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Historic Moments
Chess.com gets the beat of The Chess Drum!
Recently chess.com featured “Chess Through an African Lens” written by this author. The reception was very positive, but it is surprising how few had been exposed to this information about the African Diaspora which is a testament to how chess media lacks a true representation of the vast chess universe.…
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USA
The Steven Rollins Chess Rule
In most team competitions, teammates don’t play each other, but retired U.S. Marine Corps Master Sergeant Steven Rollins thought of a novel way that allows teammates to play each other without adversely affecting the team score. In 2014, his “Rollins Military System” was included as Rule 31A1 in the U.S.…
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FIDE
India to host FIDE Chess Olympiad
The FIDE Chess Olympiad will be held later this year in Chennai, India according to a FIDE press release. The decision was made by the FIDE Council yesterday after postponing the event in the aftermath of the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces. FIDE President Nigel Short announced via Twitter,…
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Opinion/Editorials
Promoting to a Black Chess Queen
In 2010, I wrote an article titled “Baraka Shabazz: Black Queen of Chess.” Seven years later came “Revisiting Baraka Shabazz,” in which I cited the brutally candid 1988 article titled “Ex-Queen’s Gambit.” That article was long before the “Queen’s Gambit” miniseries but had some eerily similar themes. While the series…
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Drum Majors
Black History Month 2022-Day 28: IM Emory Tate
International Master Emory TatePhoto by Daaim Shabazz Before his passing in 2015, International Master Emory Tate was one of the most recognizable figures in the American chess scene. In this last tribute for Black History Month, we will feature the man, the myth, the legend. The legacy continues. With a…
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Drum Majors
Black History Month 2022-Day 27: Kenneth Clayton
Kenneth Clayton is a trailblazer for many reasons. A distinguished man with a presence that commanded respect, he was one of the earliest pioneers of Black chess… more specifically African-American chess. He won the 1963 U.S. Amateur Championship in thrilling fashion and would precede Frank Street who won the tournament…
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Drum Majors
Black History Month 2022-Day 26: IM Michael Schleifer
Playing on both sides of the border, Michael Schleifer was the top junior in Canada and rose through the ranks to compete in the Canadian Closed. Schleifer, known as “Schlee” to his friends, starred in the New York Open as a young master. He earned his FM title in 1997…
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Africa
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FIDE
FIDE postpones the 2022 Chess Olympiad
Due to the rapidly evolving situation in Ukraine, the chess world was bracing for an announcement about FIDE’s position on the matter and the upcoming 2022 Chess Olympiad. The Chess Olympiad was scheduled to begin in Moscow from July 26th to August 8th, 2022. This followed the cancellation of the…
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Drum Majors
Black History Month 2022-Day 24: Frank Street
Frank Street became a National Master in June 1965 and in the same year, graced the cover of Chess life magazine. As a 20-year old Street had just won the U.S. Amateur Championship and would go on to win the club champion of the Washington Chess Divan, defeating fellow master,…
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