Tradition of Chess Thrives in D.C. Region
Mar 11th – 9:29am
WASHINGTON – The Washington area has long been considered a hub of the black chess culture.
The first nationally recognized black chess player came from Frederick in 1855, according to a chess Web site.
Two of the first African-American men to reach chess master ranks are from the area.
Today, chess games among black players are thriving in places, like Dupont Circle in Washington, at Starbucks and Borders stores in the area.
Click here for the full article.
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Seems kind of racist (in a modern sort of way), to go talking about a “black chess culture”. Chess is one game where people can sit down and play without it mattering who they were. Even if they don’t even speak the same language, they can sit down and communicate over the board.
It’s not racist. Chess has slowly made its way into African-American culture, and it is great to see people from all walks of life (not just caucasians)playing. The highest level of Chess is still dominated by caucasians, and people like Maurice Ashley, though not top GMs, have helped expose chess culture to their communities. Because of such people, there is a good chance we’ll see more and more African-Americans achieving high ratings, and to me, that is a wonderful thing.
– James
There’s nothing Black or White about chess… except the pieces. If you want to make it that way, don’t complain that it is.
>>Because of such people, there is a good chance we’ll see more and more African-Americans achieving high ratings, and to me, that is a wonderful thing.>>
It would be better if you judged them by the content of their character, than the color of their skin.
jeeeeeeeez, people act like the ones in the article wrote the article. they cant help what the washington post wrote about them.