North America
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Theophilus Thompson’s Problem Book!
Theophilus Augustus Thompson Theophilus Thompson is recognized by most as the first Black player of note in the U.S. Born in 1855 in Frederick, Maryland, Thompson took to chess after seeing two gentlemen playing. He learned the moves from observing and was soon kibitzing in the games. It was interesting…
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Baraka Shabazz: Black Queen of Chess
Baraka Shabazz’s demure pose is a testament to her confidence and poise.This photo was featured in Chicago Metro News, December 4, 1982as part of Tony Brown Journal segment. Baraka Shabazz (pronounced ba-roka sha-boz) is a famous name is Black chess lore and a name that exudes power. Her arrival on…
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Justus-Josh battle at IS-318!
Shaun Smith, Chess-in-Schools (CIS) has organized a training match between two of the brightest stars in the U.S. chess scene. Both Justus Williams (2141) and Josh Colas (2114) are well-known here at The Chess Drum, but the world will see both talents on display at the Internet Chess Club on…
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U.S. Chess: Changing of the Guard
The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis has released a DVD that choronicles the 2009 U.S. Chess Championship. The video features video footage from the top players in the U.S. and their expressions on a variety of topics. The preview appears to capture the intensity of the event…
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Is Nakamura the ‘Real Deal’?
GM Hikaru Nakamura at the 2004 World OpenPhoto by Daaim Shabazz Hikaru Nakamura has quite a story to tell. Born in Osaka, Japan and arriving in the U.S. at the age of two, Nakamura has been gracing the pages of chess magazines since he began breaking many of Bobby Fischer’s…
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2009 World Team Championship (Bursa, Turkey)
Many of the world’s top chess federations will assemble in the Bursa province of Turkey for the World Team Championships. Some of the notable teams represent perennial powers Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Israel and USA. Also included in the field is India, the world’s #6 team Despite the fact that World…
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Canty takes on 30 Detroit Chess Youth
James “Jimmy” Canty III has officially cemented his position as National Master by giving a large simultaneous exhibition. The Senior at Mumford High School took on 30 budding chess players at the Detroit Institute of Fine Arts. Canty became a sensation in Detroit area chess by showing talent as a…
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IM Michael Schleifer: 1967-2009
IM Michael Schleifer (Canada) Photo by Mark Dutton. It is with great sadness that I learned from Neil Sullivan of the death of International Master Michael Schleifer. According to a Canadian chess board, “Chess Talk“, someone placed a call into the Montreal City morgue to verify the story. Morgue officials…
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Nakamura tops Carlsen in blitz final!
America’s #1 player Hikaru Nakamura is riding a successful year with several strong results including the U.S. Championship title and victories in San Sebastian and Mainz. He flamed out in Melody Amber after falling ill and finishing with a horrible score, but stated that December would be a pivotal moment…
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