Shane Matthews bags Jamaican Masters Championship!

Bert Scott, "Shane Matthews wins 2002 Masters K.O. Final, 2½-1½," Jamaican Ambassadors Academy, June 2002.

National Master Shane Matthews won the 2002 Masters K.O. Championship 2½-1½ over NM Jomo Pitterson after securing a draw in game 4 of the final. This was Matthews' second Master title; he won against Duane Rowe in 2000.

On the road to his 2002 Masters title, Matthews won games 1 and 2 only to have Pitterson pull one back in game 3 before both players agreeing to a draw in game 4.

Playing black in the pivotal game 3, Pitterson made a thematic Sicilian Rxc3 exchange sac for the attack and initiative which paid off. With three seconds to make two moves, "The Magician" dropped a rook and promptly resigned (see games on right). Game 4 was declared a draw after an inevitable exchange of queens and rooks would have left the minor piece ending dead even.

A truly remarkable consistent performance by Shane Matthews who is considered by Jamaican Ambassadors to be Jamaica's best opportunity for an International Master (IM) title.

Jamaican Chess Ambassadors Academy (Latest in Jamaican Chess News)

Posted by The Chess Drum: 5 June 2002