Maurice Ashley

Maurice Ashley, born in Jamaica in 1966,
made chess history in 1999 when he became the first Black player to earn the grandmaster title.
He is also known for his lively commentary style, including his coverage of the World Championship match
between Viswanathan Anand and Garry Kasparov, as well as Kasparov’s legendary matches against chess computers.
As a coach, Ashley led several youth teams from Harlem to national championship titles
and has championed chess as an educational tool for decades.
In 2016, he was inducted into the US Chess Hall of Fame in recognition of his contributions to the game.