Ashley moved to Brooklyn, New York, with his family when he was 12 years old. He soon took up chess and excelled at the game, becoming a national master in 1986 and an International Master in 1993. From 1991 to 1997 Ashley was the chess director of the Harlem Educational Activities Fund, Inc., where he led teams to three scholastic national championships—three of his players also won the individual national championships for their age groups. In 1997 Ashley refocused his efforts on improving his own chess and spent the next two years studying and playing full-time in international tournaments in order to fulfill the necessary grandmaster “norms.” After earning his International Grandmaster title in 1999, Ashley returned to coaching and community action by becoming the first director of the Harlem Chess Center (closed in 2002 due to lack of funds).
Maurice Ashley
Chess Grandmaster living life to the fullest. New Chessable course: The Secrets of Chess Geometry
