Drum Majors
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Black Stars shine at World Open
The World Open has been the stage for realizing that chess has many faces. In 37 years, this tournament is typically a time of great celebration for players of African descent. There is no official side event designated for this celebration, but this is a tournament that attracts players from…
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Simutowe’s GM title conferred!!
Amon Simutowe receiving his certificate for his 3rd GM norm in 2007. Photo by Ben Schulte. It has been two years since Zambia’s Amon Simutowe had earned his 3rd GM norm. After adding a couple more norms, he still had not reached the required 2500 rating barrier. Recently, he had…
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Meet NM Barry Davis
Born in Buffalo, New York, U.S. Chess Master Barry Davis had honed his skills in the chess Mecca for decades and is part of a cadre of Black players who trail-blazed the chess circuit in the 70s. Having just celebrated his 53rd birthday, Davis remembers what it was like in…
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Historic Moments: Charles Lawton, St. Louis Legend
Charles Lawton did not travel the traditional path of any of the participants in the U.S. Championship. Most had come up through some sort of coaching or training, but the St. Louis native was primarily self-taught. Lawton, 56, grew up in “The Village” area in the Carr Square with his…
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Ehlvest wins Chicago Open!
Grandmaster Jaan Ehlvest bested Gabriel Sargissian in the blitz playoff to claim the 2009 Chicago Open title. For decades, Ehlvest has been one of the strongest blitz players in the world. Both players scored 5.5/7 and edged out several contenders in a hotly-contested tournament that included several participants from the…
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Deborah Richards wins Wheeler Open!
WFM Deborah Richards, Jamaica’s highest-ever rated female chess player, made a winning return to competitive chess by winning the Robert Wheeler Open on tiebreak ahead of NM Peter Myers and Mikhail Solomon. Deborah Richards stumbled in round 3 by losing to NM Russel Porter but recovered by winning in round…
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Maurice Ashley Speaks!
Award-winning journalist Macauley Peterson caught up with Grandmaster Maurice Ashley and got an update on his recent projects, one of which is a new website called, “Maurice Ashley Trains Champions.” His recent intiatives highlight the ever-increasing thrust in scholastic chess and the efforts being made to make chess more prominent…
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Interview with Charles Lawton
Daaim Shabazz (The Chess Drum) and National Master Charles Lawton Charles Lawton has been playing chess for a few decades, but was pleasantly surprised when he got the call a couple of months ago inviting him to compete in the 2009 U.S. Chess Championship. His selection was on the basis…
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Louisiana’s Phillips wins again!
Here is a blog report from Adam Caveney on Rene Phillips‘ win at the Louisiana Game/60 Championship. This follows Phillips Game/30 championship in March. Following is an excerpt: Chess tournament organizers in Louisiana better make sure that they have a fire extinguisher on hand just in case Rene Phillips shows…
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Was Lawton Ruling Unfair?
IM Enrico Sevillano vs. Charles Lawton in what would end in disaster. Photo by Larry Stendebach. Charles Lawton entered the 2009 U.S. Championship as a hometown favorite and a veteran player. His wildcard selection seemed to be a logical choice and gave recognition to a player who had been the…
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