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Media Stories
Rochelle Ballantyne on chess career, new path
Rochelle Ballantyne has come a long way since starring in “Brooklyn Castle.” In a recent article on chess.com, she reflects on her journey including the trials and tribulations. She also discusses her path in which she managed tough decisions about chess and her career. After earning a Master’s in Education…
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Scholastic
Shakira Luster: Marist’s Chess Queen
Shakira Luster recently captained the Marist chess team at the Illinois State High School team championship scoring a sparkling 7/7. The Chess Drum audience will know her from her successes at St. Ethelreda Grammar School and her appearance at the Chicago Open. Now a senior at Marist, she is finishing…
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Drum Majors
Black History Month 2024 Tribute: Week 3
Greetings everyone! I hope you have enjoyed the first two sets of puzzles for this year’s Black History Month tribute. You can revisit them (Week 1, Week 2). This week I will present a set of seven puzzles, one of which is a composition by Theophilius Thompson. Bear in mind,…
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Opinion/Editorials
How Will Chess Address Cyberbullying?
Online bullying or “cyberbullying” has become a household term to describe a dangerous social interaction that may involve degrading insults, false characterizations, extortion, blackmailing and predatory stalking. On January 31, 2024, there was a U.S. Senate Judiciary hearing on child safety. It focused on social media platforms with the idea…
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In the News
The Chess Drum is 23!
Hello everyone! The Chess Drum has covered a lot of chess events over the past 23 years. This coverage has included six Olympiads, several Grand Chess Tour events, national events and visits to many chess communities around the world. Photo Essays from The Chess Drum (Daaim Shabazz) After covering the…
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Drum Majors
Black History Month 2024 Tribute: Week 2
Greetings everyone! As we continue to celebrate Black History Month, February 12th marks the 23rd anniversary of The Chess Drum. It has been a long journey, but a very interesting one. At midnight, I hit the “enter” key to make “www.thechessdrum.net” live and the beat has been going ever since.…
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The Chess Drum
Black History Month 2024 Tribute: Week 1
During this Black History Month 2024, The Chess Drum will present four videos featuring puzzles of several of the chess masters in the Black Diaspora. The videos will provide some historical information about each player and then one of the puzzles from a tournament game. Most of these puzzles were…
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Media Stories
Chess24.com shuts down!
In a very surprising move, chess24.com has begun the process of closing the domain despite a popular following for nearly 10 years. This has been part of an evolution and consolidation after the chess.com and PlayMagnus merger with a diverse portfolio of chess services which also included such brands as…
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Opinion/Editorials
Is Chess a “Life Game”?
The African-American Chess Association (Facebook) recently posted a podcast conversation of hip-hop artists discussing chess. Chess and hip-hop have a long history and are heard in many classic songs. Young Guru (Gimel Keaton) weighed in on whether chess is a metaphor for life or if it is a strategy game.…
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Uncategorized
Joseph Methu wins Kenyan Chess Championship… and car!
Joseph Methu won the 2023 Kenya National Chess Championship, and with it, drove away with a new car (worth 1.3 million KSh). This is the fourth year that a car has been the grand prize. Mehul Gohil has won two (2019, 2022) and Martin Njoroge (2021). The tournament occurred at…
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