Three Joint 2012 Shetland Junior Chess Champions

18 September 2012

The 2012 Shetland Junior Chess Championship sponsored by Inksters Solicitors attracted the strongest young players in Shetland and was extremely hard fought and exciting. Few of the players had experienced playing in the centre of a ring of fascinated spectators before.

After five rounds there was a three-way tie for first place: Lindsay Garrick, Dean McCusker and Leon Riise. On equal fourth were Duncan Burgess, Nicol Smith and Paul Sansom who do not have the experience gained at the Chess Club’s Thursday meetings, so their success in a tough tournament was most creditable.

The three winners shared the prize money, but a further test awaited them: a tie-break mini-tournament at 10 minutes per player per game to find the Champion. The pressure was palpable yet the quality of chess remained high – and the result was still a three-way tie. Lindsay, Dean and Leon were declared Joint Inksters Junior Chess Champions of Shetland, 2012 and given free entry to the 2012 Shetland Chess Championship.

Inksters Shetland Junior Chess Champions 2012 Brian Inkster, Lindsay Garrick, Dean McCusker and Leon Riise.

This was the best junior tournament since the resurgence of interest in chess a couple of years ago, and every player is to be congratulated for both chess talent and fighting spirit.