Maurice Ashley (born March 6, 1966 in St. Andrew, Jamaica) is a chess grandmaster. He is the first and as of 2009 only African-American grandmaster. In the October 2006 rating lists, he had a FIDE rating of 2465, and a USCF rating of 2520 at standard chess, and 2536 at quick chess. Ashley is associated with Chesswise. In 2005 he wrote the Book Chess for Success, relating about his experiences and the positive aspects of chess. He was the main org...
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Maurice Ashley (born March 6, 1966 in St. Andrew, Jamaica) is a chess grandmaster. He is the first and as of 2009 only African-American grandmaster. In the October 2006 rating lists, he had a FIDE rating of 2465, and a USCF rating of 2520 at standard chess, and 2536 at quick chess. Ashley is associated with Chesswise. In 2005 he wrote the Book Chess for Success, relating about his experiences and the positive aspects of chess. He was the main organiser for the HB global chess event, with the biggest cash prize in history. FIDE awarded him the grandmaster title in 1999. Ashley and Englishman James Plaskett are the only two Grandmasters to have made it to the studio stage of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, each in his respective country.
In 1993, Maurice Ashley was married to Michele Johnson, a then teacher at the Bilingual Center of P.S. 189. On June 5, 1994 the couple gave birth to Nia-Ashanti Ashley, who is currently a professional actor, writer and currently attends Fiorello H....
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