The chess games of Maurice Ashley

Ashley

Photo courtesy of Maurice Ashley.

Maurice Ashley
Number of games in database: 367
Years covered: 1988 to 2012
Last FIDE rating: 2443
Highest rating achieved in database: 2579
Overall record: +138 -100 =124 (55.2%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games
      Based on games in the database; may be incomplete.
      5 exhibition games, odds games, etc. are excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS

With the White pieces:

Sicilian (53)
    B90 B30 B43 B31 B89
French Defense (22)
    C01 C18 C16 C17
Scotch Game (11)
    C45
Robatsch (11)
    B06
Caro-Kann (10)
    B10 B12 B13 B14 B18
King's Indian (9)
    E92 E97 E69 E88 E94

With the Black pieces:

Sicilian (67)
    B62 B89 B22 B90 B58
Queen's Indian (16)
    E15 E12
Sicilian Richter-Rauser (16)
    B62
Nimzo Indian (14)
    E32 E41 E45 E47 E42
Queen's Pawn Game (12)
    A46 A40 A45 D05 E10
Queen's Gambit Accepted (11)
    D27 D26 D20 D23

Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   Ashley vs R Kempinski, 1997 1-0
   Ashley vs Christiansen, 2002 1-0
   Ashley vs Weeramantry, 1991 1-0
   R Rubenchik vs Ashley, 2000 0-1
   E Tate vs Ashley, 1993 1/2-1/2
   Ashley vs A Zelner, 1993 1-0

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FIDE player card for Maurice Ashley

MAURICE ASHLEY
(born Mar-06-1966) Jamaica (citizen of United States of America)

[what is this?]

Maurice Ashley was born in St. Andrews, Jamaica in 1966. In 1999, Maurice became the first African-American to achieve the grandmaster title. Always promoting chess among youth, he coached the Raging Rooks of Harlem, and the Dark Knights (also from Harlem), both of which have won national championships under his guidance. In September of 1999, he opened the Harlem Chess Center which has attracted such celebrities as Larry Johnson and Wynton Marsalis.

Ashley was named 2003 Grandmaster of the Year by the U.S. Chess Federation. He makes appearances all over the country and in the Caribbean speaking to young people and adults about chess and its benefits, and promoting the game generally.

Chessbase article about Ashley's <Caribbean Tour> in late 2011 and early 2012, including links to earlier articles about the countries he visited in the region promoting the game: http://chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp...

Wikipedia article: Maurice Ashley

page 1 of 15; games 1-25 of 367

Game	Result	Moves	Year	Event/Locale	Opening
1. J Rizzitano vs Ashley	0-1	40	1988	Philadelphia	B89 Sicilian
2. E Szalanczy vs Ashley	1-0	28	1988	op, It New York (USA)	B82 Sicilian, Scheveningen
3. DeFirmian vs Ashley	1-0	46	1988	Philadelphia	B89 Sicilian
4. Wolff vs Ashley	½-½	37	1988	Philadelphia	B89 Sicilian
5. Ashley vs D Allan	0-1	24	1989	It (open), Chicago (USA)	A33 English, Symmetrical
6. J Bonin vs Ashley	0-1	50	1989	It, New York (USA)	B06 Robatsch
7. Ashley vs L B Hoyos Millan	½-½	38	1989	New	E69 King's Indian, Fianchetto, Classical Main line
8. D Shapiro vs Ashley	0-1	36	1989	Ch New York C	E45 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Bronstein (Byrne) Variation
9. Ashley vs R Young	1-0	21	1989	Ch Manhattan Chess Club, New York (USA)	A28 English
10. Ashley vs Lesiege	1-0	51	1989	Ch New York ( open )	A16 English
11. J M Gomez Esteban vs Ashley	½-½	41	1989	03, New York op 12	A46 Queen's Pawn Game
12. Ashley vs P Cobert	1-0	38	1989	It (open), Chicago (USA)	A21 English
13. W Shipman vs Ashley	1-0	40	1989	It, New York (USA)	B06 Robatsch
14. K Thorsteins vs Ashley	½-½	37	1989	Ch New York ( open )	A67 Benoni, Taimanov Variation
15. Ashley vs Wojtkiewicz	½-½	33	1989	08, World	A33 English, Symmetrical
16. Ashley vs M Brooks	0-1	45	1989	Ch New York C	A16 English
17. Ashley vs M Zlotnikov	1-0	52	1989	Ch Manhattan Chess Club, New York (USA)	E67 King's Indian, Fianchetto
18. Ashley vs A Lein	0-1	34	1989	Ch New York ( open )	A28 English
19. M Ginsburg vs Ashley	½-½	61	1989	It, New York (USA)	A04 Reti Opening
20. M Cronin vs Ashley	½-½	21	1989	It (open), Chicago (USA)	A49 King's Indian, Fianchetto without c4
21. Ashley vs J Bonin	½-½	42	1989	Ch Manhattan Chess Club, New York (USA)	A04 Reti Opening
22. D Shapiro vs Ashley	0-1	42	1989	Ch New York ( open )	E12 Queen's Indian
23. A Ivanov vs Ashley	1-0	40	1989	World	B58 Sicilian
24. D Edelman vs Ashley	½-½	10	1989	USA, Ch Manhattan Chess Club New York	B56 Sicilian
25. A Hoffmann vs Ashley	1-0	32	1989	Ch Manhattan Chess Club, New York (USA)	B28 Sicilian, O'Kelly Variation


page 1 of 15; games 1-25 of 367

REFINE SEARCH: White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Ashley wins | Ashley loses

< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 17 OF 17 · Later Kibitzing>
Mar-06-10		wordfunph: happy birthday Maurice!

Sep-04-10		SetNoEscapeOn: http://chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp... Very promising sample video from Ashley's new chessbase DVD.

Nov-15-10		perfidious: <midknightblue> I've played professional poker, and can tell you the single driving force behind its explosion in recent years: the introduction of the camera enabling TV viewers to see players' hole cards. When this was first done in Britain, the idea was greeted with horror, but it took off and the game has never been the same.

Nov-16-10		SetNoEscapeOn: http://chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp... Great interview of Maurice by Big Think.

Dec-15-10		GrahamClayton: Here is the score of a game Maurice played as part of a 3 board simultaneous exhibition at the Black and Latino Expo at Schenectady, New York in October 2003: [Event "Simultaneous blindfold exhibition"] [Site "Schenectady"] [Date "2003.10.18"] [Round "?"] [White "Ashley, Maurice"] [Black "Rotter, Bobby"] [Result "1-0"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. Nc3 O-O 5. e4 d6 6. Be2 e5 7. d5 a5 8. Be3 Ng4 9. Bg5 Bf6 10. Bd2 Bg7 11. h3 Nf6 12. Qc2 Na6 13. O-O Nc5 14. Ne1 Nfd7 15. g4 Kh8 16. Ng2 Qe7 17. Ne3 Nf6 18. Bf3 Rb8 19. Kg2 Rg8 20. Rh1 Bh6 21. Rag1 Bd7 22. h4 Bxe3 23. Bxe3 Bxg4 24. Bg5 Bxf3+ 25. Kxf3 Ncd7 26. Ke2 Qf8 27. Qd2 h5 28. f3 Kh7 29. Rc1 Ne8 30. Be3 Nc5 31. Rcf1 Nd7 32. Kd1 Nef6 33. Kc1 Nc5 34. Rd1 Nfd7 35. Kb1 f5 36. Rdf1 f4 37. Bf2 Qe8 38. Rc1 b6 39. b3 Nf6 40. Rhg1 Ncd7 41. Rg2 Rg7 42. Kb2 Nc5 43. Qc2 Qd7 44. Rh1 Qd8 45. a3 Na6 46. Nb5 Nd7 47. Be1 Ndc5 48. b4 axb4 49. axb4 Nd7 50. Rhg1 Nf6 51. Qd3 Qd7 52. Kb3 Rb7 53. Ra2 Nb8 54. Bf2 Rg8 55. Rga1 Rd8 56. Ra7 Rxa7 57. Rxa7 Ne8 58. Bxb6 Qh3 59. Nxc7 Kh6 60. Ne6 Rd7 61. c5 Rxa7 62. Bxa7 Nd7 63. c6 Ndf6 64. Qc3 Qxh4 65. c7 Nxc7 66. Qxc7 Ne8 67. Qf7 1-0

Dec-25-10		nummerzwei: <demand drives what is shown on TV, things don't become popular just because they happen to be on TV.> I no more believe it is that simple. Regularly showing something on TV considerably influences the demand for it. Regarding the popularization of chess, I would like to draw attention to Joerg Hickl 's piece here (in German): http://www.schach-welt.de/blog/blog... The grandmaster singles out 4 areas that are important for making chess more popular: 1)Identifying with individual players 2)Image 3)Media coverage and PR efforts 4)Youth chess In my opinion, each of these must be analyzed soberly to be able to do a good job popularizing chess. In particular, 2) is rather interesting. What image, if any, does chess have nowadays? I have not been able to come up with a satisfactory answer. 'Our [good] image has always been an asset', writes Hickl. Yet to me it seems as if in the minds of many people chess had become a stereotype, a clich� grown stiff, to some even an immovable target. I remember a distant relative of mine confidently telling me that thinking time in tournament chess was unlimited. The next thing she said was that she didn't like watching chessmasters ponder over a move for six hours, as if that had ever happened! It seems to me that something has gone seriously wrong here! I think I've said enough for now and I'll be happy about some responses.

Mar-06-11		Penguincw: Happy birthday Maurice Ashley! You're 45 today.

Mar-06-11		BobCrisp: <Ashley> could become the first minority President of the USCF. What's the salary like?

Mar-06-11		theagenbiteofinwit: <What's the salary like?> Depends on who they're suing at the time.

Mar-06-11		Broon Bottle: Bobcrisp, what do you mean 'minority'? In London as in the cities of the US the term has no meaning. We are all Earthings. Peace

Mar-06-11		BobCrisp: <In 1999, Maurice became the first African-American to achieve the grandmaster title.> Take it up with the relevant authorities. Remember, I can smell your LIES and your DUPLICITY.

Mar-06-11		theodor: earning the GM title at the age of 33 has something to do withe Jesus! go on ashley, you're the best!

Mar-06-11		Ken MacGillivray: Happy birthday Maurice, I admire the manner in which you are promoting chess and your commentaries are not only well informed but witty and entertaining as well.

Apr-12-11		SetNoEscapeOn: Yet another video featuring professional instruction by Maurice: http://chessbase-shop.com/en/produc...

Apr-12-11		Shams: <earning the GM title at the age of 33 has something to do withe Jesus! go on ashley, you're the best!> I guess it's Jesus' fault I'm not a GM, then.

Apr-12-11		HeMateMe: He had a year of biblical proportions.

Aug-18-11		Robin01: Look like he lost in round 1 of the Manhattan Open 2011 to one of Wisconsin's best players, Alex Betaneli.

Sep-09-11		Edwin M: I really like him as a commentator on ChessBase DVD's.

Sep-09-11		MaxxLange: I have 2 of his DVDs, and they are excellent. The first one, "The Secret To Chess", is organized around the idea that Ashley calls "drawback chess". That is, every chess move has something wrong with it. It unprotects squares, or it blocks lines that used to be open, or, at minimum, it provides a new target for attack, just by putting a piece on a square where there was before no piece. So, when your opponent moves, Ashley says that the first thing to think about it: what's wrong with that move? What's the drawback to it? Is there a way to exploit it?

Mar-06-12		brankat: Happy Birthday GM Ashley! Good luck in Reykjavik.

Mar-06-12		twinlark: Happy birthday, GM Ashley.

Mar-06-12		Penguincw: Happy B-Day. :)

Mar-19-12		wordfunph: "The word checkmate has power. Like a magical incantation, it confers victory over the mind of another. Grandmasters who have played thousands of games in their long careers still love to utter the word. It makes the eyes light up, the pulse quicken and a smile come from the inside out." - GM Maurice Ashley

Feb-18-13		pazzed paun: does anyone know more about the article last year in chess life with gm ashley? he said that no mathematician had ever examined chess ?What about Em. Lasker? and he said he was rexamining chess does anyone know what he meant?

May-04-13		schweigzwang: GM Ashley is providing commentary at the US Championships.

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