Previous Winners (Mutual & Sagicor Open Junior)

The Mutual Open Junior Chess Championship has become the Sagicor Open Junior Chess Championship this year because of the conglomeration of Mutual and Life of Barbados. Let us look back at who were the previous winners and what has become of them.

	1983	Kenneth Shovel (England) - now a FIDE MASTER 2270
	1984	Chris Ward (England) - now a Grandmaster, 2505.
	1985	Kevin Denny (Barbados) - now an International Master - 2319
	1986	Ron Buckmire (Barbados) - now a FIDE Master - 2320
	1987	Andrew Walker (Guyana)
	1988	Delisle Warner (Barbados) - now a FIDE Master-2248
	1989	Delisle Warner (Barbados)
	1990	Delisle Warner (Barbados)
	1993	Matthew Hinds (Barbados).
	1994	Jomo Pitterson (Jamaica)
	1995	Dwayne Goodridge (Barbados)
	1996	Ryan Harper (Trinidad)
	1997	Robin Clark (England)
	1998	Junior Taitt (Barbados)
	1999	Sean Perryman (Trinidad)
	2000	Askari Elson (Barbados)
	2001	Wilson Palencia (Venezuela) - now an International Master
	2002	Allan Munro (Trinidad)
	2003	Askari Elson (Barbados)

Since winning the Mutual Open Junior Chris Ward (1984) went on to become a Grandmaster, an author of a number of chess books and British Champion in 1996.

Kevin Denny (1985) went on to win the Central American & Caribbean Under 20 and become the first player from the English speaking Caribbean to become a FIDE Master. He achieved the distinction of becoming the first and only IM from Barbados. Kevin was awarded the Barbados sports person of the year for 2001.  Kevin has a current FIDE rating of 2319.

Ron Buckmire not only became a FIDE Master but is still the first player from the English speaking who has a FIDE rating over 2300. He is also a former Barbados National Champion.

Delisle Warner went on to become a Barbados National Champion and is member of the Barbados Olympic team. To date he is the only person to have held the Open Junior title twice.

Since its introduction in 1983, the Open Junior has played a strategic role
in the development of junior chess within the English speaking Caribbean.

One thing is certain, a number of tomorrow's champions will be
on show at the National Union Of Public Workers' Headquarters, Barbados from July 12 to 16, 2004.