The Stage is Set!!
This morning’s big games between Trinidad players Marcus Joesph & Ryan Harper was a bold King’s Gambit. Ryan seemed prepared for what must have been an attempted surprise from Joseph, and in the end Harper took the full point
Nearby, Ariel Marichal stopped young Bajan FIDE Master (FM) Orlando Husbands. As a result FM Ryan Harper and Ariel Marichal Gonzalez, in 2nd and 3rd place respectfully, are set to play each other in round 8. Since the winner of the match is almost sure to get the International Master (IM) title, the stage is set for a pure street fight on the board. We will have to follow this game closely.
On the top board, FM Delisle Warner tried to stop runaway leader IM Munoz, but his 1…b6 defense was not enough. Delisle’s efforts to reach the IM title has therefore suffered a serious blow.
Meanwhile, Jamaica’s Damion Davy inched closer to a new title as he defeated Suriname’s Romario Sanches. The victory lifted Davy to 7th place on 5 points, just 1 point away from the FM title, but it made Sanches wait for another round before he can secure his title.
As it stands now, 4 players have secured at least a Candidate Master (CM) title: Marcus Joseph, Adrian Winter Atwell, Kevin Cupid all of Trinidad & Tobago, and Venezuela’s Chavez Lazo. They can go further yet if they can manage 1 win and 1 draw from their next 2 games. On the other hand, Mora Moron and Marichal Gonzalez are only 1 point and 1/2 point, respectively, from the FM title. For sure then the stage is set for pure thrillers and pure nerves this evening.
