The Best In - The Bahamas

by Arne Kaehler
8/9/2020 – We started our "The Best In..." series in Armenia and now move on to the Bahamas. Polina Karelina, one of the best players and the best female player of the Bahamas, talks about her passion for chess, the Polgar sisters, and the chess scene on the Bahamas. | Photo: Paul Truong

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Chess on the Bahamas

Situated below Miami and above Cuba, the Bahamas are an archipelagic state that consists of of a bit less than 700 islands, of which only about 30 are inhabited. The Bahamas are the 178th largest country in the world by population and reach place 155 by size. The national sport is cricket but chess is become more and more popular.

We had the chance to interview WCM Polina Karelina, the best female player of the Bahamas. Polina was also kind enough to annotate some of her games.

Polina Karelina vs. Valentine Cox

Arne Kaehler: Dear Polina, you are the best female player of the Bahamas. Tell us a bit about yourself, and when and how you started to play chess.

Polina Karelina: I learned the rules of the game when I was four years old. About a year after that, I started to participate in Bahamian tournaments. When I was six I won the U10 championship, and at the age of eight I became the overall U18 scholastic champion. In the following years, I showed a lot of potential, becoming the youngest Bahamas junior champion, and I started to win games against the adult players, including the national champion at that time.

When I was 11, I encountered some health problems. My mother and I moved to Ukraine for my medical treatment. I continued to play chess, winning the U12 girls Kyiv championship that same year. However, a couple of months later, I decided to quit chess due to chronic spinal pain.

It was only at the end of 2015, when I was 14, that I finally decided to study chess again. It was very difficult. My results were extremely inconsistent. I played in my first tournament since my return to chess in January 2016. To my surprise, I managed to draw against a 2000 rated player in that tournament, but there were a lot of ups and downs throughout the year.

AK: Where in the Bahamas did you grow up and how did you feel growing up in this country?

PK: When I was little, I grew up on Paradise Island, a small island that is connected to New Providence, which is where the national capital city of Nassau is located. Most tournaments are held in Nassau, with an exception of a few that are played in the Old Fort Bay Club and the Atlantis hotel on Paradise Island.
The Bahamas is made up of about 700 islands and cays, most of which are referred to as the "family islands". Although it is common to travel to other islands by boat, it's often easier to travel by airplane because a lot of them are quite far away.
The distance makes it difficult to organize tournaments with chess players from all the islands but sometimes players come to visit Nassau to play in tournaments. I know that the Bahamas Chess Federation has been making a great effort in promoting chess by training chess teachers on the family islands, and is hoping to soon host bigger tournaments with players from all over the Bahamas.

AK: Since when are you a titled player and how did you achieve your title?

PK: In May 2016, I participated in the female section of the 2.3.5 sub-zonal. My results were extremely inconsistent in that tournament, I had a very difficult start. However, I managed to come back mid-tournament, and going into the final round against a WCM, I only needed a draw to get the WCM title myself. I managed to score a win and only 5 months after starting to play again, I had achieved the WCM title.

 
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1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.Be3 Nf6 5.Be2 0-0 6.Nf3 Nbd7 7.h3 c5 8.e5 dxe5?! 8...Ne8 9.dxe5 Ne8 10.Bxc5?! 10.Qd2 Nc7 11.0-0-0 white has an advantage. 10...Nc7 11.Ba3 Nxe5 12.Nxe5 Bxe5 13.Qxd8 Rxd8 14.Bxe7 Bxc3+ 15.bxc3 Re8 16.Bg5 Nd5 17.Bd2 Bf5 18.c4 Nb6 19.Be3 Bxc2 19...Rac8 20.0-0 Rad8 21.Bf3? loses a pawn 21.Rfe1 21...Nxc4 22.Rfc1 22.Bxb7 Nxe3 23.fxe3 Rxe3 22...Nxe3 23.fxe3 Be4 23...Rd2 a bit better, taking control of the 2nd rank. 24.Bxe4 Rxe4 25.Kf2 25.Rc7 25...Rd2+ 26.Kf3 Rb4 26...Ra4 27.a3 Rb3 27...Rbb2 28.Rab1 Rdd3 29.Rxb3 Rxb3 30.Rc8+ Kg7 31.a4 Ra3 32.Rc7 Rxa4 33.Rxb7 Kf6 34.e4 Ra3+ 35.Kf4?? falls into checkmate 35.Kg4 h6 35...g5+ 36.Kg4 Kg6 with a threat of h5# 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Jacobs,A1713Karelina,P16600–12016B08Female Sub-Zonal 2.3.5

Throughout the year, however, I still struggled a lot, and I felt like I was not playing at the level I should be at. I decided to continue trying, and by the end of the year, and early 2017, I finally started scoring some wins against the strongest Bahamian players. The following game is from the 2017 National championship. My opponent, NM Frank Gibson, is a seven-time national champion and has been the highest-rated Bahamian player for many years. He does not play very often now, but I am happy to have scored some nice wins against him, including the following game.

 
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1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 c6 4.f4 Qa5 5.Bd3 e5 6.Nf3 exd4 7.Nxd4 g6 8.Be3 8.Nb3 Qc7 9.0-0 8...Bg7 9.Qd2 0-0 10.0-0-0 castling queenside isn't a good idea here because I can start a strong attack with 10... b5 10.Nb3 Qc7 11.a4 preventing b5 Nbd7 12.0-0 10...b5 11.Nb3 Now here the knight seems a bit awkwardly placed. Qc7 12.e5 dxe5 13.fxe5 Ng4 14.Bf4 Nxe5 15.Be4?! Qe7? 15...Bg4! This is a strong position for black. 16.Qd6?! 16.Rhe1 Although after Nc4 black has a slight advantage. 16...Qxd6 17.Rxd6 Nc4 18.Rd3 b4 18...Nxb2 19.Kxb2 b4 20.Bd2 Ba6 21.Re3 Bb5 22.a3 a5 19.Nb5?! 19.Na4 Ba6 20.Nbc5 Bb5 21.Rdd1 Nb6 22.b3 Nd5 23.Bxd5 cxd5 24.Rxd5 Re8 with a slight advantage 19...Bxb2+ 20.Kd1 20.Kb1 a5 20...Bg4+ 21.Rf3 f5 22.Nc7 fxe4 23.Ke1 exf3 24.g3 Nd7 25.Nxa8 Rxa8 26.h3 Re8+ 27.Kf1 Bf5 28.Rh2 Bc3 29.g4 Re1+ 30.Kf2 Re2+ 31.Kxf3 Rxh2 32.Bxh2 Bxc2 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Gibson,F1943Karelina,P17630–12017B07Bahamas National Championship 2017

With anything I do, I always believe that I should set high goals for myself and push myself to take on challenges. In 2017, I received an invitation to a tournament in Barbados, which had two two sections and I decided to register for the section that primarily consisted of 2100+ players. I was by far the lowest-rated player in that section and to my surprise, I managed to get 1.5 points, including a win against an IM. I also had a number of close games against other players.

 
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1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 a6 3.g3 Nc6 4.Bg2 d6 5.d3 Nf6 6.f4 g6 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Be3 9.h3 9...Qc7 10.Qd2 10.Qe2 10...Ng4 11.Bf2 Nxf2 12.Rxf2 e6 13.Kh1 13.Nd1 Bd7 14.c3 b5 15.Ne3 13...Rb8 14.Nh4 Nd4 15.g4 b5 16.Rb1?! I wanted to defend the pawn but it's unnecessary. 16.Raf1 b4 17.Nd1 16...b4 17.Ne2 Qa5 18.a3?? b2 is pinned, this becomes a problem after 18.. . Qd8, but my opponent missed it Qa4? 18...Qd8! 19.Nf3 Nxf3 20.Bxf3 bxa3 19.axb4 cxb4? 19...Qxc2! 20.Qxc2 Nxc2 21.bxc5 dxc5 black has a clear advantage. 20.Nxd4 Bxd4 21.Rff1 Bd7 22.f5 Rbc8 23.b3 Qb5?? 23...Qa5 Here black is fine, the queen is able to retreat to d8 to defend the king. Black has the bishop pair and a slight advantage but there's still a lot to play. 24.f6 forces a clear win. The black pieces can't help the king. Kh8 25.Qh6 Rg8 26.Rf3 Qe5 27.g5 Rxc2 28.Rh3 Rg7 29.Qxg7# 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Karelina,P1784Husbands,O23271–02017B25Caribbean Cup

This experience helped me a lot, and in 2018 I started winning Bahamian tournaments consistently, qualifying to the 2018 Bahamas Olympiad absolute team. The Olympiad was a great experience. I played all 11 rounds on board one, which was very challenging, but I learned a lot, and the team did well, with one of our top players, CM Byron Small, gaining another CM title for the country.

The following game is from round 1 of the 2019 Bahamas national championship. My opponent, NM Valentine Cox, is one of the strongest players in the country. I often find it difficult to play against him, so this game was very important to me. After this, I went on to win the next six rounds and shared the lead together with the current national champion, CM Kendrick Knowles. I ended up losing my last two games and finished second but because Knowles had already qualified for the Olympic team in the 2018 National Championship, the qualification spot went to me. I am really looking forward to once again being part of the absolute team that will be representing the Bahamas in the next Olympiad in Moscow!

 
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1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 e6 6.f4 Nge7 7.Nf3 0-0 8.0-0 d6 9.Be3 Rb8 10.Rb1 b5 11.Qd2 Nd4 12.Ne2 Nec6 13.c3 Nxe2+ 14.Qxe2 Qe7?! 14...b4 15.e5 Ba6 15.Qf2 Nd8? 15...Bb7 16.e5 Rfd8 16.e5 Nb7 17.exd6 17.b4 cxb4 17...a6 18.bxc5 dxc5 19.Ng5 18.Bxa7 Ra8 19.cxb4 17...Qxd6 17...Nxd6 18.Bxc5 Bb7 18.Ng5 18.Ne5 18...Rd8 19.Rbd1 h6 20.Ne4 Qa6 20...Qc7 21.Nxc5 21.a3 21...Nxc5 22.Bxc5 Bb7 23.a3 Bxg2 24.Kxg2 Rb7 25.Rd2 Rbd7 26.Qf3 26.d4 26...Rd5 27.Bf2 Qa5 28.Rfd1 a6 29.Qe3 R8d6 30.Qe4 Qd8 31.d4 f5 31...Rc6 32.Rc1 a5 33.Rdc2 32.Qc2 e5? 32...Qa8 33.fxe5 Bxe5 34.Re2?! 34.dxe5 works because of: Rxd2 35.Qb3+ Kg7 36.exd6 34...Bg7 35.Rde1 Kh7 36.Re6?? This allows black to exchange rooks, capture the pawn back with Rd4 and then win the rook back with Qd5. 36.Re8! Clearly better. 36...Rxe6 37.Rxe6 Rd6? My opponent missed the final trick. 37...Rxd4 38.Bxd4 Qd5+ 39.Kf2 Qxe6= 38.Qe2 Qa8+ 39.Kg1 Qd5 40.Re7 Qa2?? 41.Qe5 Qg8 42.Qxd6 Qf8 43.Qd7 Kh8 44.Re8 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Karelina,P1683Cox,V18091–02019B25Bahamas National Championship 2019

AK: Does your country support you and other chess players?

PK: Our federation is very small, and chess is only starting to grow as a sport in the Bahamas. We have a lot of talented players, but with a lack of opportunities to play internationally, it is a bit more challenging for us to improve than it is for players in other countries were the chess scene is more developed. That said, our local tournaments have gained some sponsors, and this has tremendously helped to promote chess in the country. Thanks to the hard work of BCF president CM Elton Joseph and FM Cecil Moncur more talented juniors than ever before play tournaments, and it is very exciting to see how chess will continue to grow in the country.

The team from the Bahamas at the Chess Olympiad 2018

AK: What are you doing when you do not play chess?

PK: I am studying computer science online, and starting this autumn I will also be studying business in Austria. I am looking forward to participating in more tournaments while I am studying in Europe.

AK: Your name doesn't sound typically Bahamian.

PK: I have family in Ukraine and Russia. My stepfather was Bahamian, so I have some relatives here as well.

AK: Last year in September 2019, Hurricane Dorian struck parts of the Bahamas. Are the Bahamas a dangerous place to live in or is it more the paradise you imagine it to be?

PK: Of course, especially with global warming, hurricanes are a threat to the Caribbean, and we all need to do our part to preserve our environment. However, the Bahamas remains to be one of the most beautiful places in the world.

A swimming pig in Pig Beach - Major Cay

AK: You mentioned health problems you had when you were 11? Do you feel better now?

PK: Yes. I am doing fine now. I had surgery in 2015, and after that I started playing chess again.

AK: You even played against Magnus Carlsen once. How did that happen?

PK: When I started to play chess again, I used the PlayMagnus app, and every year, they invite about 10-12 players to take part in a simul against Magnus. I was really surprised when I found out that I was invited in 2016. The simul was played in New York. Of course, I knew the result would be clear, but I still wanted to play a good game, although I was quite nervous and ended up making a ton of mistakes right in the opening. It was a really cool experience though.

Magnus Carlsen vs. Polina Karelina (Analysis)

AK: Do you have a favourite chess player? And a favourite chess book?

PK: The Polgar sisters! Susan, Sofia, and Judit have been my inspiration since I started playing chess. When I just started playing, I followed the book "Chess: 5334 Problems, Combinations and Games" that was written by their father László Polgár. That was my favorite book when I was little.

AK: Are you planning to stay in Europe after studying, or will you move back to the Bahamas?

PK: I have no idea, right now I am just planning to study there. But either way, the Bahamas will always be my main home.

AK: Thank you very much for the interview!

PK: Thank you for having me and your support!

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Arne Kaehler, a creative mind who is passionate about board games in general, was born in Hamburg and learned to play chess at a young age. By teaching chess to youth teams and creating chess-related videos on YouTube, Arne was able to expand this passion and has even created an online course for anyone who wants to learn how to play chess. Arne writes for the English and German news sites, but focuses mainly on content for the ChessBase media channels.

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