Mars secures Pegasus chess title with a round to spare

Davion Mars has won the inaugural Pegasus Weekly Chess League with one round remaining, taking an unbeatable 1½-point lead after Monday evening’s sixth round at the Pegasus Hotel in Georgetown.

After winning all five of his opening matches, Mars missed Round Six because of overseas travel commitments and claimed a half-point bye under the tournament’s regulations. That took him to 5½ points, beyond the reach of his nearest challengers heading into the final round on October 26.
The regulations allow players to request up to two half-point byes during the competition, once sufficient justification is provided.
While Mars has settled the championship race, the remaining podium positions are still being contested. Keron Sandiford, Jaden Taylor and Oluwadare Oyeyipo each have four points, with tiebreaks placing them second, third and fourth, respectively.
Taylor moved up two places after receiving a forfeit victory against Sandiford, who held on to second position. The result continued Taylor’s rise through the standings, with the player gaining five places over the past two rounds.
Oyeyipo, meanwhile, missed the chance to take sole possession of second place after drawing with Ryan McKay.
There was also a breakthrough for the league’s youngest participant, Sachin Beharry, who earned his first victory after a lengthy encounter with Annastasya Marcano. Beharry missed several opportunities to finish the game before eventually converting his advantage, moving up two places to ninth on 2½ points.
In the other sixth-round results, Martin Poon defeated Raymond Sookdeo, and Odinnie Reece beat Owen Mickle. Woman Candidate Master Jessica Callender received a full-point bye.
Behind the leading four, McKay, Reece and Poon occupy fifth through seventh positions, respectively, on 3½ points each. Callender is eighth with three points, followed by Beharry. Sookdeo and Mickle have two points apiece, Sana Sreebalakumar has 1½, Marcano has one, and Juliana Persaud remains without a point.
The seventh and final round of Season One will be played on Monday, October 26, 2026, at the Pegasus Hotel in Georgetown, Guyana, with the remaining podium places to be decided.
The Pegasus Weekly Chess League is presented by Drayton’s Chess Club in partnership with the Pegasus Chess Club and the Guyana Chess Federation. Persons interested in Season Two can visit Drayton’s Chess Club on Facebook to join the waiting list and obtain further information.