FMs Josh Colas and Justus Williams are competing in the IM St. Louis Winter Invitational taking place at Chess Club and Scholastic Center in St. Louis. Both are looking to earn their last norms to complete the requirement of three. Both would then have to eclipse the 2400 FIDE barrier. Both are currently finishing their first years at Webster University. There is also a parallel GM Invitational.

Josh Colas and Justus Williams have come a long way
from their time in New York parks.
Photo by Elizabeth Vicary.

Format

Two 10 player round-robins
Game in 90 minutes with a 30-second increment

Schedule (EST Time)

Round 1: Thursday, 16-Feb, 5:00 pm
Round 2: Friday 17-Feb 11:00 am
Round 3: Friday 17-Feb 5:00 pm
Round 4: Saturday 18-Feb 11:00 am
Round 5: Saturday 18-Feb 5:00 pm
Round 6: Sunday 19-Feb 11:00 am
Round 7: Sunday 19-Feb 5:00 pm
Round 8: Monday 20-Feb 11:00 am
Round 9: Tuesday 21-Feb 11:00 am

Live Coverage: https://chess24.com/en/watch/live-tournaments/st-louis-winter-2017-IM#live
CCSCSL: https://saintlouischessclub.org/

Justus Williams, Webster University
Photo by Paul Truong (SPICE)

FIDE Master Justus Williams has had an interesting ride in his chess career. Coming from Bronx, New York, he became a National Master at 12, starred in “Brooklyn Castle” in 2013, won the Junior Open back later in the same year along with many state titles. Apart from his scholastic success (including championship in K6, K8, K12, Cadet), he is now completing his freshman year as an International Relations/Economics major at Webster University.

Last weekend earned his third and final International Master (IM) norm after tying for first place with FM Joel Banawa at the St. Louis Winter IM Invitational. Both scored 6.5/9 and Banawa earned a norm as well. A graduate of the Bronx School of Science and Technology, he earned his 1st norm at North American Youth Chess Championship, his second norm at the North American Youth Chess Championship, and is only required to get his FIDE rating over 2400 to have the title conferred.

Justus has long had the idea of becoming a Grandmaster, and his goal is within reach at Webster University. He won a scholarship to attend the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC), but chose Webster as a place to pursue his dream. He has appeared on TMZ and car commercials, but now has his eye on a lofty goal of becoming a Grandmaster. Webster’s SPICE organization has been a force in shaping his play and Susan Polgar told The Chess Drum that Justus has been proactive in improving his play and the results have paid off. They certainly have.

New Yorkers FM Justus Williams, Shawn Swindell, FM Josh Colas of Webster University at the 2016 World Open. Photo by Daaim Shabazz

Justus’ last norm received lots of congratulatory remarks and certainly a bit of celebration by his grandmother Pamela “Nana” Ballard and his mother Latisha Ballard-Williams. While St. Louis may be called the “capital city” of chess in America, New York can certainly put up a strong argument on the talent it has produced. Justus has made his presence felt in St. Louis and hopefully the Grandmaster title remains in his sights.

Congratulations Justus!

Official Website: http://www.uschesschamps.com/
Coverage: https://chess24.com/
Results (USCF): http://www.uschess.org/

2017 St. Louis Winter IM Invitational St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Final Standings (Overall)
Rank	Name	Fed.	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Score
1	FM Banawa, Joel	USA	2370	x	1	½	½	0	1	½	1	1	1	6.5
2	FM Williams, Justus D	USA	2333	0	x	1	½	1	½	1	1	1	½	6.5
3	FM Gauri, Shankar	IND	2306	½	0	x	½	1	1	½	½	½	½	5.0
4	FM Colas, Joshua	USA	2317	½	½	½	x	1	0	½	1	½	0	4.5
5	Grabinsky, Aaron	USA	2372	1	0	0	0	x	0	1	0	1	1	4.0
6	IM Neimer, Vitaly	ISR	2356	0	½	0	1	1	x	½	0	½	½	4.0
7	IM Young, Angelo	PHI	2295	½	0	½	½	0	½	x	½	½	1	4.0
8	IM Brooks, Michael A	USA	2384	0	0	½	0	1	1	½	x	0	½	3.5
9	FM Hua, Lefong	CAN	2333	0	0	½	½	0	½	½	1	x	½	3.5
10	FM Eckert, Doug D.	USA	2135	0	½	½	1	0	½	0	½	½	x	3.5
View Games at chess24.com!

Chess enthusiasts and supporters,

Throughout the “Black History Month” of February we celebrated the accomplishments of people of African descent, particularly those in the U.S. For 16 years, The Chess Drum has been recording the history of a population segment that is largely unknown or unappreciated in the world of chess. I have written thousands of articles for this website, with a number being featured during Black History Month. There was even a 3-part series in 2015 (#1, #2, #3).

There are several reasons that there remains little international notoriety of chess accomplishments in the Black community. Much of it has to do with the discipline of chess itself and the manner of how information is handled. One of the objectives of The Chess Drum is to demonstrate the universality of chess by highlighting the accomplishments of a segment that has received scant mention in history.

The importance of this effort will prove that chess has broad appeal and shows how inclusive the activity is. It is certainly important to show this attraction. Thus, it becomes apparent that the compilation of diverse segments of chess serves a noble purpose.

Dr. Daaim Shabazz, The Chess Drum

Creating Black History in Chess

The documentation of one’s history is one of the singularly most important tasks of a social entity. It places events in a context and presents key points of progress along the timeline. Furthermore, it gives successors a source of inspiration and sets the stage for the accomplishment of future feats. Typically, one who is a student of history has broader, enriched perspective over one who does not have such a historical context.

There are many instances in chess world where the history of African Diaspora isn’t known because of missing data. There are thousands of pools of information. Some are filed away in cabinets, a single folder, or in someone’s storage locker. When surviving relatives sort through the belongings of the deceased, they may not know the value of sheets of paper with a strange notation on them and discard them.

Old photos and magazines are a treasure trove of information, but remain dormant and beautiful stories remain untold. In the past, there had been little effort made to compile data with the idea of making it a comprehensive history. The Chess Drum has attempted to do this in the last 16 years. The point is there are ways in which we can preserve key moments. Following are some of the challenges:

Quality

Firstly, there is a lack of consistency in the quality of information that can be accessed. Apart from a few sources, there is no concerted effort to preserve the history of Black chess through photos, videos, and other documentation. Even the amateur photos can be brought to life to tell a story. Jerry Bibuld did an excellent service to catalog many figures in the Diaspora, and his work resides in the Schaumburg Center in Harlem.

Classic photo of Maurice Ashley and William Morrison
Copyright © 1996, Jerome Bibuld

One other problem is that many players fail in preserving their games, annotating their thoughts and publishing them. This became a shock as I spoke with a number of master-level players who have neglected to keep their game scores. I have discovered on occasion that players do not even write down opponent’s names and other details. It severely damages the integrity of the game and its historical importance. Chess players of the African Diaspora have to take more care in preserving game materials and records.

Sharing of information is encouraged, and if possible, in formats that can be readily processed. The days of sending in games in Microsoft Word or plain text files are a thing of the past. It doesn’t mean that people should not submit photos of poor quality or hand-written scans of old games. Sometimes you have to submit what you have, but in today’s time, there are tools that make information quality much better. Everyone has a phone with a camera, and the technology is quite good.

Social Media Abyss

Secondly, the issue of publishing in chess content has exploded, and micro-communities have grown. Well… that’s a good thing Daaim. Certainly. In today’s chess world there are many social media outlets. These tools have decentralized information and have made it easier than ever to share chess literature and content. Correspondents have started using social media as a primary platform. The mindset is if one posts on Facebook to several groups, that is enough and everyone will see it.

Admittedly, if you are relying on visits to your website and blog without the use of social media, content does not have maximum visibility. However, archiving such information becomes exceeding difficult since Facebook information is not accessible via a search engine and requires a “public” setting to view content. This is a fact that many may miss. There is a need for a more consistent pipeline for conveying information to those permanent chess news outlets and platforms seeking to cover news of the Diaspora.

Historical Accuracy

Thirdly, the accuracy of information is an issue. As mentioned earlier there is a problem with completeness of information, but it also becomes harder to ensure its accuracy. While news travels quickly in this information age, so do mistakes and omissions. Social media is replete with misinformation. Also, there are many errors in crediting quotes, attributing opening novelties, and even who took particular photos. There are also instances where game scores are in error.

For example, the well-known Tate-Yudasin game has as the last move 36.Qh6 when in actuality the move was 36.Qg5! It is unclear how this happened, but the error lives on. At The Chess Drum, information is obtained from public and private sources, but in some cases, the information provided is sometimes incomplete or riddled with inaccuracies.

The idea of presenting accurate information has to take precedence over any other factor. Also, if readers find an error in a story, they should alert the source so that other media sources do not replicate it. Many times errors are repeated, and they are ultimately taken as fact. Users of content often neglect to credit photographs as items are copied and used without proper citation. It then becomes difficult to know the source in case the user needs to obtain a better copy, or provide the credit.

Presentation

Fourthly, there has to be great care on how media presents information. As the consumption of information has become more decentralized, social media has given everyone a platform to post a variety of information. However, there is a sort of careless nature in how information is presented in social media. Games often lack a back story and articles may consist of two or three sentences with a few photos.

Sometimes there are photos posted with no captions or indications of who the subjects are. It appears that these posts are merely for sharing rather than documenting. It is preferable if a context is given. Names, dates, venue, city and other details are needed. Fortunately for the chess community, much of the chess software has the capability to embed diagrams, annotations and other details about the game. These insights are invaluable.

“And as we gazed at Morphy, with his fine, open countenance, brunette hue, marvelous delicacy of fibre, bright, clear eyes, and elongated submaxillary bone, a keen suspicion entered our ethnological department that we were not the only Carthaginian in the room. It might only be one drop, perhaps two, God only knows how they got there but surely, beside the Tria mulattin who at present writes, there was also a Hekata-mulattin in that room!”

Community Support

Last but not least, there is lukewarm support for media sources that have the most vested interest in archiving Black history. The Chess Drum remains as one of the primary sources of chess information for the African Diaspora. Black news media organizations have always struggled for legitimacy and support. It is unfortunate that even some of the personalities covered extensively on this site will provide links to articles they’ve been featured in, but strangely, The Chess Drum isn’t featured at all.

In some instances, the chess player may view one short article from non-chess mass media as more valuable. There can certainly be an argument made that a national publication will attract more general readers than a chess-oriented site. In the mind of the player, it is a great accomplishment to be in the national news because it shows wider acceptance. This is understandable, but it is a rather short-sighted view. One must realize that the New York Times, USA Today, the Guardian is not going to make the article anything more than a news item.

Articles in non-chess media are a necessity to provide valuable chess exposure, but the African Diaspora must chronicle its chess history.

While national media may have a wider general readership, media sites targeting a demographic (i.e., The Chess Drum) have the objective of expressly highlighting accomplishments and at some point make it part of a documented historical archive or literary compilation. If you want to learn about chess players of African descent, do you go to a large media organization that may have handful of articles about the subject or one with tens of thousands of items? They both have their values, but play decidedly different roles.

Some of the most valuable contributions to The Chess Drum have come from people from outside the African Diaspora. This tournament item was sent to me by Jim Kulbacki who lives in Wyoming. It came from a Polish chess magazine from 1967 Polanica-Zdroj tournament and featured Afro-Cuban Rogelio Ortega (center).

So what does this mean? The Black history of chess is developing, and we have to work hard to build it. If you don’t like the history of your people, build a glorious history that will make your people proud when others read it. We have to take more interest in documenting chess activities in the Diaspora. Graham Jurgensen of South Africa has done a creditable job at documenting activities around the continent. It is a valuable resource of data.

In the very near future, The Chess Drum will continue to compile literary content on the history of Black chess. After amassing tens of thousands of pages of chess literature, it is time to make one of the biggest contributions to Black history. It is time to make this history part of a general history of chess, and it is up to our community to do it.

KEEP THE BEAT GOING!!!

The Paul Allen Foundation in collaboration with the Kasparov Chess Foundation for Africa is currently conducting its “Chess Masters for Africa Tour,” with a number of icon players including GMs Maurice Ashley (USA), Pontus Carlsson (Sweden) and Kenny Solomon (South Africa). The tour will cover six countries and last until June.

GM Solomon unloading equipment for the Kenyan session.

Session in progress in Rwanda.

Solomon has been to Kenya, Botswana and recently in Rwanda. Carlsson held training sessions in Botswana and Namibia. More than sixty trainers are expected to complete the training. Maurice Ashley will also participate at the tail end. The countries involved in the training sessions are: Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania. The session will run from February until June 2017.

Paul Allen: http://www.pgafamilyfoundation.org/
KCFA: http://www.kcfafrica.com/

GM Carlsson conducting simultaneous exhibition at East Park Mall in Lusaka, Zambia. Photo by Yofoso Chess League.

Pontus Carlsson is currently in Zambia as part of the Chess Masters in Africa tour. On February 25th, he posted on his Facebook page,

Yesterday giving a simul against 25 players at the big East Park mall. 21 wins and 4 draws but tough games! Very impressed by 8-year old Candidate Master Kennedy Shane who held the draw. The boy deserves a sponsor! Big Thanks! to East Park Mall, president Mr Nshikokola, chairman Mr Katebe and IM Andrew Kayonde for organising it and to the Paul Allen Foundation & Kasparov Chess Foundation that brought me here!

According to a press release on the KCFA, Carlsson spent his first week in Gaborone, Botswana conducting training for the selected trainers and also “participated in a number of school visits and exhibition events.” Apparently Zambia, Rwanda and Namibia are on the list as the Swedish national makes his first tour of the continent.

Originally born in Colombia, South America, he has represented Sweden in the Olympiad and in the European Team Championships, but is currently based in the Czech Republic. He is thrilled at the opportunity and a chance to make an impact.

Paul Allen: http://www.pgafamilyfoundation.org/
KCFA: http://www.kcfafrica.com/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Daaim Shabazz, The Chess Drum
P.O. Box 7663
Tallahassee, FL 32314-7663 USA
webmaster@thechessdrum.net
(850) 296-9494

Tallahassee, USA – 11 March 2017 – Emory Tate’s biography Triple Exclam: The Life and Games of Emory Tate, Chess Warrior has finally arrived and is available for purchase. The book details the life of one of the most colorful figures on the U.S. chess circuit. Tate’s death on October 17, 2015 brought an end to the adventurism and sense of wonderment he found in chess.

In just over a year, his biography has been published by The Chess Drum after finishing production in March 2017. Release was delayed for months by a number of technical issues. The book covers his exciting 56-year journey and life as a chess artist. His passion for chess was truly inspiring. Triple Exclam was the culmination of an intense research effort on the life of Tate.

The following blurb appears on the inside flap of the dust jacket:

In the annals of attacking chess players, International Master Emory Tate built up a collection of stunning gems. Tate also showed his passion in describing these exciting battles as if acting in a stage play. With his clear, accelerated speaking style, melodramatic portrayals, quick wit and creative word play, he intrigued audiences and showed unequivocally that chess is not merely a game to be played, but an art form to be expressed. This book details the life and games of Tate over the course of his 56 years.

His contribution to chess lies not merely in his level of play, or even his scintillating victories, but in his creation of unique ideas and inspiring dreams. Somewhere on that chess board was beauty to behold, a new story to be told, and perhaps an idea that would touch the soul. Tate told many stories, many of which would reflect an adventurous, purposeful, yet troubled life. This story is of beautiful games, life lessons, mind-boggling conflicts and celebration of a man whose contributions will live on!

The Book

Triple Exclam is a hardback, full-color edition that includes 280 pages in 12 chapters and seven appendices surveying the life of Tate. It includes 35 of his games (all annotated) and vintage photos at various stages of his life. The book also includes chapter notes and is fully-indexed. If you are not a chess-player but enjoy biographies, you will appreciate his story.

The Foreword of the book was done by GM Maurice Ashley with annotations by GM Yasser Seirawan, GM Alejandro Ramirez, GM Pontus Carlsson, GM Amon Simutowe, GM Kenny Solomon, IM Malcolm Pein, FM William Morrison, FM Todd Andrews, FM Jimmy Canty and National Masters Ernest Colding, Glenn Bady and Dr. Okechukwu Iwu. Two games feature transcribed annotations from Tate’s famous post-mortems.

Order Details

The highly-anticipated book can be purchased by following the Paypal button below. A Paypal account is not needed. Buying in bulk cuts per unit and mailing costs, so for groups of friends, chess clubs, and vendors seeking volume discounts (for the purchase of five or more), click here!

International rates are currently prohibitive unless ordering quantities in multiples of five (U.S. Postal Service flat rate box). The Chess Drum is looking for international distributors to make the book accessible to a wider audience. An e-book version of Triple Exclam is forthcoming.

Some customers many be skittish about ordering online. In that case, contact me at webmaster@thechessdrum.net with number of copies needed and I’ll send an invoice. Mail orders are completed with money orders only. Also available for book signings. Make sure you add this handsome book to your collection!

FOR PURCHASING 1-4 COPIES

FOR PURCHASING 5 OR MORE COPIES, click here!

# # #

The Chess Drum, LLC is a publisher of chess news content and literature. The organization’s website has continued to demonstrate the universality of chess by covering a variety of topics through news stories, essays, interviews, and photos since 2001. Visit The Chess Drum at thechessdrum.net and follow the beat on Facebook and Twitter!

GM Maurice Ashley has been back in the media like we’ve never seen before. First he gave a candid appearance on “One on 1” segment. On display were vintage photos of a younger Ashley, but it gave a wide-ranging view of his passion and the expanse of his activities. Most of Ashley’s story is well-known. Even the cameo appearance with a street hustler last year was featured. The Brooklyn-based GM now has a mission that extends beyond the borders and will be traveling to Africa this June for another initiative.

One on 1: http://www.ny1.com/

Ashley also appeared in The Moth where he gave a rather poignant story of Brooklyn chess and the hardscrabble environment in the chess parks. “Slaying King George” was the 13-minute segment. He lamented on his passionate beginnings of chess and his introduction to the Black Bear School of Chess. The brutal environment was Prospect Park where the raucous scene unfolded each day. Ashley spoke of his initiation into this august group of players, but the piece centered his meeting George “Firebreather” Golden. Very description and expressive.

The Moth: http://player.themoth.org

There was lots of trash talk leading up to the Red Scorpion Blitz tournament with pundits predicting who would make it out of the four groups of four. The tournament was structured with World Cup brackets. Sixteen players were vying for glory and there was the Group of Death” featuring FM Shane Matthews, FM Warren Elliott, WIM Deborah Richards-Porter and Lucien Rowe. The first three are legendary mainstays in Jamaican chess while Rowe was looking for the upset.

The brackets featured a number of veterans and Jamaican brass including former champion Damion Davy and current national champion Shreyas Smith. National Master Dr. Kevin Brown was making a comeback after a long hiatus from the Jamaican scene. He is an alumnus of the Jamaican Olympiad teams (Novi Sad, 1990 and Manila, 1992). For a long time, he had been the only Jamaican to defeat a Grandmaster. Surprisingly, he showed decent form.

Each group would be a double round robin, but there was an interesting system of cross-pairings between brackets. After Matthews (A1) won his game against Deborah Richards-Porter, he would face runner-up Kevin Brown (B2). Meanwhile Elliott (A2) would face Myers (B1). Both Matthews and Elliott would advance into the semifinals.

In the other brackets, Damion Davy (C1) won the group and would face Malaku Lorne (D2) in a heavyweight clash. Shreyas Smith (D1) would face off with Daren Wisdom (C2). Davy and Smith advanced for the other semifinal match. Odane Hall and Peter Thomas did not show in Group B. Thus, the four remaining players would have amongst them nineteen national titles (Elliott, 8; Matthews, 7; Davy, 3; Smith, 1).

Elliott got the edge against Matthews in some spirited battles while Smith bested Davy. The eight-time champion then showed the young champion that he had not lost his fangs and could still hunt well. Smith would have to weight another day to prove his emerging status and King of Jamaica.

The Moon shone bright on a cold night in North Philadelphia. A lonely light cast a long shadow on the corner of 21st and Cambria, as the icy wind cut to the bone. Inside though, it was heated, as battle raged. WAR had been declared, as Philadelphia Chess Players celebrated the life and times of the preeminent Chess Master, IM Emory Tate, in the best way they knew how: in battle!!

The esteemed Dr. Daaim Shabazz, author of “The Chess Drum,” amongst many acclaimed accomplishments, “fired the first shots” with his splendid biography of IM Emory Tate, Triple Exclaim, The Life and Games of Emory Tate, Chess Warrior. Dr. Shabazz’s book chronicles Tate’s exploits from childhood through his eminent chess career, in which Tate toppled “Kings and Grandmasters alike”. There is an African proverb which goes: “So long as the hunter tells the tale, the Lion will remain the villain.”

Author of The Chess Artist J.C. Hallman, Glenn Umstead, Malik Rogers
and Robert Gist

Evan Cortes with copy of Triple Exclam!!!

African people have been making history “since God was a boy.” Now, more than ever, we’re beginning to write our own history in the struggle for control of our own image. The battles raged inside 21st and Cambria as eminent masters Glenn Bady, Glenn Umstead, Norman “Pete” Rogers, Robert Gist “Superman,” and Herb Carswell “The Master of Disaster,” along with preeminent chess player and promoter Gordon Houston, struggled for control of squares.

Laughter and beverage flowed like water. The food was plentiful as Bill Tate, Nigel Mitchell, Wayne Heston, Charles Leach the “Woo Mack,” and Bruce Cox “Scorpiin.” Why ‘scorpion’ with two ‘i’s?? The better to see you with! All present were making history in North Philadelphia as they were “writing it on the chessboard,” and the spirit of Emory Tate.

FM Pete Rogers was a frequent participant in gladiator battles with Tate.

Chess is poppin’ in the Windy City. Despite the negative media attention surrounding crime in the city, chess is creating positive vibes on the south side. While the Chicago groups frequents the McDonald’s on 95th and Halsted, they also host other events at the Lions Paws Martial Arts School. Daniel X Jones, a 2100-rated player and a martial arts instructor, holds periodic blitz tournaments at his dojo and in January 34 area players came out to cross swords. There is a new crew in town, but some old faces from decades past still remain.

January blitz tourney at Lion’s Paw, 7928 S. King Dr., Chicago, IL 60619

Daniel X Jones vs. IM Angelo Young

One Chicago stalwart is Marvin Dandridge who is still considered the “sheriff” on the south side. Affectionately known as “Uncle Marv,” the career social worker has been a motivating force with other hopefuls such as Tom Murphy and veteran Sam Ford. Expert Sedrick Prude also adds to the mix. IM Angelo Young played in and won the January tournament. There will be another 10-round blitz tournament at Lion’s Paw April 15th with a three-game 15-minute match between Young and Dandridge.

The tournament attracted more than 30 players and was a rousing success!

The next one…

IM Rodwell Makoto is the latest Master to participate in the African Tour sponsored by the Paul Allen Foundation and organized by the Kasparov Chess Foundation and MiniChess Kenya. He follows GM Kenny Solomon who visited Kenya in February. GM Pontus Carlsson and IM Daniel Jere also conducted classes. GM Maurice Ashley will arrive in June.

At the end of the program, the masters will have conducted training sessions in Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania from February to June 2017 reaching more than sixty locally based trainers. These trainers will then teach more than 1,500 children through indirect training sessions. IM Makoto, a Zimbabwean based in South Africa, arrived in Nairobi on April 6th.

According to a report at the Kasparov Chess Foundation,

Rodwell arrived at 1730 at JKIA Airport and was met by Githinji Hinga of MiniChess Kenya and Mr Joseph Atwoli. By 18:30 he was at the vibrant Motor Sports Club where he met some local players and engaged them in a few games of blitz. He played several games against some of the top Kenyan opposition and won them all easily. Eventually he decided to start giving time odds and eventually only only lost one game to Mr. Francis Ngesa, former CK Vice Chairman.

Playing a bit of blitz with the locals.

On Friday, Makoto addressed students and visited the Kenya Academy of Sports and its Director, Mr. Douglas Ratemo. On Saturday, he conducted a training session at Lotos Inn and Suites. It was a rigorous lesson plan with homework included!

A different cohort of trainees participated in this second tour as a result of the decision taken to train 36 trainees in Kenya due to the large number of applications received.

The 2nd cohort of trainees were:

1. Robert Moseti
2. Titus Gichuka
3. Josphat Owila
4. Victor Hongo
5. Morrel Omondi
6. Trevor Mulindi
7. Boniface Kathurima
8. James Sean Kang’aru
9. Erik Oyugi
10. Evelyn Gichuru
11. Lucy Wanjiru
12. Omoke Georgina Marube

His sessions covered…

• opening, middlegame and endgame themes and drills
• strength training
• training techniques and resources and
• ChessBase and computer software and useful internet links

Makoto did final assessments and left on the 13th in time to participate in the Easter Open in Zimbabwe. Githinja Hinga’s MiniChess Kenya branch has identified the following four partner schools to receive a donation of chess equipment and chess instruction from the new trainees:

• Nairobi Primary School
• Moi Avenue Primary School
• City Primary School
• Madaraka Primary School

Paul Allen: http://www.pgafamilyfoundation.org/
KCFA: http://www.kcfafrica.com/

The Chicago Chess Blitzers community will host the 2nd Emory Tate Memorial on June 10th, 2017 at Daniel Jones’ Lion’s Paw Chess Academy on the city’s south side. Last year’s inaugural event was surprisingly won by Gwayne Lambert. Given the excitement generated from the Chicago Open, the club hopes to draw a larger crowd than last year’s event.

The chess community has gained momentum in the last year and will soon open a location on the south side. The upcoming tournament is expecting a larger turnout than last year’s. The event will include a book-signing for Triple Exclam, the biography of Emory Tate and a brief talk by it’s author, Daaim Shabazz. The festivities will start at 10am.

Emory Andrew Tate, Jr. is a hero in the annals of chess history. Daring, brash and unapologetically rebellious he gave a type of energy to chess that was rarely expressed by a master-level player. Tate, a quintessential chess performer, passed away last year October 17, 2015 and left behind a memorable legacy (death, obituary, funeral). We will celebrate him through his games and the edible memories he left behind.

Nathan Kelly displaying Triple Exclam
in Chicago McDonald’s on 95th Halsted.

The 2nd Emory Tate Memorial took place at the Lion’s Den Chess and Martial Arts Academy in Chicago on a gorgeous summer day. There was excitement building up for the tournament along with the buzz of the pending match between Daniel X Jones and FM James Canty. Excitement for chess is high these days on the south side of Chicago. Unfortunately, the turnout was not as large as expected. Initially, eight players registered with Zambia’s Kela Kaulule being the top seed. Twelve players in total participated. Gwayne Lambert won last year’s event of 14 players.

Kaulule has been in Chicago the last month visiting a relative and has been adjusting to the U.S. chess scene. While stating that he played “badly” in the Chicago Open, he scored a respectable 4.5/7 in the under-2300 section. The Zambian native was challenged by the second-seeded Daniel X Jones. Jones, a third-degree black belt and owner of the martial arts studio, has been a positive force on the southside for mentoring his students and for promoting both chess and martial arts.

Jones, who is married with three children, told The Chess Drum that the recent buzz in Chicago chess is certainly helping to lift the profile of the game. “I love the ideas Maurice Ashley put on the table, and I want to partake in revolutionizing chess. So much so that chess “professionals” can be devoted and make a living full time,” said Jones. The Tate Memorials have certainly been a boost, but of course, the groundswell is still in its formative stages on the southside.

Tom Murphy (2085) with an optimistic glance against George David (1752)

Stephen Faulkner of Louisville, Kentucky

The tournament had a number of visitors including a local master, Marvin Dandridge. Some came from long distances to participate. Stephen Faulkner drove four hours from Louisville, Kentucky to be a part of chess movement and also to meet some of his chess contemporaries.

There were some very tense moments in the tournament including the second round showdown between Kaulule (2240) and Jones (2074). Jones, playing black, won a pawn right out of the opening and seemed to be holding his advantage throughout the middlegame.

In the second round marquee matchup Kaulule-Jones, black sacrificed a piece for a dangerous passed pawn. After …Nd4, white has to proceed with caution since Kf2?? would lose to c1(Q)! What to do?

The game’s intensity ratcheted up as the Zambian was fighting to hold the position. Interestingly, it was discovered that Kaulule missed an opportunity to simplify matters earlier and end up a full piece! As it turned out, the game got complicated, and white had to return the piece and fought to draw the position. Great battle!

In the third round, Jones-Murphy and Ford-Kaulule were going to be grueling battles and would most likely set the stage for who would take the top positions. Jones prevailed over Murphy while Kaulule was in a pitched battle with Chicago’s blitz legend, Sam Ford (1929).

Sam Ford (left) on the move and possibly examining e5! He didn’t play it, but it would have led to dynamic complications.

Ford went astray at a critical moment and Kaulule’s victory moved him into joint first with Jones and Tim Donnahue (1915) with 2.5/3. Before the last round, lunch was served and there was presentation of Triple Exclam, the Emory Tate biography written by Daaim Shabazz. In last year’s inaugural event the book was in the production phase. The book was officially released to the public in March.

Shabazz spent time recounting key moments in Emory’s life as well as some of the highlights of the book. There was a bit of nostalgia in giving tribute to one of the most colorful and artful figures in America’s chess history. The recurring theme was Emory’s contribution of chess as an art form and his eagerness to show its infinite beauty.

Angelo Armistead came to the tournament to get his signed copy! Both Armistead and Shabazz competed in tournaments together back in the 80s. Armistead is one day older!

In the final round, Jones would face Donnahue who had beaten Madison Loftis and William Cuevas. Kaulule would play Murphy who was trying to recover from a tough loss in the previous round to Jones. Tension was thick in the air, and there were spectators milling around the boards.

Things heated up in the final round as National Master Marvin Dandridge (standing left) looked on intently. Tom Murphy faced Kela Kaulule and Daniel Jones took on Tim Donnahue.

Tension was thick!

Both Jones and Kaulule were able to prevail in tough games to tie for first place with 3.5/4. There was a little matter of the tiebreaks, but both received trophies as joint champions. It was a great event, but the number of participants was below expectations. On the eve of the opening of the new club, there has to be sustained support to keep the activity going on the southside. The memorial tournament hopes to be bigger and better next year and will most likely be in the new location. Thanks to Daniel X Jones for hosting the event, Nathan Kelly and Edwin Walker for directing, and Roger Hickman who provided sponsorship.

Kela Kaulule and Daniel X Jones receive trophies from tournament director, Nathan Kelly (right). Sam Ford looks on.

Co-Champions!

Each city has its chess history. There are even genres within chess history. One of the most captivating (and overlooked) aspects of its history is street chess. Out of this community comes the life and dreams of every chess player to make a name for his or herself. The venues… barber shops, beaches, coffee shops, bars, parks, basements, street curbs and even alleys. Toe-to-toe, mortal combat, no-holds-barred fighting on the 64 squares. Perhaps there needs to be a catalog of these stories because it shows the psychological impact that chess on society. Granted many of these players don’t follow chess news and may not know the top-level players, but perhaps have as much passion for the game than anyone else. There is something much deeper in playing the game.

Over the years, The Chess Drum has presented some of these stories such as the famous New York’s Washington Square Park, DC’s Dupont Circle, Chicago’s Harper Court and San Francisco’s Market Street to name a few. These conspicuous places were the venues to cut your teeth on… a theater, a pit and a classroom all in one.

Kofi Tatum of Los Angeles has recently released a video titled, “Snapping Pieces” about the chess scene in the “City of Angels.” It is a raw look at the testimonies of various personalities, but more importantly, it explains the cultural importance that chess has in the community in vibrant fashion. Many of the cities mentioned earlier have developed vibrant communities with a social hierarchy, rules and a sense of familial ties. The Los Angeles chess scene has long had a presence since the days of IM Stephen Muhammad at the Santa Monica chess park. The tradition continues!

“Snapping Pieces” is a 47-minute documentary culminating in the Equinox blitz tournament featuring more than 20 players (including one Master and three Experts). Tatum gives an overview:

The event was held sometime around September of 2006. It offered a 1st place prize of 1,000 dollars. As well as several other prizes, from 1st all the way down to about 7th place or so. There was even a prize for best female player. Which I believe was one by the ever talented, former women’s state champion, Collette McGruder.

There is also a cameo appearance by the late and great Dr. Frances Cress-Welsing, who authored a landmark book, The Isis Papers. She sees parallels between battles waged over the board and battles waged against social oppression.

I see when the people are playing the game very vigorously. In many settings, but in your setting in Los Angeles, where Black men are playing this game… I think that they’re playing out the warfare that is racism/white supremacy. Sometimes that warfare is playing out in terms of police brutality, or driving while Black or walking while Black. Even though I now the players are not thinking about it in these terms, but as a child psychiatrist, I know that issues that are important in a person’s life very often get expressed in games they play… and the games get played over and over and over again.

Whether one agrees with Cress Theory of Color Confrontation, it is undeniable that there exists certain dualities in society based on a number of demographic and social factors. Chess allows one to articulate the hopes and dreams and even allows one to externalize social problems and use chess as a way to solve them. This documentary is an ode to the lessons learned from chess. Great job!

Detroit and Chicago have a close relationship with both being home to hard-working migrants from the south in search of hope and opportunity. The Midwest was the destination for many Blacks due to the abundance of factory jobs in the steel mills, foundry, and stock yards. The determination to find good paying jobs required a disciplined, strong will and has been the trademark of the strong “Midwestern work ethic.” This strength carried over into competitive activities such as sports and entertainment.

FM James Canty III vs. CM Daniel X Jones
Photos by Nathan Kelly

In weeks leading up to both Danny X Jones and James Canty agreed to a 10-game blitz battle in Chicago. Social media was in a frenzy. and several cities started to discuss the prospects of an intercity competition. Both cities have a very proud history of sports, and just a few decades ago, the two cities fought some of the most brutal battles in professional basketball. There was a build-up complete with trash talk reminiscent of the Detroit Pistons and the Chicago Bulls rivalry in the 80s and 90s.

The two cities have developed a fierce but respectful rivalry over the years.

This past weekend saw another battle involving the two cities. The rivalry would now extend to the chess board. There was a pregame video complete with interviews and both players expressed respect for the other, but claimed that they would be victorious. One problem… only one could be right. So who would it be??? There was an undercard with two Experts Aderemi Adekola taking on Aakaash Meduri locking horns. Those games were not shown live, but here is the opening ceremony with Roger Hickman offering inspiring remarks.

That score ended 4-1 in the best of seven games with Remi coming out on top. Now… all the hype built up on the main card. Daniel X Jones taking on FIDE Master James Canty. Jones was the co-winner of the under-2100 section of the 2017 Chicago Open, and co-winner of the 2nd Emory Tate Memorial two weeks ago. Canty’s claim to fame is winning 2nd place and $20,000 in the 2014 Millionaire Chess under-2350 section. The Detroit native received notoriety for his feats in the local media.

After two weeks of banter in social media, the tension was thick as both of the players gave their pre-match impressions to Nathan Kelly. “Canty Cash” stepped out of the van looking like a UFC fighter and said he was ready for the bout. Daniel “The Baby-Faced Assassin” looked like he was going to a business meeting also offered words of supreme confidence. Ironically, that same nickname was Isiah Thomas who played for the Detroit Pistons and a main rival to the Chicago Bulls.

Now… let’s get it on!

That was just the first game! What a ride!! After that, there was more. In the five-minute games, Jones won the second in a rook ending and in the third he mounted a counterattack after being slightly worse and chased Canty’s king at the edge of the board where it was mated. Canty got his first win of the match, but couldn’t avoid losing the 5th game giving Jones a 3½-1½ edge in the first segment.

In the three-minute segment, Canty won the first in a fierce time scramble with Jones pressing for a win. In the melee, Canty claimed a forfeit win with three-tenths of a second left pulling the overall match back to within one. In the second game, Canty was pressing with a passed b-pawn, but then lost the thread allowing a fortress. After blacks’ …Kh2, Jones played g4+ after which Canty committed an illegal move by leaving his king in check.

In the last three minute game, a feverish pace resulted as seconds wound down. A volley of checks was given. and it still appeared to be unclear. Canty decided to press ahead and ended up getting rook skewered on the a-file and resigned. The win gave Jones the decisive result. The final match score was 5½-2½ (3½-1½ and 2-1). There was an applause by the spectators, and both players were given praise for their battling spirit.

Watch the action of games 6-8 below.

There was a press conference after the match where questions were posed to the two competitors. The described their strategies in the match. Jones stated that he steered away from main lines Sicilian and wanted to simply get a game to play. Canty was asked about the competition that he faces in Detroit and stated there are limitations because there isn’t the consistency in attendance. So Canty took a six-hour bus ride to play a blitz match. Chicago blitzers were very appreciative.

Both were asked what it takes to excel. Canty offered an intense study of tactics while Jones talked about learning to evaluated positions. Lastly, there was the debate about the role that blitz plays popularizing chess. Both believe blitz should be moved to the forefront. This created a vigorous debate on Facebook, and it’s just beginning. Many cities have all weighed in with well-heeled blitz players looking to get into the action.

2017 Blitz Battle Saturday, June 17th, 2017 Lion’s Paw Chess & Martial Arts Academy, Chicago, Illinois
CM Daniel Jones (Chicago) vs. FM James Canty III (Detroit)
	Flag	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	pts.
Jones		½	1	1	0	1	0	1	1	–	–	5½
Canty		½	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	–	–	2½

Kudos to the Chicago Chess Blitzers for organizing and supporting an exciting event. In particular, thanks to Roger Hickman, Nathan Kelly, Louie Green, Johnnie Strapp, Chase Ford and of course Daniel Jones for helping to host the event.

Lawyer Times has been a mainstay in the New England area for the past four decades and now he can lay claim to being the 2017 Massachusetts state champion. Times toppled past champions IM Dave Vigorito and GM Alexander Ivanov to take the title with 5/6. In 2nd-3rd were Farzad Abdi and Carissa Yip with 4.5/6

National Master Lawyer Times
2017 Massachussetts State Champion

Times appears on these pages of The Chess Drum and years ago was the subject of an interview after winning the under-2200 section at the 2005 Chicago Open. Since then he was stayed in the steady 2300 range and continues to look for new challenges. On his website, Times described his beginnings in chess.

I began learning chess at the age of 6 by observing my older brother teaching my older sister. Ironically, I picked it up while she did not. My brother began teaching me the basics and from there I continued teaching myself. In a short time I was able to beat my brother, the dream of every younger sibling. Afterward, as others began to see my potential I received coaching from the best Chess Masters.

Times later became part of the famed Boston Latin team that won the National High School Championship in 1981. That team had a young prodigy name Sandeep Joshi who rose quickly to become an FIDE Master, then fell into obscurity. Times kept playing on and in 1994 became a Master.

Boston Latin-1982 National High School Champions
Lawyer Times, Sandeep Joshi, Michael Diener, Edward Lung, and Bill Frye.

Times is the founder of the Future Masters Chess Academy which provides children with many programs to improve their understanding of the game. Times told The Chess Drum,

The fundamentals and practices I’ve honed throughout my career I’ve taught to students privately and at various schools and institutions throughout Massachusetts. As I began to see the tremendous impact it had on them both in game play and in life I founded the Future Masters Chess Academy. Now we assist kids in using chess principles to master chess and life.

Certainly a role model to many, the affable Times will be competing at the World Open in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania next week.

Over the years, IM Farai Mandizha has made strides since coming from Zimbabwe nearly a decade ago. Initially, he developed a reputation for his blitz skills, but as he developed a plan for earning his titles, he focused more on incremental improvements. In this time he has earned his IM title with three norms and last weekend scored his second GM norm at the 2017 World Open. Farai scored 6/9 with 4.5/7 (+3=3-1) against GMs.

Based in New York with wife Respina, Farai has been teaching at Hunter College Prep for the past four years. He told The Chess Drum of one of his prized pupils in 16-year old Fikirte Hunt. Sometimes it is difficult for a chess coach to keep their own game sharp, but Farai will have a lot of instructional material for his students at Hunter after his sterling result. He is hoping to earn the last norm in the coming months. He is hoping to become the first Zimbabwean Grandmaster and only the third sub-Saharan African player to earn the coveted GM title.

Following are three of his games from the tournament:

IM Farai Mandizha (2342-Zimbabwe)
#	Player	ELO	Nation	Flag	Result
1	Jesse James Lozano	2024	USA		1
2	GM Andrey Stukopin	2577	Russia		1
3	GM Ruifeng Li	2571	USA		1
4	GM Jeffery Xiong	2658	USA		½
5	GM Aleksandr Lenderman	2585	USA		½
6	GM Jianchao Zhou	2595	China		0
7	GM Ashwin Jayaram	2492	India		1
8	GM Alexander Stripunsky	2536	USA		½
9	IM Andrew Tang	2461	USA		½
Score: 6-3 (GM NORM)

The chess community is still buzzing after the Chicago-Memphis match and a number of videos of blitz battles have circulated around social media. A lot of inter-city trash-talking and sharp-witted banter has been bounced around and the result is the second team blitz match featuring Cleveland and Chicago. There was even a scouting visit by Cleveland! More on that later.

Both cities are sports towns and have their share of legends in major sports history… Lou Boudreau. Ernie Banks. Jim Brown. Walter Payton. Michael Jordan. Lebron James. Now the rivalry spills onto the chess boards for an impending August 5th bout. Tichawona Tony Troy (Cleveland Heavy Hitters) and Louie Green (Chicago Chess Blitzers) discuss upcoming “Best of the Midwest” match coming up August 5th!

Two Midwestern working class cities have been known for their sports fervor over the years. After agonizing for decades from Michael Jordan’s buzzer beater over Cleveland’s Craig Ehlo in the 1989 NBA Playoffs, Cleveland and Lebron James broke a 50-year city championship drought in 2016 by winning the 2016 NBA championship against the Golden State Warriors. Last fall, Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs battled for the World Series crown with Chicago breaking a 108-year championship drought.

Michael Jordan celebrates winning shot over Cleveland’s Craig Ehlo
in first round of 1989 NBA playoffs.
Photo by Ed Wagner Jr. (Chicago Tribune)

Lebron James made Cleveland a championship city again.
Photo Getty Images

The two cities have their pride and when they match up competitively, the gloves come off. The city of Cleveland will be looking to bring the heat to Chicago in a blitz match on August 5th. Coming off of a blistering win over Memphis, Chicago will travel to “The Land” to face off in a 15-board double round robin match on the campus of Case Western University. The stakes… pride and bragging rights. Tichawona Tony Troy crashed the Chicago Chess Club and some fierce trash-talking went down.

So… Cleveland guarantees a “W” and Chicago vows to stay undefeated. Both can’t be right. Who will it be? Cleveland or Chicago? Stay tuned for more details including lineups and player profiles.

Message from Cleveland Heavy Hitters…

The Chicago Chess Blitzers will take on The Cleveland Heavy Hitters Chess Team. There is a limit of 15 players for both teams. There is a $25 entry fee and all players must have current USCF membership ratings. Please bring heavy chess pieces with regulation chess sets. The match will be on the 3rd floor of Guilford- 11112 Bellflower Rd. (It’s a yellow house). Friends and family are welcome to come and spectate. This event is to help encourage the game of chess and to promote positivity. We all need to help stop the violence in Cleveland and Chicago and chess is a way to bring people together and stop the violence.

The “Best in the Midwest” rivalry continues to brew as the Chicago Chess Blitzers travels six hours (one way) to Cleveland to take on the Heavy Hitters at Case Western University. The event was designed to be a 15-players event with each player playing a counterpart twice with each color. There was good cheer before the match as the pregame trashtalk in social media was legendary. Other cities chimed in to speculate on the match and future battles.

Tichawona Tony Troy was the main organizer from the Heavy Hitters and had visited the Chicago Chess Club a couple of weeks earlier to get a feel for the competition. Cleveland was ready. They had new team shirts and had reserved a wonderful venue at Case Western University for the event. After the Chicago Blitzers arrived, they changed into their team shirts and the match was set.

As players milled about acquainting themselves with one another, informal introductions were also given to the live online audience. Cleveland legend IM Calvin Blocker gave encouraging words and described chess as a unifying force. Blocker was once one of the Midwest’s strongest players, but had to forgo more serious ambitions in chess to care for an ailing mother. His story is indeed inspiring.

Roger Hickman, the President of the Chicago Chess Club, made some remarks in announcing the opening of the Chicago Chess Club and then declaring the match to start with the UFC charge, “let’s get it on!” There was a review of the rules by tournament director Roy-Allen Bumpers and questions were raised and addressed. One in particular was the idea of promoting a pawn to a queen. Famous incidents have involved elite players promoting a pawn without replacing with a piece which counted as an instant loss. However in this tournament, there was a different explanation. After that clarification, the games started!

Chicago jumped out to a commanding lead in the first four rounds winning 18½-11½, 18½-11½, 23½-6½, 18½-11½ (Chicago +38). The 3rd round was particularly decisive as Chicago won 2-0 on nine boards! From the outset, it already appeared that Cleveland would be outgunned.

Chicago jumped out to a quick 38-point lead in the first four rounds.

IM Angelo Young started on 12/12 and proceeded to scorch the Cleveland lineup with 26.5/30 (+25 =3 -2).

In the first six rounds, IM Angelo Young, IM Dejan Maksimovic, Tom Murphy had 12-0 while Daniel X Jones, Kela Kaulule and Aderemi Adekola were on 11-1. FM Carl Boor paced Cleveland with 12-0 while IM Calvin Blocker was on 10½-1½ after being upset by A-player Stephen Jennings.

After a couple of more rounds, the trend continued and Chicago had bolted to a 157-83 lead nearly doubling Cleveland. It turns out that round 7 would be the most competitive with Chicago barely edging Cleveland 17-13. For all practical purposes, the match was theoretically over as it would be nearly impossible to make up 74 points in the remaining seven rounds.

Calvin Marshall watching as NM David Allen Sr. rumbles.

Nathan Kelly watching the action and ably representing
the Chicago Chess Club

The legendary IM Calvin Blocker blitzing with Zambian Master Kay Kaulule

Nathan Kelly told The Chess Drum that the Cleveland players may have had trouble keeping up the torrid pace of the event and were not used to playing at such intensity. Clearly the new chess club in Chicago has given ample opportunity for the Blitzers to sharpen their skills. Unfortunately for Cleveland, the onslaught continued.

Rounds 9-11 (17½-12½, 22½-7½, 19-11)

Chicago 207 Cleveland 133 (Should total 330, right?)

Round 12 had a bit of drama with dispute in two of the matches. This dispute between Tony Rotella and Sedrick Prude followed a thrilling battle and came down to a rook ending that appeared headed for a draw. In fact, the position is completely equal. As Rotella’s clock winds down near forfeiting, he claims a draw, but more specifically, a “book draw.” What that means is that black had no possibilities of winning. However, Rotella had run out of time as his clock hit 0:00 thus rendering any such claim invalid. Watch the action.

Despite the heated debate, Rotella went on Facebook to say,

I am not going to fan the flames, but insufficient loses chances were allowed and announced at the starting of the tournament, and our TD called a very experienced TD from the area who sided with me. I’m still not totally certain about the ruling (I think I’m probably wrong, and mixing it up with the older master/class subjective crap) but there’s no question I was correct to at least inquire about it. Who wouldn’t? My opponent was great, and either way it was awesome to play him and chill with the dudes from Chicago. And Roman is right, the real argument took place right next door and was far more entertaining for all involved. ????

Aderemi Adekola

What Tony was referring to was the McElrath-Adekola game. If you noticed the next board in the video, you will see Flamando McElrath debating with Remi Adekola about their first game. Apparently Flamando thought Remi resigned. It was a clear misunderstanding as everyone in Chicago knows that Remi never resigns in blitz games. So after Remi also won the second game, they revisited the debate once again. Nevertheless, both games went to the Chicago player. Chicago approaching midnight with three more rounds remaining, was now ahead by more than 80 points.

Fatigue had set in and now the teams were simply trying to complete the schedule. The last three rounds was an indication of how things had gone for Cleveland. Chicago ended the battle in resounding fashion by 293-157 (+136). Leading scorers of the match were IM Angelo Young (26½/30) and Kay Kaulule (26/30) for Chicago; FM Carl Boor (26/30) and IM Calvin Blocker (21½/30) led the charge for Cleveland.

It was a grueling match and both sides were to be commended for fighting in the spirit of chess. New friendships were made and memories were etched in the annals of chess lore. Cleveland did an outstanding job as host and the event was certainly an effort worthy of praise. The Chicago crew drove through the night back to the city with Tichawona Tony Troy already seeking a revenge match.

It is perhaps the beginning of greater things to come as some of the players have already begun discussing league play. It is unclear where Cleveland Heavy Hitters will land next, but Chicago Chess Blitzers are already in negotiations with Detroit for a possible showdown. As Drum readers will know, Detroit will seek poetic justice for FM James Canty who lost a tough match against Daniel X Jones. Nevertheless, the excitement is high and more matches are ahead. Stay tuned!

Jonathan Clinton, David Allen Sr., Jason Clinton, Trey Modlin

Roy-Allen Bumpers (TD) and George “Permanent Supreme” David
Distinguished men of Kappa Alpha Psi representing chess!

Chicago Chess Blitzers

Cleveland Heavy Hitters
Photos by Nathan Kelly

“Best in the Midwest” Blitz Battle Cleveland Heavy Hitters vs. Chicago Chess Blitzers
#	Player	Blitz	Team	Flag	pts./30
1	IM Angelo Young	2425	CHI		26.5
2	FM Carl Boor	2475	CLE		26.0
3	NM Kay Kaulule	2232	CHI		26.0
4	IM Dejan Maksimovic	2341	CHI		25.5
5	Aderemi Adekola	2138	CHI		24.5
6	Thomas Murphy	2173	CHI		23.5
7	David Franklin	2185	CHI		23.5
8	Daniel X Jones	2259	CHI		21.5
9	IM Calvin Blocker	2399	CLE		21.5
10	Stephen Jennings	1920	CHI		19.0
11	Tim Donnahue	2037	CHI		18.5
12	William Sedlar	2174	CLE		17.5
13	NM Todd Freitag	2099	CHI		17.5
14	Andrew Bell	1799	CHI		16.0
15	Gwayne Lambert	1900	CHI		15.5
16	Sedrick Prude	1981	CHI		15.0
17	Trey Modlin	2186	CLE		12.5
18	George David	1807	CHI		11.5
19	Will Grandberry, Jr.	1942	CHI		11.0
20	Jonathan Clinton	1807	CLE		10.0
21	Tony Rotella	2043	CLE		8.0
22	Roman Kowalysko	1903	CLE		8.0
23	Jose Abutal	1993	CLE		7.5
24	Adam Gerver	1853	CLE		7.5
25	David Allen, Sr.	2200	CLE		7.5
26	Tichawona Tony Troy	1679	CLE		7.0
27	Benjamin Al-Shami	2109	CLE		6.5
28	Jason Clinton	1853	CLE		6.0
29	Felix Tapia	2091	CLE		5.0
30	Flamando McElrath	1842	CLE		5.0
Score: Chicago 293 -Cleveland 157

Rounds 01-10: http://www.uschess.org/msa/XtblMain.php?201708054872
Rounds 11-20: http://www.uschess.org/msa/XtblMain.php?201708055072
Rounds 21-30: http://www.uschess.org/msa/XtblMain.php?201708055082

Detroit is known as the “Motor City” because of its massive car industry, but it is a city also known for its musical pedigree, notably Motown Records. It is also known as a hard-scrabble city with enough pride to challenge other blue-collar Midwestern cities in neighboring states like Ohio, Indiana, Missouri and Illinois. Like most cities in major urban areas, there is a chess presence. Recently an interesting documentary produced by Pierre Ashby with Derek Wilder as the videographer. It chronicles a group of Detroit players describing how they found the game of chess and why they remain enamored by it.

On first glance, they would appear to be the same “street players” found in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Baltimore or Philadelphia. However, the quality of their conversation gives the impression of players who have done more than play blitz games for pocket change. National Master John Brooks is prominently featured in the film. A beloved figure in Detroit, he has developed into somewhat of a role model for players in the area and shares his story in the film.

The film has one regrettable omission in FM Jimmy Canty and his meteoric rise through Detroit’s scholastic ranks, but captures some very engaging personalities with the usual nicknames like “Beast of the East.” In the film there are lots of blitz games, trash-talking, laughing, but there are some pearls of wisdom being dropped as well.

Dominic Johnson boldly claimed, “I don’t lose,” but when you hear his rationale it’s quite profound. Negash Bezaleel migrated from Buffalo to Atlanta to Detroit in search of promise. He talks about the way another chess group in Buffalo gave him the motivation and confidence to ultimately earn the Master’s title (1997).

Negash DaQuan Bezaleel

The documentary is about a half-hour long, but well worth it. These are the endearing stories we don’t often hear when following the typical prodigies. It shows how chess can bring joy and builds camaraderie, provides a support system and teaches lessons of life. If anyone understands lessons of life, it would be a Detroiter. These are the reasons, “Why We Play” resonates so loudly with those belonging to such close-knit groups. Enjoy!