Maurice Ashley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maurice Ashley
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Ashley in 2015
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| Born | March 6, 1966 |
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| Citizenship | United States | ||||||||||
| Spouse(s) |
Michele Ashley-Johnson
(m. 1993; div. 2014) |
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| Children | 2 | ||||||||||
Chess career
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Maurice Ashley is a famous chess player, writer, and commentator from Jamaica and the United States. He was born on March 6, 1966. In 1999, he became a Grandmaster (GM), which is the highest title a chess player can get.
Maurice Ashley is also well-known for talking about big chess tournaments. He has taught many people how to play chess. On April 13, 2016, Maurice Ashley was added to the US Chess Hall of Fame.
Contents
Early Life and Chess Journey
Maurice Ashley was born in St. Andrew, Jamaica. When he was 12 years old, he moved to the United States. He went to Brooklyn Technical High School and later studied Creative Writing at the City College of New York (CCNY).
Discovering Chess
Maurice first found out about chess in Jamaica. His brother used to play with his friends. He became more serious about chess during high school. He played in parks and clubs all over New York City.
Coaching Young Players
Maurice Ashley also coached chess teams for young people. He led the Raging Rooks of Harlem and the Dark Knights, also from Harlem. Both of these teams won national championships with his help.
Maurice Ashley's Chess Career
In 1992, Maurice Ashley shared the United States Game/10 chess championship. He shared the title with another strong player, Maxim Dlugy.
Becoming a Grandmaster
On March 14, 1999, Maurice Ashley achieved the Grandmaster title. He beat Adrian Negulescu to complete the requirements. This made him the first Black chess Grandmaster in history.
Harlem Chess Center
In September 1999, Maurice Ashley started the Harlem Chess Center. This center helped many people learn and play chess. Famous people like Larry Johnson and Wynton Marsalis visited the center.
Awards and Recognition
In 2003, the U.S. Chess Federation named Maurice Ashley and GM Susan Polgar as Grandmasters of the Year. This was a big honor for his achievements in chess.
Writing About Chess
Maurice Ashley has written about chess to share his knowledge. In 2003, he wrote an essay called The End of the Draw Offer?. This essay discussed ways to make chess games more exciting.
In 2005, he wrote a book titled Chess for Success. In this book, he shared his experiences. He also talked about how chess can help people in positive ways.
Organizing Chess Events
Maurice Ashley has organized major chess tournaments. He was the main organizer for the 2005 HB Global Chess Challenge. This tournament had the largest cash prize ever for an open chess event.
In 2013, Maurice Ashley announced plans for the Millionaire Chess Open. This was designed to be the highest-stakes open chess tournament. The first one happened in Las Vegas in October 2014.
Promoting Chess Education
In 2015, Maurice Ashley started a partnership with the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis. This program helps bring chess to schools. The goal is to expand chess education across the country.
Viral Chess Moment
In February 2016, a video of Maurice Ashley went viral. It showed him playing chess in Washington Square Park. He defeated an amateur player who was talking a lot during the game. This moment was even mentioned in an episode of the TV show Billions.
Hall of Fame Induction
On April 13, 2016, Maurice Ashley was inducted into the US Chess Hall of Fame. He was inducted alongside another chess Grandmaster, Gata Kamsky.
Chess Commentator
Maurice Ashley is a well-known chess commentator. He has covered many important chess events. He often works for the Grand Chess Tour.
He was one of the commentators for the famous matches between world champion Garry Kasparov and IBM's Deep Blue computer. These matches took place in 1996 and 1997. He also commented on the Kasparov vs. Anand World Championship match in 1995.
In 2003, Maurice Ashley hosted ESPN's broadcast of Kasparov's match against X3D Fritz. He has also been a commentator for many other events. These include the Sinquefield Cups and several US Chess Championships.
Personal Life
Maurice Ashley married Michele Ashley-Johnson in 1993. They had two children: a daughter named Nia, born in 1994, and a son named Jayden, born in 2002. They divorced in 2014.
Maurice's sister is Alicia Ashley, a former world boxing champion. His brother, Devon Ashley, is a former world kickboxing champion.
Works and Publications
Maurice Ashley has created many works related to chess.
Books and Essays
- Ashley, Maurice. "The End of the Draw Offer?" The 65th Square.
- Ashley, Maurice. Chess for Success: Using an Old Game to Build New Strengths in Children and Teens. New York: Broadway Books, 2005.
- Ashley, Maurice, and Graham Burgess. The Most Valuable Skills in Chess. London: Gambit, 2009.
- Ashley, Maurice. "Ferguson and The Chess Game of Life." Jet. October 15, 2015.
- Ashley, Maurice. Move by move: life lessons on and off the chessboard. Chronicle Prism: San Francisco, 2024.
Multimedia and Apps
- Ashley, Maurice. Maurice Ashley Teaches Chess For Beginning and Intermediate Players. Torrance, CA: Davidson & Associates, 1997. CD-ROM.
- "Maurice Ashley: Chess Grandmaster." Gates, Jr. Henry Louis. America Beyond the Color Line: Ebony Towers. New York, N.Y.: Films Media Group, 2009.
- Ashley, Maurice. Working backward to solve problems. TEDYouth 2012.
- Ashley, Maurice and Mobile MATCH, LLC. Learn Chess! with Maurice Ashley. Mobile phone app. 2012.
- Ashley, Maurice. Demetrious Johnson Charitable Foundation Lecture with GM Maurice Ashley: Chess for Football Players. Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis. August 13, 2014.
- Ashley, Maurice. "Grandmaster Maurice Ashley plays trash talking guy in Washington Square Park." Outtake. The Tim Ferriss Experiment. February 16, 2016.
- Ashley, Maurice. "Maurice Ashley 2016 US Chess Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony."
