The Chess Drum
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Black History Quiz (2009)
In commemoration of Black History Month, The Chess Drum features a quiz provided by Life Master Dr. Shearwood McClelland III. Perhaps this quiz is more “African-American” history in that it is almost totally confined to U.S. players. Of course Black history would encompass the entire Diaspora of Africa. However, this…
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Fire on Board! (Ernst vs. Tate)
In a throwback game, then-FM Emory Tate took on the rising star in IM Sipke Ernst. The game appeared to be headed toward a slow game from the Czech Benoni, but the Dutch player broke from the mold with 7.g4!? and a brawl ensued. The game had some interesting maneuvers…
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Drum Interviews @ Dresden Olympiad!
GM Pontus Carlsson (Sweden) – Carlsson was Sweden’s 16th GM and the second Black player to earn the coveted GM title. In this interview, he gives a candid interview about the Olympiad, rule changes, his career and his future. Carlsson always speaks candidly on issues and if you’ve seen him…
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Drum Predictions for 38th Olympiad
The Dresden Olympiad is here and there have been a lot of changes since the last biennial tournament. Armenia took the men’s gold while the Ukraine took the women’s gold in a tournament marked by the rise of the Chinese men (2nd) and the fall of the Russians (6th). This…
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How do I become a Chess Grandmaster?
In chess, an ambition may be to learn a particular opening, to beat a friend in five-minute chess, to win a club title, or another lofty goal. These goals may change over time depending on the progress of preceding goals. In chess, a handful of players decide on the ultimate…
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Hedgehog has sharp quills!
I found two games from the Second Ruy López International Chess Festival won by Michael Adams with +4. China’s Zhang Pengxiang came in second on 5-2. I saw a couple of interesting games, one of which was won by Fabiano Caruana against the rising Hou Yifan of China. Both involved…
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