Grandmaster tells Poly Prep students: Chess is fun!
Maurice Ashley, the first African-American international chess grandmaster, recently paid a visit to Poly Prep Country Day School’s Bay Ridge campus, where he told students in Poly’s middle school about his efforts to convince people that chess, while a difficult endeavor, is also a fun game.
Middle School Head Lori-Anne Brogdon introduced John Maucere, who co-founded a chess education program called Grandmaster Learning with Ashley. Maucere introduced Ashley to the students at the forum, which took place in the school chapel on Jan. 30.
Ashley talked to the students about his life, explaining to the youngsters that he was born in Jamaica and moved to Brooklyn at the age of 12 to live with his mother. “I caught the chess fever in high school at Brooklyn Tech,” he told the students. “I saw a book in the library on chess strategies.”
Ashley said that after being beaten several times by more experienced players, he was determined to improve his game. “I played chess after school every day,” he said. “I played in the park. I got good and traveled to tournaments in Europe, Africa, and across the United States. It was quite a bit of fun.”