North America
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The Caged Bird: The Story of T.A. Thompson
Theophilus Thompson There are many mysteries in chess history, blank spots that have remained unfilled. One of the largest is the life of Theophilus Augustus Thompson, the talented American problemist of African decent. Jeremy Gaige’s Chess Personalia, the leading source of biographical data on chessists, only provides a single entry…
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Historic Moments: A Conversation with Walter Harris
Every now and then I would gaze at the sliver of paper on my desk and see the name “Walter Harris” with a telephone number. It had been given to me by Charles Covington who keeps in contact with him. He thought it may be a good idea for me…
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Historic Moments: Michael Davis: 2004 U.S. Blind Champion
Alan Dicey vs. Michael Davis at the 2004 U.S. Blind Championship. Davis won the game enroute to a 4-0 performance and his first championship. Michael Davis of New York won the 2004 U.S. Blind Championship among six players scoring a perfect 4-0. The tournament was held in conjunction with the…
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The HB Global Chess Challenge
The HB Global Chess Challengeby GM Maurice Ashley May 8, 2005 Hello everyone! The HB Global Chess Challenge is now less than ten days away! It’s hard to believe that over a year and a half of hard work is about to come to fruition. I have heard from many…
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Historic Moments: DC/Maryland Legends
Most large cities in America have some type of a chess tradition. It is interesting to travel to another city and hear about the “local legend,” or the player in town that everyone is in awe of. Granted, on the national stage, this person fails to register so much as…
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Historic Moments: 1981 US Amateur Team Covington leads DC Capitol Punishers!
Chess in the Washington, DC area has a long history… particularly as it relates to the Black community. This fact was highlighted in an essay written by Gregory Kearse, “A Brief History of Black Chess Masters in America.” Charles Covington was mentioned as one of the pioneers of the 60s…
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Historic Moments: Stephen Muhammad at the U.S. Championships
FM Stephen Muhammad at the 2003 U.S. Chess ChampionshipPhoto by Daaim Shabazz IM-elect Stephen Muhammad faces eventual winner Hikaru Nakamura round 1 of the 2005 U.S. Chess Championship. Photo by U.S. Chessmaster Championships Stephen Muhammad’s consecutive appearances at the U.S. Championship will stand as a historic landmark for many years…
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Why Nakamura’s Victory is Good for Chess
The site champions the success of Black chess players, or those of African ancestry... includes interviews, playble chess games, puzzles, essays, and current chess news from around the world.
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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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Confessions of a Former Chess Jerk
Confessions of a Former Chess Jerkby Steven B. Dowd, Ph.D. As we age, dates blend, so forgive me for not giving exact dates. I remember Judge George Leighton not because he was an African-American, but because of his sportsmanship. One day David Sprenkle, the future Illinois and now Washington FM,…
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