First African-American Grandmaster

Maurice Ashley was the first African-American Grandmaster in 1999. He translated his talents to other areas as a national championship coach, author, ESPN and Grand Chess Tour commentator, app designer, puzzle inventor, tournament organizer and motivational speaker. He is an ardent spokesperson of the character-building effects of chess and was an announcer of the historic Deep Blue vs Garry Kasparov/Man vs. Machine matches. His work has earned him multiple community service awards. In 2016, he was selected into the US Chess Hall of Fame.