Wilkinson, Matthews at 2019 World Seniors
2019 WORLD SENIORS CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS
International Master Shane Matthews and Ian Wilkinson QC left the island this past weekend to represent their country in the 29th World Seniors Chess Championships being held in Bucharest, Romania.
The event is being staged by the Romanian Chess Federation under the auspices of the International Chess Federation (“FIDE”) and will be held over eleven rounds from November 11 to 23, 2019. The time control is forty moves in ninety minutes with a further thirty minutes to finish the game. There are increments of thirty seconds per move from the first move. Hundreds of players from more than fifty (50) countries are participating in this prestigious event which spans four sections: Absolute (mainly men) fifty years old and over; Women fifty years; Seniors Absolute sixty-five years and over; and Women sixty-five years and over.
Kazakhstan’s IM Aitkazy Baimurzin vs. IM Shane Matthews, 0-1 (31)
Ian Wilkinson battling Scottish IM Stephen Mannion in 3rd round, 0-1 (62)
Photos by Magnificent Chess
IM Matthews, who notched a hat-trick of victories in Jamaica’s Absolute Veterans Chess Championship 2017-2019, played in the World Championships event last year in Bled, Slovenia. He also made history in winning Jamaica’s Absolute Chess Championship seven times and the Caribbean (Absolute) Sub-Zonal in 2018.
Wilkinson, an Hon. Vice-President of FIDE and a former President of the Jamaica Chess Federation, won the first two Jamaican Veterans Championship in 2015 and 2016 (named in honour of the late William Roper, an Attorney-at-Law and one of the founding fathers of the JCF in 1969) played in the World Championships in 2015 and 2016 in Italy and the Czech Republic, respectively.
The participation of the two Jamaicans was made possible by General Accident Insurance Company Limited, the Sports Development Foundation, the Jamaica Chess Federation, the Jamaica Tourist Board and Magnificent Chess Foundation.
Ian G. Wilkinson QC
Jamaica Chess Federation
2019 November 10
Official Site: https://worldseniors2019.com/
Standings: (50+ Men, 50+ Women, 65+ Men, 65+ Women)
Regulations: https://worldseniors2019.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/reg-final-1.pdf
ROUND FIVE REPORT
JAMAICANS PUNCHING ABOVE THEIR WEIGHT AT THE BREAK!!
2019 WORLD SENIORS CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Entering the rest day after round five, of the scheduled 11 rounds, was completed on Saturday, November 16 of the 29th World Seniors Chess Championships in Bucharest, Jamaica’s two representatives are punching well above their weight.
In the Absolute Fifty-year old section IM Shane Matthews battled bravely with the black pieces on board 11 in round 5 but succumbed to the Catalan wielded by Georgian GM Giorgi Bagaturov. Matthews had played brilliant positional Chess in round 4 to dismantle Scotland’s Ian Aird’s Berlin Defence in a Ruy Lopez opening, ending the game with the aesthetic 37.d4 pawn sacrifice that guaranteed him promotion. Ranked 44 he is in 35th position on 3 points in the 138-player field and, after Sunday’s rest day, will have the white pieces on board 25 against the unbeaten Englishman Peter Gayson in Monday’s 6th round.
EXPLOSIVE JAMAICA-GERMAN CLASH
The other Jamaican in the field, Ian G. Wilkinson QC, rebounded from his 4th round loss to Australian Charles Zworestine with a victory in round 5 against the much higher rated German Uwe Gebhardt on board 54. Wilkinson was efficient with the white pieces in his demolition of the German’s Modern defence in 27 moves. Wilkinson, ranked 125, is in 64th position on an even 2 ½ points and will face another Swede Conny Holst with the black pieces in the 6th round on board 36, the Swede having roughly a huge 350+ point rating advantage over the Jamaican.
The event is being staged by the Romanian Chess Federation under the auspices of the International Chess Federation (“FIDE”) in the “Sala Bucuresti” at the Grand Rin Hotel over eleven rounds from November 11 to 23, 2019. The time control is forty moves in ninety minutes with a further thirty minutes to finish the game. There are increments of thirty seconds per move from the first move. Hundreds of players from more than fifty (50) countries are participating in this prestigious event which spans four sections: Absolute (mainly men) fifty years old and over; Women fifty years; Seniors Absolute sixty-five years and over; and Women sixty-five years and over.
The participation of the two Jamaicans was made possible by General Accident Insurance Company Limited, the Sports Development Foundation, the Jamaica Chess Federation, the Jamaica Tourist Board and Magnificent Chess Foundation.
Jamaica Chess Federation
2019 November 17
PHOTOGRAPHS
Georgian GM Giorgi Bagaturov (L) facing Jamaican IM Shane Matthews in round 5; 1-0 in 40 moves
German Uwe Gebhardt (L) at the start of his game against Jamaican Ian G. Wilkinson QC in round 5; 1-0 in 27 moves