Ras Malaku Lorne, Jamaica's World Chess Federation (FIDE) Candidate Master, left the island yesterday for Las Vegas, Nevada, where he will compete in the 2015 edition of the Millionaire Chess Open.

The tournament opened yesterday and will end on October 12.

Lorne guaranteed his participation after winning the thrilling Jamaican satellite qualifying event held August 5-9, 2015.

One of Jamaica's best players for the past 12 years, Lorne had his break-out year in 2003 when he won the NM Dr Harold Chan Open tournament ahead of stalwarts such as Shane Matthews, the Jamaican legend and many-time national champion. That same year, he tied for second in the Jamaican Senior Championship and was awarded the National Master title.

Some of his other outstanding achievements include playing board one for his alma mater, Wolmer's Boy's School, and winning the All-Island High Schools championship; winning the New Year's Open (2006); winning the New Providence Invitational, Bahamas (2006); and winning the John Powell Memorial Open (2014).

He debuted for Jamaica at the World Chess Olympiad in Calvia, Mallorca, Spain, (2004), and returned to the Olympiad scene in Tromso, Norway, (2014), where he earned his FIDE Candidate Master title.