Diaz of Venezuela to take 1st position in the Men and Women’s Sections of the Venezuela, Ecuador and Caribbean Sub-Zonal Chess Championships, played in Merida, Venezuela.
Justin Blackman’s attempt to qualify for the FIDE Master Title fell short of the mark as FIDE Master Oliver Soto of Venezuela, himself playing for the International Master Title, got the better of the young Barbadian to finished tied on 7 ½ points with Iturrizaga and end in 2nd position due to the weaker tie break score.
International Master Rafael Prasca and Fernando Osorio, who was well over the qualification mark for the FIDE Master Title, took early draws against Puerto Ricans Mark Machin-Rivera and William Bermudez Adams to end tied on 6 ½ points for 3rd and 4th place respectively. Iturrizaga, Soto, Prasca and Osario will therefore represent the Sub-Zone a the 2009 Central American & Caribbean Zonal Chess Championships were two place for the 2009 Chess World Cup will be at stake.
Winston Boada drew with Trinidad Champion FIDE Master Ryan Harper to end on 4 ½ points and complete Venezuela’s clean sweep of the top five places in the Men’s. Harper ends as the top non-Venezuelan player on 6th place with 4 points. Mark Machin-Rivera by virtue of the better tie break score edges out Justin Blackman for 7th position, with both players tallying 3 ½ points.
Marcus Joseph, who surprisingly lost his last round match to compatriot, last placed Alex Winter Roach, took 9th place on the tie break from Barbados’ Martyn Del Castilho and William Bermudez Adams. Del Castilho finishes 10th and Bermudez Adams 11th. All three players scored 3 points. At the bottom of the Men’s stadings is Winter Roach of 1 ½ points.
In the Women’s Section, Venezuela and Ecuador split the qualification places for the 2009 Zonal. Ingrid Han Wong and Zadia Hernandez of Venezuela finished on 6 ½ points and, 2nd and 3rd place respectively based on their tied break scores.
Caral Heredia Serraao of Ecuador won a critical final round match against Annyd Otzao of Venezuela to end 6 points and take 4th position, thus round off the four qualification spots for next year’s Zonal Championships.
Placing 5th on 5 points was Luzabla Rincon Gonzalez of Venezuela, while compatriots Celisabeth Rios and Annyd Otazo, with 3 ½ points, are 6th and 7th based on tied break scores. Leonela Gutierrez and Milagroz Diaz, also of Venezuela, finish 8th and 9th respectively with 2 ½ and 2 points. Trinidad’s Aditi Soondarsingh, the English Speaking Caribbean’s lone reprehensive in the female section, brings up the rear with ½ point.
With the Sub-Zonal now completed, attention turns to the 19th Pan-American Youth Chess Championships in Cordoba, Argentina where Justin Blackman of Barbados and Javanna Smith of Trinidad and Tobago will be English Speaking Caribbean’s lone representatives in the Under 18 Boys and Under 12 Girls Sections respectively.