Master Report 9

The Srefidensi Chess Celebration has come to an end. As the governor of the Central Bank of Suriname, Gillmore Hoefdraad, noted at the closing ceremony, this first edition of the tournament will always be remembered as a very special one. The chairman of the Surinam Chess Federation, Frank Lo Kim Lin, added that all goals for this chess festival were reached. Parallel to the last round of the Master Tournament and the Open Tournament, there was a tournament with 160 school kids.

As for the Master Tournament, IM Thomas Willemze quickly drew his game against IM Gerardo Lebredo Zaragoitia, to secure tournament victory. During his previous stay in Suriname, Willemze didn't play any games himself, so he really enjoyed his participation in the tournament and is already looking forward to his next trip to Suriname.

In the battle for second place, GM Jha Sriram quickly got a very promising position against FM Ryan Harper, and won convincingly. The only lady in the top group, WGM Alina L'Ami, took third place, by beating Romario Sanches with a successful queenside attack. IM Luis Lazaro Aguero Jimenez beat his fellow countryman IM Jose Luis Vilela De Acuna, after the latter weakened his king position.

FM Roger Matoewi played a gentlemen's draw against FM Dewperkash Gajadin, and finished as the best Surinam player. Gajadin, who in fact won a medal at the 1984 chess olympiad, had a really tough tournament, since his work as a medical doctor doesn't leave too much time for chess.

1st Srefidensi standings after round 9:
1 Willemze (7)
2 Sriram (6.5)
3-4 L'Ami, Aguero Jimenez (6)
5 Harper (5.5)
6 Vilela De Acuna (5)
7 Lebredo Zaragoitia (4)
8 Matoewi (3)
9 Sanches (1.5)
10 Gajadin (0.5)

IM Merijn van Delft