Being the only Guyanese player to have a ranking above 2000, Anthony Drayton’s FIDE ranking of 2007 is impressive among the many chess players in Guyana. He has decided “to give back” to his country, and is in the early stages of hosting a summer programme under the name “Drayton’s Chess Club”.
Anthony Drayton contemplating his next move
Although only 24 years old, Anthony Drayton is considered as standing at the pinnacle of local chess, having made a name for himself among many of the world’s top chess players. By his FIDE ratings, Drayton is Guyana’s top player; and, he has the highest ELO rating of 2030.
He attained the title of Candidate Master at the Chess Olympiad of 2014 Open, and FIDE Master at the 43rd World Chess Olympiad in 2018.
The FIDE master, national instructor, national champion and national coach will be hosting free classes at Drayton’s Chess Club for at least once a week. In a comment invited by this publication, Drayton said, “I’m hosting these classes in an attempt to spread chess throughout Guyana. These classes will be mostly for persons or kids who want to learn how to play chess, from moving the pieces to mastering the opening.
“Chess tactics, strategies, and all the other stuff will come if they want to learn more about it. Besides the free classes, I’m also planning on hosting private sessions for those who are interested in furthering their knowledge in the game,” he explained.
The FIDE master has said he is inspired by his three-year-old nephew, who is interested in the sport and is always learning something new. He noted that learning the sport from a young age is important, because it helps you to take responsibility for your own actions.
He said chess helps the individual to understand things not only from their perception, but also from others’ perceptions. Chess is also beneficial in terms of pattern recognition and building of strategic and tactical thinking, he said.
In bringing our interview to a close, Drayton said, “Chess is a sport for everyone. The X-factor is that it’s a game that can be played anywhere at any time, thus meaning that it’s the perfect tool to help keep the idle mind focused at all times.”
