GM Maurice Ashley Simul at Brooklyn Chess Championship

For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Deb Klein deb@brooklynlyceum.com 917.405.9909

CALLING ALL KNIGHTS!

Forget the Round Table; Brooklyn Lyceum brings to the Borough of Kings - along with Rooks and Bishops - the Inaugural BROOKLYN CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP.

BROOKLYN CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP

Brooklyn Lyceum

February 27 and 28, 2010

USCF Sanctioned, up to $2000 in total prize monies. Ranked both Open and Scholastic.

UPDATE FEB 2: Int'l Grandmaster Maurice Ashley co-producing event; Ashley to challenge 12 lucky opponents to a 12 game simultaneous round!

Brooklyn, NY. -
The Lyceum, 100 year old former NYC Public Bath turned event space, steps up to help render unto Kings County what rightfully belongs here.... a Brooklyn Chess Championship to beat all others. This inaugural event will take place February 27th and 28th, 2010, with both open and scholastic competition. THREE CLASSIFICATIONS ON SUNDAY: u 1600 rankings, u 2000 rankings and OPEN. We invite players of all ages into our fold for a weekend of tournament play as well as related activities - like exhibitions, retail sales, and more TBA - to inspire and interest those who may or may not be in the know!

Be you a hopeful student with chess in your genes, a ranked player from Rockville, or a geek with a penchant for strategy, we want YOU. One right move and a check mate, and you could be on your way. Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can attain aside from World Champion, and has been earned by prodigies as young as age 12.

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN: BrooklynChessChamp.com

Grandmaster Maurice Ashley, a Park Slope resident, is co-producing this competition. Ashley, the first African American to attain the title of International Grandmaster, is an ardent supporter of young people and has received multiple community service awards from city governments, universities, and non-profit groups for his work. His book, Chess for Success (2005), crystallizes his vision of using chess to help at-risk youth. Ashley is the world's premier and live chess commentator for ESPN and has appeared on The Charlie Rose Show, CBS News This Morning, National Public Radio, Today New York (W-NBC), CNN, Bloomberg Radio, and a number of radio shows around the U.S.

Saturday Feb 27: Ashley will challenge twelve lucky players to a round of 12 games at one time! Play against the best. TIME AND DETAILS TO BE ANNOUNCED.

Top games to be simulcast on our giant screen in the activities room via DGT boards.


Chess isn't just for retired gentlemen on boardwalks, or lining tree-lined paths of parks everywhere, although we could all learn a thing or two from them. It is a very popular sport - recognized by the International Olympic Committee - and remains an active presence in schools, homes, bars, clubs and colleges. Chess' fashionable beginnings are traced to 6th century India. Through the centuries, the game has made its way to North America via routes through Russia and Southern and Western Europe, morphing gradually into the game we know and love today.

Building on a string of high traffic conventions and festivals over the last few years, including KingCon, NYC Zine Fest, and our notable Craft Market series, the Brooklyn Lyceum steps up yet again to bring people of all ages and inclinations together in our cavernous space. A tournament like no other in New York, in a space like no other... so roll up your sleeves and tussle with some other Bishops of Brooklyn

About the Brooklyn Lyceum

The Brooklyn Lyceum, known formerly as NYC Public Bath No. 7, is a performing arts and cultural center in Park Slope. Originally opened in 1910 as an indoor bathing facility, it once housed the largest indoor public pool in the country. Reopened in 1994 as the Brooklyn Lyceum, the old bathhouse now plays host to a range of performance events, festivals and other cultural activities. The Lyceum Cafe is open to the public daily and offers free wireless access.

LOCATION:
Brooklyn Lyceum
227 4th Avenue in Park Slope
Brooklyn, NY 11215
R train at Union Street
718-857-4816

Brooklyn Lyceum
Deb Klein, marketing coordinator.
Email Deb
with all press inquiries or
call her: 917-405-9909

GM Maurice Ashley in Madison, WI!

I think GM Ashley is just one of the coolest guys, ever. So, it bothers me that this event did not get the publicity it deserves! It's tomorrow, for goddess sake! If I had known ahead of time, I'd have arranged things so I could have been at Madison to watch the proceedings in person. As it is, all I can do is write about it now. The GM is in Madison to promote financial education in America, and this is vital information for each and every one of us. If I had known 40 years ago what I've learned about investing since I joined my first investment club in 2001, I'd be a millionaire x2 by now. Sigh. University of Wisconsin-Madison News Play a chess grandmaster at Memorial Union Aug. 14, 2008 by Nicole Fritz Chess grandmaster Maurice Ashley will simultaneously play up to 25 of the best chess players at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St., at an event scheduled for 2 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 15. Up to a dozen playing places remain available for UW-Madison students, faculty and staff on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, e-mail info@assetbuilders.org with your name, phone number, age and address. Ashley is a world-renowned chess player and the only African American international grandmaster of chess. The Asset Builders of America are sponsoring Ashley's visit to Madison, as part of a weekend-long conference about financial education." As part of the conference, to be held Saturday, Aug. 16, at Wright Middle School, Ashley will also lecture on chess openings and address the conference about chess as a metaphor for life. "The mission is to promote financial education and wealth building for low and moderate income families and communities," says Robert Wynn, director of Asset Builders of America. "A lot of financial success is built off of education and education requires analytical thinking. Chess helps to develop cognitive and analytical thinking. We approach our mission from a very big picture perspective."

GM Maurice Ashley

GM Maurice Ashley gave an interview on CNN. The Grandmaster is a dedicated and personable ambassador for chess, tireless in his promotion of the game to inner city youth, and a great role model. (Photo from GM Ashley's website - link below). Here is information from Chessbase:

Ashley on CNN: 'I just knew I would be a great chess player'10.07.2008 – Maurice Ashley is the first black chess grandmaster in history. He is also one of the games finest ambassadors, an ardent spokesman and advocate of the intellectual and character building effects in young people for over 15 years. In a short CNN report, part of the series on "Black in America", he speaks about the driving forces in his life and his career. We bring you Maurice unsquished.

The "unsquished" has to do with video sizing problems that made GM Ashley's head look somewhat flat and fat!

We have a 1999 in-depth interview from Ebony Magazine at Goddesschess. Enjoy!

Visit GM Ashley's website.

GM Ashley Visits Knights of Valor in Baltimore

In my book, GM Maurice Ashley is a great human being and true champion of the game.

From the Baltimore Times Online:

Grand Master Maurice Ashley visits Huber's Knights of Valor Chess Ministry
by Ellen Andrews
Originally posted 8/24/2007

Maurice Ashley sat quietly, hands folded at rest, but his very presence at this Northeast Baltimore church's chess tournament speaks volumes about his commitment to the game and its community. Maurice Ashley, first African American Grand Master of Chess, kept his promise to come to Baltimore to play Huber's Knights of Valor (KOV) chess ministry in a series of simultaneous chess games - blindfolded. Before the games Ashley spoke to the audience of enthusiastic KOV members, ages 6 to 21, the KOV chess moms, church staff and others-all supporters and lovers of the game of chess. He regaled them with stories about actor Will Smith and a trick played on jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and others he's met through the game of chess.

Kenneth Tabron or rather, Sir Kenneth Tabron, founder and leader of the KOV, invited Grandmaster Ashley to come to Baltimore upon meeting Ashley during KOV's trip to New York City. Ashley and Tabron's mutual love of the game and concern for inner-city youth gave them much in common. Also on hand for the event was Michael McDuffie, Chess Ambassador of Buffalo, NY and Baltimore City Public School's Steve Alpern who's office oversees chess clubs in sixty schools citywide. McDuffie spoke of Buffalo's 50% dropout rate and the $49.7 million funded for before and after-school programs serving under-performing students and to promote chess as a tool “to teach life skills; help kids think of a plan B and a plan C. Chess teaches math and critical thinking skills,” said McDuffie, who is brother to David McDuffie, who lives in Baltimore and is known in the chess world as the Pawn Master.

The Pawn Master took the office of moving Grand Master Ashley's pieces called out during the course of the blindfold match, which was filled with laughter and what might be called chess “trash” talking. Knights of Valor members, Paris Alexander, Dishaye Davis and Michael Greene had the honor of being soundly “whupped” by Maurice Ashley and now have a story to tell for years to come.

Ashley signed autographs, and spent time with the children teaching in his gentle but direct way the game of chess, prompting them to think deeply about their moves. “One thing they need is board awareness,” said Ashley. “They tend to get tunnel vision and forget about where other game pieces are and how to best use them. This is something they need to do everyday, play the game.

When asked what motivated him to reach out to kids, Ashley thought about the question for a moment and then answered: “I didn't grow up with my parents around, so I missed that kind of close relationship. I realize that now because of my own relationship with my son. So when I meet these young people I remember that chess and the people who mentored me filled that gap, supplied that connection for me. When I meet kids in chess groups like these I know what this connection [with caring adults and peers] can do for a child. It's a chance to connect.”