Jamaica Jamaica Jamaica

Ian Wilkinson, "The 'Elder Statesman' upsets the 'Young Turk' (2007 Masters KO Update) Jamaica Chess Federation, 26 March 2007 (Kingston, Jamaica).

POOL "A"

The quarter-finals of the 2007 Masters Knock-Out Tournament ended with great excitement over the weekend of March 24, 2007. In game three of their match, NM Jomo Pitterson easily dispatched a hapless Daren Wisdom, employing the Four Pawns Attack against Wisdom's King's Indian Defence. Pitterson won the match 2.5 - 0.5 and moved on to the semi-finals where he will face none other than the auspicious candidate master Brandon Wilson who blanked Bertram Scott 3-0 in their quarter-final clash, the latter defaulting on two of the games.

Trailing 0-2 to the favoured
NM Equitable Brown in the most competitive of the quarter-final matches, the wily veteran NM Robert Wheeler, employing a combination of the Reti, English and Benoni openings, came from the brink of defeat to win the remaining two games to force the rapid play-offs. Although each player split the rapid games, "Bob" easily outplayed "Equi" in the blitz "Armageddon" game where he had five minutes to Brown's six, Brown having to win with the white pieces. Indeed, Brown resigned one move away from being mated.

Wheeler's victory sets up an interesting match in the semi-finals as he will do battle against the rampaging
NM Shane "the Magician" Matthews who easily outclassed Alain Morais 3-1 in their quarter-final match, each player defaulting a game. Matthews is yet to drop any points in his games played.

The semi-finals are scheduled to be held on
April 21, 22, 28 and 29 with the finals set for May 19, 20, 26 and 27, 2007 at RBTT Bank canteen, Dominica Drive, New Kingston.

Semifinal Matchups
1 NM Shane Matthews 2373 vs. NM Robert Wheeler  2218
2 NM Jomo Pitterson 2320 vs. Brandon Wilson 2184



POOL "B"

The pool "B" format of the Masters KO feature six players who will engage in a double round-robin. In the first round the rapidly-improving junior Stuart James and Ian Wilkinson fought to a tense draw in 28 moves after James unleashed the Centre game with the white pieces. In other games, the rating favourite and perennial contender Humphrey Gayle used the Kalashnikov variation of the Sicilian Defence to vanquish Sidley Matthews Jr. while the Sicilian defence of Phillip Pryce, the other junior in the field, was too strong for Maurice Robinson.

In the second round, James played superbly with the black pieces to dismantle Gayle's Stonewall while Sid Matthews' Pirc was too much for Robinson. Pryce, with the white pieces against Wilkinson, opted for a repetition of moves in a classical Nimzo-Indian and the peace treaty was signed on move 24.

The third round of the event, which is played alongside the premier group, will also continue on April 21 at RBTT with
James-Robinson, Wilkinson-Gayle and Matthews-Pryce. Players with White being named first.

26th March, 2007
Ian Wilkinson
President
Jamaica Chess Federation

Posted by The Chess Drum: 29 March 2007