Drum Majors
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Historic Moments: African-American Unity Chess Tournaments (1992)
When those following chess in the Black chess community worldwide are asked about a famous tournament in Harlem comprising of strong chess players of African descent, they will invariably mention the Wilbert Paige Memorial. However, there was a precedent. Maurice Ashley (right) sent a provocative letter calling for an initiative…
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Historic Moments: Africans in the 2004 FIDE World Championship
Clockwise (L-R) GM Hichem Hamdouchi (Morocco), IM Amon Simutowe (Zambia), IM Ahmed Adly (Egypt) and IM-elect Kenny Solomon (South Africa). The Dawn of a New Beginning The 2004 FIDE World Knockout Championship was a historic event for many reasons. First, it is the next step toward unification; secondly, the tournament…
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Generation Chess at the 102nd New York Masters
Generation Chess at the Mastersby GM Maurice Ashley Last year I wrote an article that protested the high incidence of so-called “Grandmaster Draws” in top level chess. The world-wide outpouring of support for this point of view was tremendous: fans from Germany to Australia vented their ire via numerous emails…
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Historic Moments: 1989 U.S. Open Photo Gallery
Reflections on the 1989 U.S. Open The year of 1989 was an interesting year for Black chess. Maurice Ashley and Emory Tate had begun to get the recognition they had long deserved and had continued to prove themselves. Both starred at the 1988 New York Open earning IM norms. In…
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The Curse of the Chess Expert
In almost every sporting activity, there is one thought that inevitably enters a competitor’s mind… the quest for mastery. This level of attainment would place the individual in an elite group of competitors in that sport and they would stand as an example of the discipline and fortitude required to…
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Simutowe in Nigeria!
My Trip to Nigeria by IM Amon Simutowe IM Amon Simutowe I have developed great interest in what really makes chess players perform well. Our Chess Program is headed by Dr. Tim Redman. He insists on good diet and physical exercise as the best factors to improve our performance. He…
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Historic Moments: Country Spotlight… Martinique
When one thinks of chess in the Caribbean, perhaps only the English-speaking countries come to mind. Of course, Cuba is by far the strongest chess nation in the Caribbean, but most seem to forget due to the strong affiliation to Latin America. The Dutch-speaking Caribbean territory has been active in…
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Historic Moments: Ten of the Best Chess Games played by Black Masters (2003)
Hello everyone! This article was presented on The Chess Drum in September 2003 and highlighted some memorable games by chess masters in the African Diaspora. Many of these were featured in “Fire on Board” and “Chess Crackers” segments, both discontinued in 2010. Now we are in the year 2020 and…
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Historic Moments: Roberts Vaux ‘Bad Bishops’
Plotting moves, the “Bad Bishops” are closely watched by their coach, Jeffrey Chesin (at end of table). Kevin Giles and Michael Allen play a game of blitz (center). At this point, Vaux had won five consecutive national titles. Photo courtesy of Johnson Publishing Company. Roberts Vaux Middle School has a…
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