Drum Majors
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FM Ignacio Pérez (1967-2022) passes away
FM Ignacio Perez (1967-2022) Photo by Washington State Chess Federation The Seattle chess community is in mourning after the passing of Ignacio Pérez on January 11th, 2022. The long-time Seattle resident succumbed after a lengthy battle with throat cancer but remained active in the chess community despite his illness. He…
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Brewington Hardaway continues to climb!
Brewington Hardaway winning Pan-Am Youth Chess Festival last October Photo courtesy of ChessKid.com After Brewington Hardaway’s recent success at the K12 Championship in Orlando, it is apparent that he has been on an improvement course that has been slow and steady. Two years ago, Hardaway became a National Master at…
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Justus Williams clinches IM title!
IM-Elect Justus WilliamsPhoto by CCSCSL At long last… another International Master in the ranks! Justus Williams has put together a string of strong results to eclipse the 2400 barrier, thus fulfilling the last requirement for the FIDE title of International Master. Over Labor Day weekend Justus scored 7/7 to win…
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NM Rene Phillips devastated by Hurricane Ida
Unfortunately, National Master Rene Phillips of New Orleans knows a thing or two about hurricanes. His memories are still fresh from the 2005 onslaught known as “Hurricane Katrina,” a disaster that resulted in scores of damage to the iconic city and destroying everything he owned. Katrina, a Category 3 hurricane,…
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Brewington Hardaway 4th at NAYCC, wins blitz
Brewington Hardaway at 2019 World Open Photo by Daaim ShabazzNational Master Brewington Hardaway recently competed in the under-12 group at the 2021 North American Youth Chess Championships (NAYCC) in Chicago placing 4th. Coming in with a USCF rating of 2301 he was the top-seed and had a string of strong…
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Justus Williams reaches chess heights on Black Squares
Many times we sometimes think about what role we want to play in the greater chess community. Are we teachers? Organizers? Arbiters? Politicians? Journalists? Authors? Commentators? Are we those who only want to compete? For Justus Williams, who is a USCF Senior Master, he happens to be in another category……
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Pontus Carlsson wins 2021 Prague Blitz!
GM Pontus CarlssonGM Pontus Carlsson has told The Chess Drum that he was at a tournament in Spain where the others did not believe he was a chess player. After not taking him seriously, he promptly won all of the games. He overheard one of the players saying “The Black…
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Chicago Open excites… OTB in full swing!
The anticipation was high and many eagerly awaited the moment when over-the-board (OTB) chess would return. The Continental Chess Association (CCA) announced that they were be hosting a full slate of tournaments for 2021 year, but for the Chicago Open, there would be restrictions. David Hater mentioned in his report…
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Ramón Mateo… Dominican trailblazer!
Ramón Mateo For many years, the name Ramón Mateo has been a trailblazer of Latin American and Caribbean chess. In the U.S., his name was also known due to his time living in New York and playing in the parks. However, what is clear is that Mateo (meaning “Matthew”) has…
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GM Román Hernández Onna dies at 71
GM Román Hernández Román Hernández Onna passed away early this month on June 1st from a lengthy illness. The Cuban Grandmaster and former national champion was 71 years old. As a pioneer, Hernandez had a long résumé before he ventured abroad and faced some of the world’s elite competition. Recently,…
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