Remembering Emory Tate

Daaim Shabazz October 20, 2024

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It has been nine years since International Master Emory Tate passed away on October 17, 2015, while competing in the Sam Shankland Open tournament. He was a lifelong loyalist to chess, a brilliant tactician, and displayed immense passion. This earned him a huge following.

Emory Tate vacationing in Mexico
Photo by Ed Lewis

Tate’s bold pronouncements of tactical brilliance were often expressed over the board in a dashing style. He was in his element as he demonstrated his latest gem in the skittles room. Let’s start with one of his post-mortems. During the 2007 World Open, he walked up and asked me, “Is The Chess Drum open for business?” We sat down, and she showed me this instructive game.

Video by Daaim Shabazz/The Chess Drum

It is interesting that there was very little content on Tate before his passing. One “Drum Majors” profile of Tate was hosted on The Chess Drum, and of course, his games were in the database. Since his passing, many tributes have surfaced, including video analyses of his games, including many by Will Taylor and OttoMeister, who are probably the most prolific producers of Tate games. There are all types of tributes, even the “I played Emory once…” anecdotes on social media.

However, most of the content available was uploaded after his death. Is it true that people are appreciated more in death? In Emory’s case, it is true. Then there are the stories. In recent years, I have shared new stories that have been relayed to me, including the Maurice Ashley story of the tortuous road trip from Brooklyn to the Chicago Open with Tate behind the wheel. Then, there are all types of photos that have not been widely circulated in the public domain.

*Photo courtesy of Andrew & Tristan Tate*

It was amazing to see the evolution of his legacy. Obviously, his sons Andrew and Tristan created more intrigue, as I received countless inquiries from media companies wanting to know more about Tate. Of course, I had to tread carefully because I had earned the trust of the Tate family and was careful not to divulge privileged information. I respect the legacy he set for his family. Even some of his most devoted friends keep his memory alive. FM Todd Andrews, author of The Final Attack and Tate protege, visited his gravesite and took these photos.

Todd Andrews at the gravesite of Emory Tate. — **FM Todd Andrews’** tribute at Emory Tate’s gravesite. His tribute, The Final Attack, and of course, the famous “Tate Variation” of the Alekhine. Photo by Todd Andrews.

**FM Todd Andrews’** tribute at Emory Tate’s gravesite. His tribute, The Final Attack, and of course, the famous “Tate Variation” of the Alekhine. Photo by Todd Andrews.

As someone who knew Emory Tate, I saw many sides of him and ultimately wrote a Tate biography named after one of his trademark terms, Triple Exclam. I can attest to his importance in chess culture and chess art. Sometimes, I encounter different people who tell me interesting Tate’s stories, some of which are not flattering, but most contain some type of human lesson. All of them add to the mosaic of expressions he left behind. His impact is still felt, and his name is still mentioned in chess lore. Neither his sons nor fans will allow his memory to fade.

Below is one of the few videos on Tate at the analysis board. Job well done Emory!

Tate analyzing game vs. GM Varuzhan Akobian

Tate analyzing his win over GM Varuzhan Akobian.
Photo courtesy of John Henderson