Maria Thomas played flawlessly to win the 2011 senior national chess qualifier last weekend at Keishar’s Sports Club.
Thomas played undefeated, securing seven wins along with one draw against Frankie Farley in the final round.
During the weekend’s proceedings the four juniors were outstanding – Rashad Hussain, Saeed Ali, Anthony Drayton and junior champion Suhai Feng as they played tactfully to upset some of the seniors in the competition.
Senior players Shiv Nandalall, David Khan, Alex Joseph and Roy Sharma all fell short to the juniors in their quest to take on reigning senior champion Taffin Khan.
Final point standings: Maria Thomas 7 1/2 points, Frankie Farley, Rashad Hussain and Saeed Ali 5 ½ points, and Anthony Drayton, Suhai Feng and Glenford Corlette five points each.
