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Drum Majors
Detroit-Chicago blitz battle excites chess scene
Detroit and Chicago have a close relationship with both being home to hard-working migrants from the south in search of hope and opportunity. The Midwest was the destination for many Blacks due to the abundance of factory jobs in the steel mills, foundry, and stock yards. The determination to find…
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The Chess Drum
International Chess Educators Tournament!
The chess season is in full swing and in the heat of summer, chess players typically look to play in fun tournaments. The Chess Educators International Open is such a tournament in one of America’s vacation capitals, Orlando, Florida! The 5-round tournament has a possible prize fund of $10,000 (based…
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Drum Majors
Kofi Tatum’s “Snapping Pieces” in Los Angeles
Each city has its chess history. There are even genres within chess history. One of the most captivating (and overlooked) aspects of its history is street chess. Out of this community comes the life and dreams of every chess player to make a name for his or herself. The venues……
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Africa
Beauty of Africa through a Chess Lens
There are many ways to describe the African continent. Some know it as the “Cradle of Civilization” and by others as the “Dark Continent.” Rest assured, this massive landmass has a complicated history, but its complexity may be softened by the sheer diversity and beauty. Each time I travel to…
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Drum Majors
2nd Emory Tate Memorial (Chicago, Illinois)
The 2nd Emory Tate Memorial took place at the Lion’s Den Chess and Martial Arts Academy in Chicago on a gorgeous summer day. There was excitement building up for the tournament along with the buzz of the pending match between Daniel X Jones and FM James Canty. Excitement for chess…
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Africa
Help send Zambia’s Kennedy Shane to India
GM Pontus Carlsson facing off against Kennedy Shane in Lusaka, Zambia. During Pontus Carlsson’s trip to Zambia, he excitedly told me about an 8- year old player who had held a draw against him in a simul. He said, “The small boy that drew me in the simul is a…
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Drum Majors
2nd Emory Tate Memorial in Chicago June 10th!
The Chicago Chess Blitzers community will host the 2nd Emory Tate Memorial on June 10th, 2017 at Daniel Jones’ Lion’s Paw Chess Academy on the city’s south side. Last year’s inaugural event was surprisingly won by Gwayne Lambert. Given the excitement generated from the Chicago Open, the club hopes to…
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Chicago Open
Sevian takes 2017 Chicago Open!
A total of 984 players showed up at the 2017 Chicago Open causing the organizers to scramble to arrange proper space. Having been edged out by a wedding, the tournament converted a skittles room into a playing hall and certainly created initial chaos, but the tournament was able to adjust.…
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Media Stories
Review: Active Pieces by IM Jay Bonin
On the plane to Africa reading“Active Pieces: Practical Advice from America’s Most Relentless Tournament Player”by IM Jay Bonin While on my 15-hour flight for a four-country African tour (actually five), I read through Jay Bonin’s Active Pieces: Practical Advice from America’s Most Relentless Tournament Player, a book about his chess…
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Africa
Triple Exclam touches down in Africa
Cape Town is one of the places that one must see when visiting South Africa. It has a complicated history, but also has a charm that is comparable to that of any other well-developed city. During my trip I visited the Claremont Chess Club and met with Reuben Salimu and…
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