Forbes Burnham (a former president of Guyana) used to say local chess was not meant for the upper echelons of society, although it was originally proclaimed as the game of kings. He preferred all to be involved in playing the cerebral game, or alternatively, as many as possible and as far as it was possible to do so. Naturally, Burnham, who was also president of the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) at the time, perceived the accumulated benefits of chess for an entire society. Burnham realized early that chess complemented academic direction especially in the field of mathematics and created analytical thinkers. In 1972, he gave form to his belief by establishing the Guyana Chess Association later to become the GCF. Chess became a thriving pastime during the 1970s and 1980s.
Ever since attorney James Bond assumed the presidency of the GCF, he has been fulfilling the ideas of Burnham of carrying chess to the people with limited available resources. That the GCF and the National Sports Commission initiated a journey to Mazuruni-Cuyuni (Region 7) recently was not accidental. Bond had dispatched national coach Wendell Meusa to Bartica to teach students of various schools within Bartica and surrounding areas the ancient game of chess.
