Board one brought together two closely rated titled players, FM Lucas Mason Pin Qian Yao and CM Fernando Cortes Medina, producing no fireworks at all: just a balanced game and a peaceful draw. The fireworks came on board two, where Colegio Celta Internacional’s Sophia Itzayana Mote Amasifuen (pictured above), playing White, launched a kingside attack and finished the game with a sacrifice.
Position of the round
White played 24.Nxh7!, drawing the black king onto the h-file, as after 24…Kxh7 25.hxg6+ there is no defence. The game concluded quickly: 25…Kg8 26.Qh5 fxg6 27.Qh7#.
On boards three and four, Aiden Yin and CM Andrew Yin both outplayed their opponents comfortably, securing the match for Canada.
Round 8
Saco Oliveros de Lince 4–0 Martin Klein Schiller
The champions finished just as they had started the day, with another clean sweep.
Marcos Beltrán Meneses Morales won comfortably on board one. On board two, Dante Iván Vilca Contreras was better for most of the game, simplified into an endgame a piece up, and converted without difficulty. Board three was the most complicated. WCM Fabiana Jiménez Salas had a shaky opening and found herself in trouble in yet another opposite-side castling game – the type of position that has recurred on the top boards all week – with her opponent’s pieces better placed. What followed was volatile enough that the advantage changed hands with almost every move, ultimately coming down to the oldest rule in chess: the winner is the one who does not make the last mistake. Jiménez Salas broke through and set up an unstoppable checkmate.
On board four, Rihanna Irina Rojas Salas was the first player in the hall to finish, completing the tournament with a perfect score.
Crescent Heights Academy 2–2 Colegio Madre del Divino Pastor