Emory Tate Masterclass… 10-year tribute!
Emory Tate is obviously one of the most significant figures when it comes to content at The Chess Drum. In the nearly 25 years of the site’s existence, Tate’s initial exposure appeared on these pages, as few media outlets wrote stories about this mercurial and fascinating personality.
Emory Tate, Jr.
December 27, 1958 – October 17, 2015
Photo by Daaim Shabazz
One trait about Tate was his ability to communicate his ideas clearly and vividly. He did this through his postmortem sessions, where he captivated crowds. It is one of the most unforgettable scenes in the World Open franchise. In 2007, Tate had just won a game against IM Salvijus Bercys, a talented player of Lithuanian descent who later chose a career in accounting and finance.
After winning this game, Tate was eager to show his work and offered a postmortem session. What follows was one of the few recordings of his gift for chess narrative, although not one of his best. We would generally see those after the tournament was over, and he felt less tension. This game with Bercys is featured in the biography Triple Exclam!!! The Life and Games of Emory Tate, Chess Warrior. I present an Emory Tate masterclass (and reflections) nearly ten years after his passing.
Nice recap of the great Tate! This was a beautiful tactical game. I wish the interview were in a quiet room. The noise was distracting. I’ve seen on YouTube where his games were getting hundreds of thousands of views. Although the video wasn’t inspiring. Tate was most expressive when he was out drinking and just hanging with the brothers. He had mad respect for street chess players, always saying, “these guys know what they are doing.” One evening, in West Philly, we went to a popular chess hangout, a bar with deafening music. He played all night and lost one game. Such great memories of this Black genius.,
This was simply a spur-of-the-moment session in the skittles room. There were all types of people around and it was distracting and people didn’t realize we were recording.
It was a nice clean game and it is hard to see where black went wrong. Overlooking the exchange sacrifice after axb5 was probably the key moment that allowed Tate to seize the initiative. The control of the c-file was devastating.
You make an insightful point, “Tate was more like an artist than a player”. Spot on
You mentioned FM Farai Mandizha. I believe he is either an FM or an IM. He is paired against Africa’s number one player from Egypt, GM Bassem Amin, in the FIDE World Cup 2025, taking place in Goa, India, from October 30 to November 27. Farai will have his hands FULL.
Farai is an IM and he got all three of his norms in the U.S. This is a rarity for an African player to go the three-norm route for the title. Most got their IM titles from subzonals where you can get 1st and an automatic IM title from a single tournament. You didn’t have to get any norms, nor did you have to play any IMs. The rules have changed now.
Hey Philly organizers!
I’ve got some Triple Exclam!!! and Wilbert Paige Memorial books available to give out. They’d make great prizes for scholastic or adult chess tournaments — and more importantly, they help highlight the vital contributions Black players have made to the game.
Oh, and don’t forget to grab a Chess Drum tee! Every time I wear mine, people ask, “Do you teach chess?” Daaim really nailed the design, the clean, striking artwork speaks for itself.
That’s Maurice Ashley in the silhouette.
Yeah, his image was on a wall in West Philly. The city’s known for its large murals on the sides of buildings. It showed him looking at a chessboard, and it was very well done. Although, I think someone, who knows, had it painted over with a hamburger. I believe the chessboard was removed too.
Shameful. I wonder if there are any photos of the mural.
I was driving on 52nd and Walnut Street last week, and Ashley’s image is down. They kept the chess pieces, but replaced his image. I’m sure you can find the original image of Ashley in the past Philly mural. When I get some time, I search for it.