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The Chess Drum
Black History Month 2022-Day 23: Ashley’s Unity Tournament Series (1992)
The 1992 African-American Unity Tournament Series was a novel idea and 30 years later, has never lost its relevance. If there is one aspect of the Hall of Fame career of Maurice Ashley that is overlooked or perhaps underrated, it is his visionary ideas. We know about his ambitious tournaments…
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Drum Majors
Black History Month 2022-Day 22: William Earnest Griffin
William E. Griffin on page 101 of The Rice Gambit by H. Keidanz (New York, 1905). William Earnest Griffin is a chess player you may not know, but one whose words will make an indelible impression. According to the February 1905 issue of the American Chess Bulletin (page 34), Griffin…
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Drum Majors
Black History Month 2022-Day 21: Alfred Blake Carlin
Alfred Blake Carlin was larger than life figure in New Orleans chess. Carlin’s large physical size matched his personality and he was a well-respected chess player and coach. He was one of the few Black masters (Senior Master) in the south and was a five-time Louisiana state champion (1981, 1983,…
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Drum Majors
Black History Month 2022-Day 20: Afro-Latino Chess
In this Black History Month, we honor our Afro-Latino chess kindred as part of our shared history. The Chess Drum has spent 21 years covering chess around the globe and while the site has presented coverage of major international events, it has focused its energy on the African Diaspora. One…
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USA
Black History Month 2022-Day 19: James McCune Smith
Dr. James McCune Smith is a man we don’t hear of during Black History Month. This multitalented and multifaceted man was known more in the areas of literary scholarship, medicine, and social activism than in chess. If you knew this man, chances are that you are a 19th-century American history…
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The Chess Drum
Black History Month 2022-Day 18: Queen Nefertari & Senet
Chess enthusiasts around the world have enjoyed the game for centuries and are familiar with its Indian origins. However, there are alternate theories of how chess was spread. Some have suggested that chess played today descended from Africa. I have heard this suggestion made by chess enthusiasts based on a…
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Drum Majors
Black History Month 2022-Day 17: Walter Harris
Born September 28th, 1941, Walter Harris is known as the first Black chess player to earn the U.S. Chess Federation National Master title. There are a number of articles about Harris on The Chess Drum, twice as an interview subject {2006 (phone), 2014 (in-person)}. Walter Harris in action against Bill…
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The Chess Drum
Black History Month 2022-Day 16: Pan-African Chess
Marcus Mosiah Garvey The Chess Drum is billed as a Pan-African website. One of the biggest inspirations for this site was the Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey. This Jamaican visionary immigrated to the United States and set forth one of the most important social movements in American history. It started as…
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The Chess Drum
Chess in 2022 heating up the Sunshine State!
Wyndham Orlando Resort (International Drive) From March 13th-15th, Florida “the sunshine state” will be hosting its statewide scholastic tournament with nine sections. The entry fee for scholastic players is a nominal $40 by February 25th. There is no onsite entry so make your plans ahead of time! Check floridachess.org for…
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The Chess Drum
Black History Month 2022-Day 15: Ashley & Muhammad
In 2003, Maurice Ashley and Stephen Muhammad joined the roster of participants of the prestigious U.S. Chess Championship, the hallmark of American tournaments. It is a chance for glory and to be included in the annals of history along with the list of luminaries whose plaques now adorn the World…
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