Philippines

Daaim ShabazzApril 8, 2020
4 1,222

Arianne Caoili, a sweet soul who gave a chess king his lucky stars

The chess world is still mourning the loss of Arianne Bo Caoili (pronounced kay-OH-lee) who sadly died March 31st. Her death came two weeks after a horrific single-vehicle accident that shocked the chess world. Arianne was intelligent, articulate and certainly statuesque in appearance. She had an engaging personality and was…
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Daaim ShabazzSeptember 19, 2017
7 20

2017 World Chess Cup: Semifinals

2017 World Chess CupSeptember 2nd-27th, 2017 (Tbilisi, Georgia)SEMI-FINALS Levon Aronian vs. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave Wesley So vs. Ding Liren Drum Coverage| Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Round 5 || Semifinals | Finals | Photos by Maria Emelianova (chess.com), Anastasia Kharlovich (fide.org), Lennart Ootes. The…
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Daaim ShabazzAugust 19, 2016
0 21

Wesley So wins 2016 Sinquefield Cup

Wesley So, wearing a beautiful Filipino barong, hoists the Sinqufield Cup aloft after winning the 2016 edition. Photo by Lennart Ootes Wesley So is heading to Baku, Azerbaijan to compete for gold on the U.S. Olympiad team. He got an excellent tuneup for the event with his close victory in…
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Daaim ShabazzJanuary 23, 2016
4 16

Drum beats in Singapore-Philippines!

There are interesting stories to be found all over the chess world. For two weeks, I was part of CIBER Faculty Development Tour of southeast Asia designed for faculty from the U.S. to understand the intricacies of the political, economic and social environment of the region. It is funded by…
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Daaim ShabazzJanuary 3, 2015
3 19

Wesley So… the next Asian Tiger?

Wesley So at 2012 World Open.Photo by Daaim Shabazz. The year 2014 was a momentous year for Wesley So of the Philippines. The chess world knows him as one of the most phenomenal talents to come out of Philippines and Asia in general. He became one of the world’s youngest…
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Daaim ShabazzOctober 22, 2014
25 196

Reflections of the 2014 Millionaire Chess Open

Since the Millionaire Chess Open ended, I have read several accounts of the historic event. Most were favorable; some were mixed; some were critical. As is custom in my coverage of major tournaments The Chess Drum covers live, I do a reflections piece. It recounts my overall experiences along with…
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Daaim ShabazzOctober 17, 2014
28 112

Drum Interviews @ Millionaire Chess Open

The Millionaire Chess Open has come and gone, but will not be soon forgotten. The four-day festival culminated with an exciting playoff and in the end GM Wesley So came out victorious. The 21-year old Filipino was expressive at the closing ceremony and could be seen milling out in a…
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Daaim ShabazzNovember 11, 2013
3 30

Well-Wishes to Filipino Chess Family

Chess Family, By now everyone has heard about powerful typhoon that swept across the Philippines just days ago. Winds reached as high as 300 kilometers per hour (190 mph) and devastated the archipelago leaving 600,000 homes destroyed or damaged. Nicknamed “Haiyun” the typhoon cut through a swath of devastation across…
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Daaim ShabazzDecember 19, 2012
11 16

Philippines welcomes Orrin Hudson!

Orrin Hudson has been traveling around America with lessons for life. He has a number of motivational slogans such as “think it out… don’t shoot it out” which are that much more relevant in the wake of the massacre in Newtown, Connecticut. More on that later. Hudson made his international…
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Daaim ShabazzMarch 2, 2012
11 16

The Rise of ‘Asian Dragons’, Part 3

For centuries, Europe has dominated the tables of chess. Over the past 20-25 years, the balance of power has slowly turned eastward. Europe remains the center of chess with its elite tournaments, professional leagues and stellar conditions. However, “Asian Terror” is beginning to take the world by storm as the…
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