Drum Majors
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Ramón Mateo… Dominican trailblazer!
Ramón Mateo For many years, the name Ramón Mateo has been a trailblazer of Latin American and Caribbean chess. In the U.S., his name was also known due to his time living in New York and playing in the parks. However, what is clear is that Mateo (meaning “Matthew”) has…
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GM Román Hernández Onna dies at 71
GM Román Hernández Román Hernández Onna passed away early this month on June 1st from a lengthy illness. The Cuban Grandmaster and former national champion was 71 years old. As a pioneer, Hernandez had a long résumé before he ventured abroad and faced some of the world’s elite competition. Recently,…
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Tani Adewumi becomes Chess Master at 10!
National Master Tani Adewumi Photo courtesy of Facebook (Kayode Adewumi)The star has continued to rise for Tanitoluwa “Tani” Adewumi who earned his title of National Master at 10 years 7 months and 29 days. The story of Tani broke on these pages a few years back when his family decided…
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“GMCanty,” “Coach Frank” sign up with Esports
Online chess has experienced a boom and has been the subject of many news stories. The “Queen’s Gambit” TV series made a contribution, but chess streaming had catapulted chess into the spotlight through the platform, Twitch. Hikaru Nakamura was the first elite chess player to gain a footing after nearly…
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Costa Rica’s Tania Hernandez renewed chess passion
Tania Hernández Álvarez was a prominent player in the Cuba’s women’s circuit haven competed in the national championship several times. However, she joined a large migrant population of chess players and she settled abroad in Costa Rica and renewed passion for chess. A few years ago, she obtained Costa Rican…
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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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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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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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“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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The History of Chess in Jamaica: 1834-1978
In June 2020, Jamaica’s Bertram Scott has released a seminal work chronicling the chess history of the island nation. The book titled, The History of Chess in Jamaica: 1834-1978 has important content in tracing the activities of history, not only on the island but important events in the chess world.…
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