Mark Bowen will tell anyone within earshot that he is the original "Chess Ninja." For the past several years he has provided an interesting platform for chess study and has exposed the world to the chess community of Jamaica.

Bowen was one of the first visitors of The Chess Drum and is perhaps most famous for his contribution, "Lateral Thinking in Chess." In this article, he examines alternative methods for thinking strategically in chess and does so in an interesting style.

Most recently he interviewed Bertram Scott (pictured) who is the creator of the Jamaica Ambassadors Chess Academy (JACA), a website which focuses in chess news with a special emphasis on Jamaica and the Caribbean. The interview touched on a number of issues including Scott's beginnings in chess, his views on specific Jamaican players and the future of Jamaican chess. Lastly, he provides his personal views on the professional chess scene and his response to the immortal question… who is the current world champion? Bertram Scott has had many strong views concerning the advancement of Jamaican chess and will no doubt play a role in the federation's rise.

Posted by The Chess Drum: 22 February 2006