Cuban chess player tops Central Caribbean tournament

 

HAVANA, Cuba, Jul 17 (ACN) With an undefeated performance of eight points in nine rounds, Cuba's Jerzy Jesus Perez was crowned at the U20 Central American and Caribbean Chess Championship, held in the Honduran city of San Pedro Sula.

Perez, currently with the title of FIDE Master, achieved seven wins and a couple of draws on his way to a title that also gave him the direct title of International Master and a Grandmaster norm.

Precisely, one of the draws signed in the tournament was against Kemel Antonio Gallo, also from Cuba, who finished in second place with a total of 7.5 points, in another very good performance.

Nicaraguan Jose Nahun Espinosa completed the podium, after accumulating 6.5 points and a better tiebreaker than Costa Rica's David Alejandro Cabezas and Jamaica's Jaden Shaw, placed fourth and fifth, in that order.

The women's tournament was also called for nine rounds by the Swiss system and the success was celebrated by Costa Rican Kristel Melissa Diaz with 8.5 points, a section in which there was no Cuban presence.