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2011 World Cup (Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia)
In a few weeks, Russia will host the FIDE World Cup beginning tomorrow with 128 players from around the world vying for a qualifying spot for the 2012 World Championship. The seven-round tournament will feature a knockout format with the winner continuing onto the next stage. Khanty-Mansiysk, the host of…
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William Griffin… chess pioneer in 1900s
Owen Clarkin sent me notice of a Black chess player from the 1900s named William E. Griffin. He was born in Missouri and apparently had achieved moderate success. Griffin mentioned that he did not know of many players of his race, but James McCune Smith and Theophilus Thompson had already…
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Opinion/Editorials
Politics behind World Cup snubs? (update)
The pairings of the first round of the FIDE World Cup were released in July and after a couple of changes will commence on August 26th in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia. Russia will bring a delegation of 26 players. China will bring nine players, Ukraine, eight. Pressure will be on Russia to…
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10th All-Africa Games (Maputo, Mozambique)
The 10th All-Africa Games will take place in 2011 in the capitol-city of Maputo, Mozambique. Maputo’s hosting will be only the third time the games will have been held in the southern part of the continent. The 2009 All-Africa Games was held in Algiers, Algeria. The awarding of the games…
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Manhattan Open attracts surprise entries!
2011 Manhattan Open at the posh New Yorker Hotel.All photos by Adia Onyango. The Manhattan Open is in full swing and some surprise entrants are competing. Besides U.S. Open Aleksandr Lenderman, GM Maurice Ashley is playing in his first major tournament since the 2003 U.S. Championship. GM Maurice Ashley in…
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Scholastic
Chess at Chicago’s Dumas Tech
Chicago has a long history of chess. The famed Palmer House was once a hub for major tournaments in the U.S., but over the decades has lost its luster due to a number of factors. Chicago Public Schools also has a history of producing strong scholastic players, but activities are…
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Rodwell Makoto: 2011 Zimbabwe Champion
IM Robert Gwaze is not the only Zimbabwean who can win nine games in a row in an important tournament. Rodwell Makoto won the Zimbabwean National Championship with a perfect 9/9. This dominance follows his credible showing at the African Individuals back in June. His strong showing may identify him…
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Interview with FM Kazim Gulamali
Daaim Shabazz and Kazim Gulamali at the 2003 Peach State Open. Upon visiting the 2011 U.S. Open in Orlando, Florida, I caught up with my long-time friend FM Kazim Gulamali. Kazim is a New York-born, Atlanta-raised resident who began playing chess at the age of three. His father Mumtaz Yusef,…
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