First duels of the Cuban chess championships defined
Havana, November 20 (RHC)-- The four duels under the KO formula corresponding to the initial phase of the national championships of both sexes were made official by the highest chess authorities in Cuba, as a preview of these competitions to be held between the end of January and the beginning of March 2022.
Women will be the first to take action in the capital of Holguin -between January 30 and February 12- and according to the announced match-ups, Patricia Hernandez from Villaclare, who has the highest Elo (2,302 points), will oppose the experienced Zirka Frómeta (2,049) from Santiago de Cuba.
In matches between contemporaries, Legna García (2,051), also from Santiago, will face Leanet Bosch (2,179) from Cienfuegos, and Roxángel Obregón (2,167) from Villaclare will play against Karen Gutiérrez (2,107) from Matanzas.
Another generational "clash" will take place between Vivian Ramón (2 140) and Yoana González (2 124).
The winners of each cross will advance to the final phase, which will be directly accessed by the eight members of the national pre-selection, including Pinar del Río's Lisandra Ordaz, the defending champion.
To determine the queen of the island, a one-round all-against-all system will be used, and the winner will secure a direct place in the team that will represent us in the 2022 World Olympiad.
The unusual system was devised due to the impossibility of convening semifinal tournaments as had been the case in previous years.
Maintaining that format was impossible now, amid the conditions generated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We made a study of young and experienced players, so that those who qualify can offer a good show and provide quality in the final," said the national commissioner, Carlos Rivero, referring to the new format of the tournament.
Among men, the same idea was taken as a starting point and the preliminary eliminations will have as protagonists Luis Lázaro Agüero (HAB/2 505 Elo) against Jorge Roberto Elías (CMG/2 428), Elier Miranda (VCL/2 474) against William Hernández (PRI/2 481) and Camilo Gómez (HOL/2 479) against Henry Soto (MAY/2 476).
The main battle will be marked in the match between two villaclareños: Jesus Nogueiras (2 473) and Ermes Espinosa (2 485).
The men's competition will start on February 23 and will award its medalists on March 8 in the city of Santa Clara.
The Guillermo Garcia Palace will host for the final stage the men who have made their mark with their results in recent times in the national scene, including Yasser Quesada (VCL) and two-time Cuban champion Carlos Daniel Albornoz (CMG).
