Gregory Acholonu featured “Chess on the Brain”
In a fascinating podcast, FM Gregory Acholonu was a guest on “Chess on the Brain,” talking about a range of topics. The host was National Master David Bennett, who asked the DC native questions ranging from current events to the Black chess scene in DC, including the “Black Knights,” the DC Chess League, and the Dupont Circle scene. The conversation switched to Emory Tate and Maurice Ashley, both of whom he gave glowing praise. The book Triple Exclam is referenced. Acholonu spent quite a bit of time with Tate and shared a few stories. The adage “everyone has a Tate story” seems to continue its validation.
He dropped names such as Vincent Moore, William Morrison, Kenneth Clayton, and Frank Street. He even mentioned that Roman Dzinzihashvili was once a resident in the area. The interview was just over 70 minutes and is worth a watch. Gregory Acholonu has to be one of the most overlooked players in the Black community. Admittedly, he claimed not to be on the African-American chess scene, but his passion for chess shines through. Acholonu is the Director of GCA Children’s Chess LLC and is a Certified Coach.
Gregory Acholonu featured “Chess on the Brain”
Video by NM David Bennett
Wow! That interview takes me back. So many familiar names, events, and situations. Glad to know Greg is still active.
The King’s File was the official publication of the D.C. Chess League which was the U.S. Chess Federation’s “state” affiliate for DC. However, when I came along, the D.C. Chess League had no DC residents on its board and was in no way looking out for the interests of DC players. That is what first caused me to get involved in chess politics.
Yes… it was an interesting interview and provided more insight to the DMV area.
I noticed that you were in the games database as playing in the 1986 Chess Olympiad in Dubai. That was one of the best ever. Which federation did you represent then?