Welcome to Breaking Down Patriarchy. I'm Amy McPhee All of Best. How much do you know about chess,

about the game itself, about the history of the game, the top players, the culture in the chess world,

the race and gender dynamics in chess? I'll admit that if it weren't for my husband's career in chess,

I might not have ever discovered this incredible game and this

fascinating world, nor would I have met some of the most inspiring people I've ever had the

honor to meet. One of these people is Grandmaster Maurice Ashley, who recently came out with a book

called Move by Move. And I'm so excited to talk today with Maurice Ashley.

Thanks for being here, Maurice.

Amy, thanks so much for having me.

I'm really excited for this conversation.

I'll first introduce you with a really brief professional biography,

and then we'll dig into your story more personally after that.

Maurice Ashley is an American chess player, author, and commentator.

In 1999, he earned the Fide title of Grandmaster, making him the first black person to do so.

Ashley is well known as a commentator for high-profile chess events. He also spent many years teaching chess and is the

author of a children's book, The Life-Changing Magic of Chess, and Chess for Success, another book,

as well as Move by Move, which we'll be discussing today. So I know that's like just the tip of the

iceberg of all of the incredible work you've done,

but maybe you can kind of walk us through your career, but starting even earlier, Maurice,

tell us where you're from, kind of your background and what brought you into the chess world

and what brought you to do the work that you do today.

Wow, even those questions sounds like another a couple of hours just to start. But I'll say I was

...