Opinion/Editorials

  • Fischer Random Chess: A Dream Deferred

    In what was perhaps the most exciting chess tournament we’ve seen in some time Hikaru Nakamura won the 2022 Fischer Random World Chess Championship in Reykjavik, Iceland. The American legend lost only once in the entire tournament and took a handsome prize of $150,000 after winning an Armageddon game again…

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  • The Anatomy of Carlsen-Niemann cheating controversy

    Over the past month, the chess world has been turned upside down and inside-out with the cheating controversy surrounding world champion Magnus Carlsen and Grandmaster Hans Niemann. The Chess Drum has closely followed the drama on all media social platforms including Reddit and Twitter, where information is able to reach…

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  • Carlsen quits against Niemann… the saga continues

    Yesterday, Magnus Carlsen quit against Hans Niemann after playing his first move. Playing black… after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 Carlsen resigned and simply logged off abruptly. The cheating insinuation by Carlsen had been simmering down, but this latest action has thrown gasoline on the fire of a controversy leaving it open…

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  • After the Carlsen-Niemann firestorm, what now?

    The cheating scandal that dominated the 2022 Sinquefield Cup saw GM Hans Niemann fall into controversial spotlight in his first supertournament. The incident was precipitated by Magnus Carlsen’s withdrawal from the tournament and a tweet that included a reference to cheating. Many commenting on the matter did not understand the…

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  • The Importance of Analytics for Chess Federations

    Data can be represented in so many forms, but its proper use can make a major difference in an organization’s productivity. Following is an op-ed piece highlighting the importance of data and its use in serving the chess community. The era of “big data” is upon us and being able…

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  • Geopolitics and the Diverse Voices in Chess

    The Russian incursion into Ukraine is still burning up the news cycle more than two months after the geopolitical conflict began. The constant display of the horrid images of battle and scenes of death has filled our consciousness. The reaction was swift as FIDE condemned the act and decided to…

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  • Promoting to a Black Chess Queen

    In 2010, I wrote an article titled “Baraka Shabazz: Black Queen of Chess.” Seven years later came “Revisiting Baraka Shabazz,” in which I cited the brutally candid 1988 article titled “Ex-Queen’s Gambit.” That article was long before the “Queen’s Gambit” miniseries but had some eerily similar themes. While the series…

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  • Diverse ideas needed in chess policy decisions

    Dear Chess Community, As a state delegate and a former board member of the Florida Chess Association, I have had the honor to participate in the decision-making process of our governing body. The Executive Board and Delegates meetings are exciting arenas for exchanging ideas about chess and learning how the…

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  • Is Chess Inherently Racist?

    One of the most intriguing questions of late pertains to the chess rule of white moving first. With the introduction of this convention in the mid-1800s, was there some type of insidious plot to reinforce white’s superiority and black’s inferiority?

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  • Response to FIDE’s Statement on Racism (2020)

    Dear Chess Family, A few mornings ago, I read FIDE’s statement condemning racism. While it does provide the ideas of unity and equality, there are issues I would like to bring to the organization’s attention. There was an air of idealism in the letter that may be a bit presumptuous…

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