National Chess Champion Taffin Khan with five wins and one defeat won the inaugural Red Cherry final four playoffs yesterday at the Red Cherry Café Camp Street, yesterday.
Khan’s only defeat was to Ronuel Greenidge in the sixth and final match and he ended with 15 points.
Second place went to former national champion Kriskal Persaud, nine points from three wins and an equal number of losses while Greenidge and Anthony Drayton ended with identical two wins and four losses results.
Tied on six points apiece, Greenidge and Drayton headed into a three-match blitz playoff with only five minutes each on the clock to determine the third place winner and Greenidge eventually prevailed.
The scores at the end of the finals read: Taffin Khan 15 points (one loss, five wins), Kriskal Persaud 9 points (3 losses, 3 wins), Anthony Drayton and Ronuel Greenidge six points apiece (four losses, two wins each).
The inaugural tournament began in July with six preliminary rounds. At the end of the preliminaries on August 8, the emerging top four faced off each other for the finals at the outdoor location.
Khan received $50,000 cash plus $50,000 in Red Cherry vouchers; Persaud received $10,000 cash plus $15,000 worth in vouchers. Greenidge was awarded $5,000 cash plus $10,000 in vouchers and Drayton received a voucher worth $5,000. In addition, the top four each received a trophy. The best female during the preliminaries was Sheriffa Ali and her brother Saeed was adjudged the best junior. They were each awarded trophies, $10,000 cash and Red Cherry vouchers worth $10,000. The presentation was done by CEO of the Red Cherry cafés Loris Nathoo immediately after the finals yesterday.
