Pitterson claims regional crown

Jamaica's chess got a welcome shot in the arm when FIDE Master and number-one ranked Jomo Pitterson captured the Sub-zonal Regional Chess Championships in Nassau, Bahamas, and with it the title of international master.

The first home grown player to receive the rank of international master, which is the second-highest title in the sport, Pitterson overcame a top-notch field to claim an impressive seven points out of a possible nine to take the prestigious championship.

On his way to the title, Pitterson defeated Barbados' national champion' Martyn Del Castillho.

Priot to that, he was held to draws by Venezuela's women's Grand Master, Sarai Sanches Castillho; Puerto Rico's FIDE Master, Gabriel Berrios Echevarria in the penultimate round; and fellow Jamaican, FIDE Master Warren Elliot in the final round.

"Jomo is a true chess phenom and very few players, if any, in the region work as hard as he at chess," said Ian Wilkinson, head of the national association, in a release.

"Among other things, he is a serious opening theoretician and has continued to grow from strength to strength," he added.

Jamaica, in the meantime, sent one of their largest contingent of players to the championships with Elliott, and National Masters Shane Matthews, Equitable Brown and Mark Holness taking part.

Pitterson and the National Masters will next represent Jamaica at the Chess Olympiad in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, between September 19 and October 4.