Drayton, Khan set to compete at CAC Games

FIDE Master (FM) Anthony Drayton and Candidate Master (CM) Taffin Khan are off to represent Guyana in the chess competition of the XXV Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games Santo Domingo 2026 in the Dominican Republic.
The two Guyanese chess players will compete in the round-robin format of Rapid and Blitz games from July 25 to July 28, 2026, at the Chess Pavilion of the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Centre in Santo Domingo.
FM Drayton and CM Khan, after having qualified last January via a hybrid tournament for the final rounds of the CAC Chess Competition, will face their Central American and Caribbean counterparts in stiff competition over the board in the Absolute Category.

The line-up of competing countries includes Barbados, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela.
Drayton and Khan, two of Guyana’s most seasoned players, have long been at the forefront of the national chess scene. Drayton, the reigning National Blitz Champion, aims to make an impact on the international stage during this tournament. Meanwhile, Khan, a household name in Guyanese chess whose extensive experience speaks for itself, looks to sharpen his Rapid and Blitz skills at the boards.

Following the event, both players will gear up to represent Guyana at the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, this September.
The Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) extended its warmest wishes to both players for a successful and rewarding tournament.
“Their participation marks another positive milestone for the growing Federation as they join fellow Guyanese athletes from various sporting disciplines competing at the CAC Games Santo Domingo 2026. The GCF wishes to thank the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) for sponsoring the players and making their participation possible under the Association’s auspices,” the Federation noted.