Media Stories
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Amin tops Africa, Lake Sevan… closing on 2700
Since 2004 winning the African Juniors and earning the IM title and winning the following year, Bassem Amin has been on a steady track to become the strongest player in Egypt. He now has a chance to make history by being the first player of the African continent to make…
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Carlsson, Nakamura on Perpetual Podcast
GM Pontus Carlsson (Sweden)Photo by Daaim Shabazz Ben Johnson contacted The Chess Drum a month ago to ask questions in preparation for his podcast with GM Pontus Carlsson. The directory of podcasts can be found here. These podcasts feature chess personalities from around the world in about a 60- to…
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Chicago southside chess… back in business!
Chess in Chicago has a long and venerable history. Chess on the southside of Chicago has a spotted history, but with no less pride. Over the years, players on the southside have played in burger joints, parks and coffee shops, but with the vision of 10 players, persistence has led…
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Zimbabwe’s Mandizha gets 2nd GM norm!
Farai Mandizha (Zimbabwe)Photo by David Llada Over the years, IM Farai Mandizha has made strides since coming from Zimbabwe nearly a decade ago. Initially, he developed a reputation for his blitz skills, but as he developed a plan for earning his titles, he focused more on incremental improvements. In this…
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2017 World Open (Philadelphia, USA)
The premier chess event in America was held July 4th weekend beginning on June 30th in the iconic place of the country’s founding. Philadelphia is known for many things… Declaration of Independence, Rocky movie series, cheese steaks and soul music. For the past three decades, it has also become an…
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Chicago blitzes Memphis in chess battle, 130-70
The battle brewing over the past couple of weeks spilled out onto the board in at the opulent St. Louis Chess Club last weekend when 10-player teams from Chicago and Memphis met for a all-play-all battle. After the momentum built by the epic Daniel X Jones vs. FM Jimmy Canty…
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Zimbabwe chess takes hit after Kuwaza’s death
Charles Kuwaza On April 18th, Charles Tawonerera Kuwaza fell to his death from the 9th-story of the Club Chambers building on the corner of 3rd Street and Nelson Mandela Avenue. The question of Kuwaza’s tragic death has been whether it was a suicide (as initially reported) or whether he was…
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Lawyer Times, 2017 Massachussetts Champion
Lawyer Times has been a mainstay in the New England area for the past four decades and now he can lay claim to being the 2017 Massachusetts state champion. Times toppled past champions IM Dave Vigorito and GM Alexander Ivanov to take the title with 5/6. In 2nd-3rd were Farzad…
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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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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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