NEW YORK (AP) - The first African-American to become a chess grandmaster has also become the first African-American inducted into the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame.
Maurice Ashley has been a player, a coach, an author of chess books, and a tournament commentator.
His Hall of Fame induction was held this past week at a ceremony in St. Louis. It coincided with the start of the U.S. Chess Championship, for which he was serving as a commentator.
Ashley started playing chess seriously when he was 14 years old. He reached grandmaster level in 1999, and still is the only African-American to have reached that level.
He wants to see more black players at the highest levels, and says it's been happening, slowly but surely.
