![]() However, it is a valuable lesson in how media pressure and overexposure could derail one’s hopes and dreams.īaraka’s situation was a case in which her parents placed too much optimism in their grandiose plans of producing a “female Bobby Fischer.” Shabazz was the sixth-highest-rated woman in the U.S. The tragic rise and fall of Baraka Shabazz should not deter the pursuit of chess excellence. All attended competitive schools, plotted successful careers, and are now enjoying the fruits of their chess labor.Ĭhess remains an effective tool for our youth to improve their cognition, and it is also an avenue for career success. Three were women: Jessica Wamala, Darrian Robinson, and Rochelle Ballantyne. Years ago, I wrote a piece titled, “ Former African-American standouts reap benefits of chess,” in which I profiled six players who all used chess as a platform to launch successful careers. While there are a great number of examples across the African Diaspora, girls and women are still writing their own chapters. One of the truisms about chess is that it serves as a constructive outlet for so many sectors of the Black community. Last month, The Chess Drum paid tribute each day of Black History Month. Photo by Catherine Martinez Charting a Path to Success L-R: Jaidyn Hamilton, Lauren Bradford, Sa’Nya Burton, Gisele Motley, KCF All-Girls National Championship, 2016 National under-14 Champions! The stories that remain essential are the “Black Girl Magic” celebrated after winning competitions or tournament success. However, in my view, they are not helpful in making this a reality. These predictive articles appear to have the intention of providing motivation and exposure to these players. There have been many articles in past decades focusing on the prospects of an African-American female master. More on this later.Īnd ultimately, I still question who are the main beneficiaries of these stories? In fact, after her parents abandoned her, she quit chess altogether and even left the country. The pressure to excel in chess was stifling and created strains within her family when she didn’t perform as expected. In the above 1988 article, Baraka stated that the nationwide media attention had a tremendous negative impact on her. In fact, the story of Baraka Shabazz would’ve also made a compelling screenplay. While the series highlighted the rise of Beth Harmon, there were several female chess players who drew parallels to the fictional character. You can see the continuation of the game below with annotations by NM Sam Copeland.In 2010, I wrote an article titled “ Baraka Shabazz: Black Queen of Chess.” Seven years later came “ Revisiting Baraka Shabazz,” in which I cited the brutally candid 1988 article titled “ Ex-Queen’s Gambit.” That article was long before the “ Queen’s Gambit” miniseries but had some eerily similar themes. After that move, there was no way for Black to save his king. It was in that position that Lasker uncorked the stunning sacrifice 11.Qxh7+. ![]() The position would be roughly equal if it were not for one detail. ![]() The game reached the position below: Lasker-Thomas, 1911. It comes from a 1911 game between Edward Lasker (a distant relative of world champion Emanuel Lasker) and George Thomas. For this reason, queen sacrifices can catch an opponent off guard and pave the way for a brilliant victory!īelow is a well-known example of this kind of sacrifice. Since the queen is the most powerful piece in chess, it's not uncommon for players to dismiss the idea of giving it up voluntarily. They are also a powerful surprise weapon that players often overlook. Queen sacrifices are not only important because they look good. Unsound sacrifices, on the other hand, fail to do so. ![]() Sound sacrifices give the player enough advantage to compensate for the loss of the queen. Like other types of sacrifices, queen sacrifices can be sound or unsound. Morphy sacrificed his queen to checkmate on the next move with 17.Rd8#. The player offering the queen sacrifice does so to try to gain an advantage like more material, a better position, or checkmate. If there were something such as "style points" in chess, queen sacrifices would get all of them! Learn everything about this sacrifice that is easily one of the flashiest and most surprising moves that can happen in chess.Ī queen sacrifice happens when a player voluntarily lets the opponent capture their queen.
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