Drayton building weekly chess league for players, public

International Chess Federation (FIDE) Master Anthony Drayton is aiming to establish the Pegasus Weekly Chess League as a sustainable competition that offers players a different experience while making chess more accessible and appealing to the wider public.
The league, staged every Monday evening at the Pegasus Hotel, features one serious game per player during each round. Every season comprises seven rounds, allowing the competition, rivalries, and individual stories to develop progressively from week to week.
Drayton told Guyana Times Sport that the initiative was created to add another dimension to competitive chess in Guyana, with consistency, accessibility, and player experience at the centre of the concept.
His vision, however, extends beyond the results recorded over the chessboard. Drayton wants players to look forward to Monday evening chess while receiving greater recognition throughout the season.
“At its core, the objective is straightforward; create another exciting platform for competitive chess, give players an experience they want to return to, and present the game in a way that leaves the wider public interested in what happens next,” Drayton explained.
That approach has led to special initiatives surrounding individual rounds. Game Face Night (round two) highlighted the intensity and personalities of the players during competition, while Professional Night (round three) was intended to showcase their careers and lives away from chess.
The league includes national players, coaches, students, and competitors from several professions and backgrounds. Drayton believes highlighting those identities can help members of the public connect with the participants even if they do not fully understand the technical side of chess.
Results remain important, but the league also uses photographs, player profiles, game stories, and other content to introduce the personalities behind the chessboards. This gives individual competitors additional opportunities to be recognised during the season.
As a FIDE Master and experienced national player, Drayton can follow games as they unfold and recognise when a position or contest is developing into a compelling story. The intention is to explain those moments in a way that people outside the competitive chess community can understand and enjoy.
He believes greater public interest can improve the sport’s visibility and eventually create more opportunities for players and chess development in Guyana.
Continuity is another important part of the plan. Each seven-round competition is treated as a season within the wider league rather than an isolated event. Drayton expects that structure to produce returning players, new challengers, rivalries and storylines that carry over from one season to the next.
His long-term ambition is for players to naturally associate Monday evenings with the Pegasus Weekly Chess League and for the competition to develop its own identity, history, media presence and audience.