The Chess Drum’s Highlights of 2024

Daaim Shabazz December 31, 2024

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What a year! The highlights of 2024 have been memorable! We have crowned a new world champion and ushered in a new era of rising stars. Eighteen-year-old Gukesh Dommaraju of India won the world title by beating Ding Liren in thrilling fashion. The 14-game match saw interesting ideas, tough struggles, and two comebacks.

Despite the negativity swirling around the match, both players represented chess honorably. All the criticism aimed at the players should be muted as both had to pick up the pieces left by a fractured cycle as Magnus Carlsen vacated the title. Nevertheless, we have a new era led by Gukesh and several young stars and chess is in good hands.

Gukesh Dommaraju, World Champion

Photo by Eng Chin An

Viswanathan Anand presenting the Gaprindashvili Award to India for combined performance.
Both teams had already received their gold medals.
Photo by Maria Emelianova — **Viswanathan Anand** presenting the Gaprindashvili Award to India for combined performance.
Both teams had already received their gold medals.
Photo by Maria Emelianova

Perhaps the second most important and undoubtedly the most inclusive event is the Olympiad, which took place this year in Budapest, Hungary. The Chess Drum was on-site during the latter rounds and closing ceremony to see India take both the Open and Women’s gold medals. It marks the changing of the guard regarding the balance of power in chess.

India, China, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Iran are producing premier talent at a rapid rate, and the momentum has shifted eastward. Led by Gukesh and China’s Ju Wenjun, the two most populous nations seem to have an endless supply of talent.

Other nations also sent their best, as unheralded African and Caribbean nations were highlighted on these pages. Fortunately, there were some beautiful photos taken of the smaller nations, which tend to be a bit more expressive in showing their pride. There were also some interviews given in the coverage including one of Maurice Ashley discussing his new initiative.

GM Maurice Ashley at 2024 Chess Olympiad

Video by Daaim Shabazz/TheChess Drum

African Diaspora in Budapest

Photos by Daaim Shabazz/The Chess Drum

Who’s the Master?

This was a breakthrough year in chess for the African Diaspora! This year, Kevin Pryor became the President of U.S. Chess after the position was vacated by Randy Bauer. Also, Brewington Hardaway earned the last two norms of the required three and eclipsed the 2500 rating barrier. He has completed the requirements for the coveted Grandmaster title and will wait for the conferral at the next FIDE meeting. He is the second African-American to earn the title.

Hardaway just completed the World Rapid & Blitz tournament scoring 7/13 (+5-4=4) and 6.5/13 (+5-5=3), respectively. He played all Grandmasters. Tani Adewumi, seeking to complete the rating requirement to complete his IM title, also competed and scored 7/13 (+6-5=2) and 6/13 (+6-7=0). That is a 50% score (+12-12=2) playing 25 Grandmasters and one International Master (IM). Adewumi also won the U.S. Cadet Championship earlier this year!

(Clockwise) GM-elect Brewington Hardaway is getting set to play Magnus Carlsen with U.S. Chess President Kevin Pryor watching. He became the 1st African-American to hold the top spot of the chess body. Hardaway, Adewumi, and GM Andy Woodward chatted before the round. Adewumi on the move! Photos by Michal Walusza, Maria Emelianova

Jacorey Bynum earned the title of National Master in March during the Southern Chess Classic in Florida. He also received a Proclamation from the Mayor’s office of Sunrise, Florida. We also had a breakthrough with Shama Yisrael and Jessica Hyatt becoming National Masters. They are the first African-American women to earn the title.

Both had been working hard to reach master-level for the past year. Yisrael lives in Florida and earned the title at the Pincrest Independence Open in July. Hyatt earned the title at the FIDE Premier held at the Marshall Chess Club in August. She is currently a freshman attending the University of Massachusetts.

National Master **Jacorey Bynum** with **Coach Robert McKenzie**
Photo by Robert McKenzie

National Master **SHAMA YISRAEL**
*Photo by Otis Wilson/954 Chess*

National Master **JESSICA HYATT**
*Photo by Kimberly Mitchell/Detroit Free Press*

Chess at Black Colleges & Universities

Historically Black Colleges & Universities, or “HBCUs,” have long been responsible for training future leaders in American society. However, chess has only made slight inroads. As part of an initiative to expand chess on HBCU campuses, two students (Alan Cowan & Shaniah Francis) launched the Black Chess Odyssey organization.

With the mentorship of Maurice Ashley, the two organized the 1st HBCU Chess Classic, attracting ten schools to the event at Atlanta’s Morris Brown College. In April 2024, the 2nd HBCU Chess Classic was held at Georiga Tech, also in Atlanta. The team from Hampton took a 22-hour bus ride to get to the tournament. North Carolina A&T won the team event, and Caleb Parker won the individual title. The Chess Drum was on site, and the club presidents of five of the schools were interviewed.

Meet the Kings & Queens of HBCU Chess!

**Caleb Parker (FAMU)… 2024 HBCU Individual Champion**
*Photo by Daaim Shabazz/The Chess Drum*

Pan-Africa Rising!

Africa crowned their new continental champions in Bassem Amin and Jesse February and saw the rise of a future talent in Deborah Quickpen who dealt February her only loss. Quickpen had been in the media and played a high-profile match with Tunde Onakoya, of Chess in Slum, Nigeria. She also played in the Chess Olympiad on the Open team.

There was another cause for celebration as 17-year-old Nyuima Tersee won the 2024 Nigerian National Championship over several seasoned veterans. Nigeria is the continent’s most populous country and has its sights on producing the first Grandmaster of West Africa.

In fact, Jamaica has a similar “GM in 10” initiative, which Ashley is spearheading with the support of Nigel Clarke, the Minister of Finance and the Public Service of Jamaica. Ian Wilkinson, former president of the Jamaican Chess Federation and member of the FIDE Constitutional Commission.

Video by Daaim Shabazz/The Chess Drum

One issue that must go before FIDE is how they handle the visa situation during Olympiad years. There were many situations where members of a delegation (and sometimes the entire delegation) were denied visas. This happened in the case of Somalia, who had to fly to Kenya for an interview at the Hungarian Embassy. They were denied and ultimately could not travel to the event. It was a nightmare!

Somalian players in Nairobi, Kenya were full of optimism.
Photo courtesy of Ahmed Abdi Hassan — Somalian players in Nairobi, Kenya seeking visas to Hungary
Photo courtesy of Ahmed Abdi Hassan

Prayers & Obituaries

Each year we all strive for good health and a better life moving forward. Unfortunately, life can sometimes take a life-changing turn. We continue to extend hope and prayers for those who are struggling with their health. Ernest Levert, Jr. of Columbus, suffered an aneurysm and is in rehabilitation at this time. Continue to send your prayers and donations for his long healing journey to a productive life.

This year we lost some chess luminaries. Walter Harris passed away in October. He was the first Black player to earn the National Master title in the U.S. Indiana’s Bernard Parham, who was famous for his 1.e4 e5 2.Qh5!? opening, passed away after a battle with diabetes. Glenn Umstead, who was the subject of the book The Chess Artist. Lastly, we paid tribute to Warren Seymour, who is considered the “father” of Bahamian chess. His service spanned more than 50 years. Let’s honor their works and keep their memories alive in 2025 and beyond.

Warren Seymour (4 June 2024)
Bernard Parham (19 June 2024)
Walter Harris (12 October 2024)
Glenn Umstead (24 October 2024)