The Chess Drum

  • “GMCanty,” “Coach Frank” sign up with Esports

    Online chess has experienced a boom and has been the subject of many news stories. The “Queen’s Gambit” TV series made a contribution, but chess streaming had catapulted chess into the spotlight through the platform, Twitch. Hikaru Nakamura was the first elite chess player to gain a footing after nearly…

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  • Charles Smith’s training book reveals Matrix method

    Brooklyn native Charles Smith is no stranger to these pages, and we are glad to announce the release of his new training book. For many years, he honed his chess education methods in Birmingham where he was locally recognized for his success. Founder of Magic City Chess University, he was…

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  • Chicago Public Schools learns about Black Chess!

    During Black History Month, Chicago Public Schools hosted a Black History Empowerment program featuring Howard University Chess Team and Daaim Shabazz of The Chess Drum. The “Howard Bison” (Michele Bennett, Malcolm Wooten, Azeezah Muhammad and Naomi Baptiste) talked about their successful participation in the 2020-2021 Pan American Intercollegiate Championship held…

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  • What is Somalian “Ciyaarta Shataranjiga”?

    In a country will so much turmoil in the past five decades, it becomes important to try to find a way to bring normalcy to ever-present social challenges in Somalia. Chess is played in more than 200 countries with federations in more than 180. Somalia has also ushered in “Chess…

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  • Levon Aronian to play for U.S. after emigrating

    Levon Aronian has completely started a new chapter in life. He is with his new love, Ani Ayvazyan and dog “Ponchik“. Photo by Armenian Aravot Shocking report out of Armenia today as the chess world is grappling with news that Levon Aronian, the country’s top player will emigrate to the…

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  • GM Román Hernández… Afro-Cuban trailblazer

    During “Black History Month” in the U.S., there is a lot of pride taken in the pioneers who made proud accomplishments while fighting against the odds. Of course, this is an American invention, but we would do justice to extend accolades to the greater African Diaspora. Cuba is one such…

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  • 20th year for The Chess Drum!

    Twenty years. Yes… 20 years for a website. It seems unreal that so many years have passed. It seems unlikely (in these times) that a chess website can last this long. However, many years ago I rationalized this project by thinking, “If The Chess Drum did not exist, it would…

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  • “Black Squares” leaps into action

    IM-elect Justus Williams has been known to The Chess Drum audience since he was a pre-teen aspiring to great feats. Now a young collegiate, he is seeking to make a difference in his community, and has launched an initiative called “Black Squares.” The idea is to promote the Chess-in-Schools (CIC)…

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  • New in Chess (2020/8)

    New in Chess is still going strong as we go into a new year. Of course, the coverage has changed in format with the emphasis being on the online platform and of course some novel stories such as the impact of the coronavirus and also TV series “Queen’s Gambit.” The…

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  • The Chess Drum’s Highlights of 2020!

    The year was 2020. While the number is associated with clear vision no one could’ve seen this coming. The year was filled with hope just as “2000,” “2010” had before. Each decade we hope for a new era filled with hopes and dreams, but the first year of the decade…

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