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Drum Majors
Brazil’s rising star Ryan Wesley Caetano
Ryan Wesley da Costa Caetano of Brazil is an aspiring Grandmaster and was the 2019 Brazilian Junior Champion. Aged 19, he currently has a FIDE rating of 2243. Five months ago, Ryan was profiled in an interview on chess.com where he discussed his beginnings, inspirations, and aspirations. Here is the…
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Drum Majors
Jerald Times… 2021 “Chess Educator of the Year”
Good Times in South Africa!! Jerald Times with some of the members of his Guguletu team. Photo courtesy of Jerald Times. It can be said that Jerald Times has a story to tell. Having trod the stony roads of Harlem, New York, and the pastures of South Africa, he has…
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The Chess Drum
Levon Aronian to play for U.S. after emigrating
Levon Aronian has completely started a new chapter in life. He is with his new love, Ani Ayvazyan and dog “Ponchik“. Photo by Armenian Aravot Shocking report out of Armenia today as the chess world is grappling with news that Levon Aronian, the country’s top player will emigrate to the…
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The Chess Drum
GM Román Hernández… Afro-Cuban trailblazer
During “Black History Month” in the U.S., there is a lot of pride taken in the pioneers who made proud accomplishments while fighting against the odds. Of course, this is an American invention, but we would do justice to extend accolades to the greater African Diaspora. Cuba is one such…
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The Chess Drum
20th year for The Chess Drum!
Twenty years. Yes… 20 years for a website. It seems unreal that so many years have passed. It seems unlikely (in these times) that a chess website can last this long. However, many years ago I rationalized this project by thinking, “If The Chess Drum did not exist, it would…
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The Chess Drum
“Black Squares” leaps into action
IM-elect Justus Williams has been known to The Chess Drum audience since he was a pre-teen aspiring to great feats. Now a young collegiate, he is seeking to make a difference in his community, and has launched an initiative called “Black Squares.” The idea is to promote the Chess-in-Schools (CIC)…
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Media Stories
New in Chess (2020/8)
New in Chess is still going strong as we go into a new year. Of course, the coverage has changed in format with the emphasis being on the online platform and of course some novel stories such as the impact of the coronavirus and also TV series “Queen’s Gambit.” The…
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Africa
Acheampong is Africa’s under-9 champ!
Francis Anquanah recently won the Ghanaian crown for the 7th time, but there is a future contender in Dave Chief Quansah Acheampong. The 8-year old recently won the African Online Chess Championship for the under-9 category. Taught by his father David Achempong at age four, he naturally gravitated toward chess…
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Africa
Anquandah, Felix… Ghanaian chess champions!
Eddie Thompson & Francis Anquandah of Ghana during 2014 Chess Olympiad in Tromso, Norway. Photo by Daaim Shabazz. Francis Anquandah won his seventh national title and strengthens his legacy as a trailblazing player of Ghana. Anquandah played on Ghana’s first Olympiad team in Dubai in 1986 after winning his first…
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Media Stories
Gambit and Katwe… Two Queens, Two Lessons
In the past couple of months, there has been a buzz about a Netflix series called, “The Queen’s Gambit.” After its release last October, it soared to the top of the Netflix charts and received worldwide acclaim from chessplayers and non-chessplayers alike. It has given chess a different look from…
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