National Under-20 junior champion Vishnu Singh and Rafael Guerrero ended the three-part Orchard Junior Chess Grand Prix series as joint-winners, tied on 13 points, to top the Over 1500 rated of the competition at the grand finale on Saturday at Nestle Sport Club in Valsayn.

The finale saw the climax of a three-part series of events, organised by the Trinidad and Tobago Chess Foundation, where the overall winners were decided by an accumulation of their points from a total of the three tournaments.

A cash fund of $10,000 together with trophies and hampers from Nestlé were awarded to the first six places in each of the four categories, with additional special prizes to the top female players in each category.  

Singh, of Presentation College, Chaguanas, and St Mary’s College pupil Guerrero shared a $2,200 cash prize.

Third was Jarryon Paul with 8.5 points, followed by Mahendra Singh (8), Adrian Fraser (6.5), and Joshua Johnson (6).

T&T’s Under-12 junior champ Christian Ammon, of St Mary’s College,  finished ahead of the 19 players in the Under 1500 rated category, collecting 12.5 points and a prize of $1,000.

His schoolmate, Jonathan Wilson, ended with 12 points, half a point short in second place. He was followed by Videsh Ramsaroop and Jonathan Paul, who tied for third with nine points each, and Rishon Ramlogan, Peter Sui and Daniel Bhola all shared fourth spot.

Another promising youngster was Andre Sims, of Fatima College, who finished ahead of the 26 players in the Under 1300 rated category, collecting 13 points and a prize of $800.

Second was Brian Dixon with 11.5 points, with Dillon Kalicharan third with ten points, while in fourth place was a three-way tie between Della-Marie Walcott, Gabriella Johnson and Jabari Lambert, each with 9.5 points.

In the Under 1050 rated section, Isaiah Hernandez of Richmond Street Boys Primary School edged Seth Lalla of Diamond Vale Government Primary by half-point, topping the field of 59 players and collecting a cash prize of $500.

Hernandez ended the tournament with 19 points, with Lalla second on 18.5. Third was Nicolai Birjoo with 15 points and Jadel Dixon-Harry fourth with 14.5 points. Gerard Sealy and Aaron Bernard were tied for fifth with 14 points each.  

Special prizes were awarded to the youngest player, five-year-old Michael Taleb, and to Krysten Paul, Maia Labastide, Safiya Lambert, Emma Marie Taleb and Maria Gallemaso, the highest-placed female players in their respective divisions who finished outside the main prizes.