The Chess Drum
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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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Generation Chess at the 102nd New York Masters
Generation Chess at the Mastersby GM Maurice Ashley Last year I wrote an article that protested the high incidence of so-called “Grandmaster Draws” in top level chess. The world-wide outpouring of support for this point of view was tremendous: fans from Germany to Australia vented their ire via numerous emails…
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Is Chess Being “Outsourced?”
Outsourcing in Perspective With all of the discussion about U.S. jobs moving offshore to low-cost areas, there is an interesting parallel in chess. Both of these phenomena involve the emergence of technology. In the former case, multinational corporations seek to maximize efficiency and profits by moving production to cost centers…
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Historic Moments: Medina Parrilla at 2003 World Championships in Greece
Lapshun and Parrilla play a game against a picturesque backdrop. Bronx native, Medina Parrilla journeyed to Halkidiki, Greece to compete in the Under-12 championships and scored a respectable 6-5. The Bronx Times’ Noah Fowle penned an article about the 12-year old star and although she downplayed the attention she has…
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The Dynamics of Critical Thinking
In my profession, we use our body of intellectual knowledge to make complicated concepts understandable to the uninitiated. However, there is an irony to being part of this elite body of scholars. Just what does it mean to have a Ph.D. or to be a Doctor of Philosophy? How does…
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Historic Moments: Country Spotlight… Martinique
When one thinks of chess in the Caribbean, perhaps only the English-speaking countries come to mind. Of course, Cuba is by far the strongest chess nation in the Caribbean, but most seem to forget due to the strong affiliation to Latin America. The Dutch-speaking Caribbean territory has been active in…
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Black Women in American Chess
When abolitionist Sojourner Truth stated, “Ain’t I a Woman,” some regard that as the most definitive statement for affirming the pride and dignity that women have always possessed. From the womb of the Black woman has sprouted an entire civilization and the intrigue with which others hold her is testament…
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Historic Moments: Ten of the Best Chess Games played by Black Masters (2003)
Hello everyone! This article was presented on The Chess Drum in September 2003 and highlighted some memorable games by chess masters in the African Diaspora. Many of these were featured in “Fire on Board” and “Chess Crackers” segments, both discontinued in 2010. Now we are in the year 2020 and…
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The Challenge of Online Chess Journalism
The World Wide Web has created a number of possibilities in the way content is delivered to computer users. On the Web, we are able to manipulate text, images, video and audio which opens a number of possibilities in how we receive and send information. The chess world has been…
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Can You Keep the Beat Going?
Over the past two years, The Chess Drum has been able to present a variety of information highlighting the accomplishments of players in the African Diaspora. It has been a privilege for me to see the vehicle grow and to have become a fixture in the chess community. As the…
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