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Historic Moments: Black Unity tournaments
Maurice Ashley – William MorrisonBlack Bear Challenge The Black Bear Chess School is a chess club having produced some of the strongest Black chess Masters in its history. In the famous Black Bear tradition, players jockeyed for position in the club. In order to move up, one player had to…
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The Chess Drum
The Making of Chess Brotherhoods
Looking at the expanse of the Black chess world, there apparently exists the desire to sharpen one’s game on those friends who are considered to be worthy opponents. Steel sharpens steel, the saying goes. Chicago Chess Clashes In the early to mid 80s, Chicago had a raging debate on whether…
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Barbados
2nd qualifier for the Barbados Championship set for June 20th
Allen Herbert of the Barbados Chess Federation (BCF) reports that the 2nd qualifier to determine the last six players for the National Championship will start on June 20th. The eight-round format will be open to all BCF members. The top five players will go on to compete for the National…
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Historic Moments
Historic Moments: African Nations at the 1996 Chess Olympiad in Yerevan, Armenia
These pictures were taken by Jerome Bibuld, International Arbiter and Chess Photographer extraordinaire. Those interested in his photos anywhere on this site should contact him for use privileges. The Angola Chess Federation has enjoyed perhaps the most success among Sub-Saharan African nations. The country has been wracked by an ongoing…
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Asia
The Rise of the “Asian Dragons”
What successful examples can Black players around the world examine as successful models in building legacies? We have heard ad infinitum, the legend about the famous Soviet chess schools mechanically cranking out World Champions. GM Viswanathan AnandPhoto by ChessBase Of more recent history, Hungary has produced some extraordinary talent in…
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USA
Historic Moments: Baraka Shabazz & K.K. Karanja
Baraka Shabazz was 15 when this picture was taken in 1982 and strode onto the American chess scene with the grace of a gazelle. Baraka started playing chess while living in Alaska with her parents. It was her father who gave her a chess set to relieve her of the…
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Africa
The Black Genesis of Chess – Moors of Spain
Chess is a game that we all love and enjoy for its build-up of tension and it infinite possibilities. Black chess players have recently begun to make headway into the upper echelons of the international chess arena. However, there was a historical precedent for Blacks in a mighty people who…
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Africa
Meet Nigeria’s IM Odion Aikhoje
IM Odion Aikhoje of Nigeria, the board two gold medal winner at the 1998 Olympiad in Elista, is an example of the rapid improvement of Nigerian players. Nigerians can be found dotting the tournament halls of the U.S., England, Africa and throughout the world. IM Aikhoje is admired for being…
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Drum Majors
Historic Moments: Morris Giles, Charles Lawton & R.O. Mitchell
Pictured above is NM Charles Lawton (L) analyzing with FM Morris Giles (R) after their last round encounter at the 1982 Midwest Masters Invitational in Chicago, IL. This game showed the fighting spirit of both players. Neither Giles nor Lawton are currently active. FM Giles had nearly earned a 2500…
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Opinion/Editorials
The Spirit of Chess and “Trash-Talking”
Muhammad Ali, champion trash-talker “Trashing Talking” is a very common pastime among Black sportsmen, and the demure sport of chess is no exception. Particularly amongst Black players here in the U.S., you can walk into a club with players engrossed in a tense battle interspersed with chess banter and laughter.…
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