The Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) will host the second edition of its Chess 960 tournament on Independence Day at the Pegasus Suites and Corporate Centre as part of Guyana’s 60th Independence Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
Sponsored by Trophy Stall and Pegasus Suites, the tournament will be played in the Exhibition Room at the Pegasus Suites. Chess 960, also known as Fischer Random Chess, is a variant popularised by former World Champion Bobby Fischer in which the back-rank pieces are shuffled into one of 960 possible starting positions, reducing reliance on memorised opening theory and encouraging creativity.
Director of Pegasus Suites, Brandon Badal, said the company was pleased to support the tournament for a second consecutive year, particularly during Guyana’s milestone independence celebrations. A chess enthusiast himself, Badal said the format challenges players to think creatively rather than depend on established opening lines.
Trophy Stall proprietor Ramesh Sunich said he was encouraged by the growth of chess in Guyana, pointing to increased participation among young people, wider involvement by schools, and improving performances by local players. He said continued growth in the sport would require more tournaments, greater competitive opportunities, and stronger public and private sector support.
The tournament will follow a seven-round Swiss format with a 15-minute time control and a five-second increment after each move. While pawns remain in their traditional positions, the back-rank pieces are randomly arranged before each game.
Registration is being conducted through a link on the GCF’s Facebook page, with payments to be made via MMG. The registration deadline is May 25 at 17:00 hrs, while pairings and results will be published on chess-results.com.
The Federation thanked Trophy Stall and Pegasus Suites for their support of the event.
