Last week, Guyana’s FIDE Master Anthony Drayton finished tied for fourth place in the Challengers Section of the 2024 Heroes Day Chess Tournament in Barbados.
Staged in the Land of the Flying Fish, Drayton finished fourth at the competition, which commenced on April 27 and ended on May 1, after nine rounds of competition, on equal points with Trinidad and Tobago’s Khafra Enen-Sa-Tefa Ab.
Drayton, who has a FIDE rating of 1978, has already become a household name on the regional chess scene. He picked up four straight wins in the first four rounds against Jeremiah Farley, Adam Roachford, and WCM Hannah Wilson, and had a particularly crushing victory against England’s Chris White.
After his scintillating start to the tourney, Drayton faced stern challenges in the middle of the tournament, suffering three pivotal losses. These defeats were against St. Vincent’s Chinedu Enemchukwu, where Drayton fell into a trap in the Scotch Gambit; against Khafra Enen-Sa-Tefa Ab, with a strategic oversight in the London System, Jobava variation that led to a loss; and against Justin Parsons.
Despite the three losses in the middle rounds, Drayton showed resilience to rebound and secured wins in the final two rounds, finishing with a score of 6 out of a possible 9 points.
The tournament ended with home player Emar Edwards taking the overall title. Edwards finished the event on seven points from a possible nine. His only loss was at the hands of Justin Parsons in round four. However, he was held to a half point on two separate occasions by 2nd-place finishers Chinedu Enemchukwu and Ronaldo Roachford.
Reflecting on the tournament, Drayton acknowledged the challenges and thanked the Guyan Chess Federation for their support and the Barbados Chess Federation for the invitation. He regarded the tournament as a valuable experience that contributed to his growth as a chess player. Drayton’s achievements in Barbados showcased his skill and dedication, underscoring Guyana’s rising prominence in the international chess community.
