Maurice Ashley on NPR's "Ask Me Another"

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Maurice Ashley may be a professional chess player, but he approaches the game like a spy. By carefully studying his competitors’ habits — from their previously played games to their favorite moves – he has taken down enough chess champions to earn the title of International Grandmaster, the first African-American player in history to do so. He’s also a three-time national championship chess coach, the author of two books, and the designer of the app “Learn Chess! with Maurice Ashley.”
Ashley sat down with Ophira Eisenberg on the Ask Me Another stage and admitted that despite his success, he still considers himself the least accomplished member of his family, as his sister is a world champion boxer and his brother is a world champion kickboxer. But Ashley holds his own in any arena — like the aggressive chess matches in Brooklyn, NY, where he trades the silent calm of the international tournament scene for trash talking and soul music. He also explains how the rise of technology has changed the game, and what it feels like to lose to a 12-year-old prodigy.
Read more and Listen at NPR.org

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