Camagüey Grandmaster Carlos Daniel Albornoz showed that he is coming to regain the chess throne in Cuba, and fired the first clarion call by winning the Blitz games tournament, a prelude to the 72nd National Championship (m) of the science game, which begins today at the Ciego de Ávila hotel.

The road to that aspiration has been cleared for the Agramontino, as the news of the draw occurred before the tournament began: Luis Ernesto Quesada, defending champion, Omar Almeida and Elier Miranda will not be in the fight.

Albornoz, leader of the ranking on the island, won his third title in this modality, scoring 7.5 points after the nine three-minute duels. He was joined on the podium by Ríder Madruga from Holguín, with seven points, and José Avelino Calzadilla from Santiago (6.5). Santiago’s Lelys Martínez did not have a good tournament, and finished ninth, far from his potential and the title he won a year ago.

Thirty-one competitors took part in the tournament, including five Grandmasters, and, according to Rodney Pérez, International Master from Villaclareño, member of the Cuban Chess Federation, this first day was very combative, and could be the prelude to what will happen in the National Championship, in its classical games joust.

Regarding the conspicuous absences at the competition headquarters, Rodney Pérez told Granma that the absence of the current champion was due to personal problems.

Meanwhile, our newspaper spoke to Carlos Rivero, national commissioner, who replied to journalist Nacho Machín that, in the cases of Quesada and Miranda, these problems were unknown to the Federation. Only Almeida had communicated his desire not to participate, and to prepare for next year.

Jit points out, through colleague Eylen Ríos, that the national commission for the game of science has said that each of these no-shows will be analysed, together with the Inder’s High Performance department. He adds that, according to the current regulations for this sport on the island, participation in the elite competition is a mandatory requirement for the national pre-selection.