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Checkmate with David Mehler

D.C.'s storied role as an incubator of Black chess in America

'As a matter of fact, one can claim the greater Washington D.C. metropolitan area was the cradle for Black chess in America." Local writer and two-time D.C. chess champion Gregory Kearse made that claim in a seminal 1998 article for Chess Life, which noted that the thriving local area chess scene in the 1960s helped develop the first officially rated African American chess masters.

D.C.'s storied role as an incubator of Black chess in America

'As a matter of fact, one can claim the greater Washington D.C. metropolitan area was the cradle for Black chess in America." Local writer and two-time D.C. chess champion Gregory Kearse made that claim in a seminal 1998 article for Chess Life, which noted that the thriving local area chess scene in the 1960s helped develop the first officially rated African American chess masters.

Over-the-board chess events spring back to life

Thanks to U.S. Chess Center President David Mehler, who co-directed both events with Justin Swain, for the score to today’s exciting first game, in which Nemelka survived a near-death experience to defeat a very game Amanda Loseff. The fight for the initiative is particularly fierce in this Queen’s Gambit, and Black’s aggressiveness nearly gets her in trouble early after 15. dxc5 bxc5 16. Nd2 g5?!, when, instead of the game’s 17. Bxb8, White had 17. Nxe4! dxe4 (and not 17…gxf4? 18. Nxf6+! Qxf6 19. Bxd5+ Bxd5 20. Qxd5+, winning material) 18. Bd6 Qf7 19. Bxc5, picking off a pawn. Equality restored, it is again Loseff who carries the play with 21. b3 Bd3 22. Qd2 c4! 23. bxc4?! Rb2! 24. Qd1 Qf5 (see diagram), and Black’s pressure is worth far more than the sacrificed pawn. White’s best now might be to go with the grim 25. Rf1 Bxf1 26. Qxf1 Rd8 27. Rb1, and hope to survive, but the game takes a far more dramatic turn.