Opinion/Editorials
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Jamaica @ Chess Olympiad (Bled, Slovenia)
The 35th Chess Olympiad in Bled, Slovenia through a Jamaican Microscope: A Fantastic Sojourn by Ian Wilkinson (Kingston, Jamaica, WEST INDIES) “A tower of nine stories begins with a heap of earth. The journey of a thousand li starts from where one stands.” – Tao-te Ching (Chapter 64 by Lao…
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The Mind of a Grandmaster
In the chess world, GMs are considered the elite thinkers. Perhaps it is safe to say that a GM is superior in the handling of one or more key areas of the game which most times leads to finding the clearest path to victory. In his popular book, Road to…
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Chess and the Art of Business Strategy
Chess is a fascinating ancient war sport (also an art and science) combining the excitement of tactics with the intricacies of long-range strategy. Those strategists able to distinguish the subtle transitions between the different phases of battle (opening, middlegame and endgame) will certainly maintain a tangible advantage over the opponent.…
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Lateral Thinking in Chess
Lateral Thinking in Chess by Mark Bowen (Kingston, Jamaica, WEST INDIES) Prior to the start of the 1998 Winter Olympics at Nagano, the World Powers in Ice Hockey were considered to be the USA, Canada, and Russia. Facing these daunting opponents the Czech Republic team adopted an unexpected defensive approach.…
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Chess and Hip-Hop Culture
GZA of Wu Tang Clan Chess has been perceived as the game of the “nerds,” the term for a person characterized as a socially-detached genius. Of course, chess suffers from this image problem in that much of the international community writes chess off as an esoteric game that they could…
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What does the future hold for Black Chess?
Leroy Muhammad during a brief comeback in 1978. Muhammad, born Leroy Jackson, was a scholastic star in the 60s and the third Black player to achieve National Master title. Photo by Bill Merrell. When one looks at the current state of affairs of chess among people of the African diaspora,…
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The Making of Chess Brotherhoods
Looking at the expanse of the Black chess world, there apparently exists the desire to sharpen one’s game on those friends who are considered to be worthy opponents. Steel sharpens steel, the saying goes. Chicago Chess Clashes In the early to mid 80s, Chicago had a raging debate on whether…
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The Rise of the “Asian Dragons”
What successful examples can Black players around the world examine as successful models in building legacies? We have heard ad infinitum, the legend about the famous Soviet chess schools mechanically cranking out World Champions. GM Viswanathan AnandPhoto by ChessBase Of more recent history, Hungary has produced some extraordinary talent in…
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The Black Genesis of Chess – Moors of Spain
Chess is a game that we all love and enjoy for its build-up of tension and it infinite possibilities. Black chess players have recently begun to make headway into the upper echelons of the international chess arena. However, there was a historical precedent for Blacks in a mighty people who…
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The Spirit of Chess and “Trash-Talking”
Muhammad Ali, champion trash-talker “Trashing Talking” is a very common pastime among Black sportsmen, and the demure sport of chess is no exception. Particularly amongst Black players here in the U.S., you can walk into a club with players engrossed in a tense battle interspersed with chess banter and laughter.…
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