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IM Emory Tate, 1958-2015

  • FM MikeKlein
  • on 10/18/15, 4:58 AM.

Not every chess legend has "GM" before his name. IM Emory Tate used an uncompromising style and indefatigable h-pawn throughout his multi-continental career.

His energy on and of the board finally came to an end Saturday, dying in the middle of a game at a chess tournament near San Jose, CA. The news was confirmed by Chess.com late Saturday night by GM Cristian Chirila.

[Image right courtesy Panthena Open]

Tate was many things -- a trailblazing African-American player, a decorated U.S. Air Force champion, a gambler, a boaster, a fearsome attacker, and a loving dad.

He is survived by two sons and one daughter: Andrew, 28, Tristan, 27, and Janine, 25. Andrew Tate, a professional kickboxer, told Chess.com, "My dad taught me everything. Absolutely everything. And my fighting style in the ring mimics his on the board.

"When I was first learning to kickbox he would get mad at me for having my hands up. He would say I’m not a turtle and I have nothing to hide from. We focused on offense. I still fight with my hands down and head movement. All out attack."

Dr. Daaim Shabazz, editor of the The Chess Drum, has chronicled the career of Tate and wrote this about the man on his web site: "A swashbuckling tactician who will try to slash you to bits as brilliantly as possible." Upon his death, Shabazz told Chess.com Tate was a "special player who shared generosity of himself and talents."

Emory Tate plays a simul this summer at a chess camp. (Photo courtesy Chris Torres, Chess Musings)

Rank-and-file players who met Tate at a tournament would often be treated to an impromptu recreation of how he'd just beaten a grandmaster using some sort of aggressive system. There was no slowing Tate down until the end.

"Emory Tate was absolutely a trailblazer for African-American chess," GM Maurice Ashley said. His super tactical style as well as his incredibly entertaining post mortems were legendary. His charisma and charm captivated anyone who met him, and his love for chess permeated every pore of his being."

Tate in 2000. He once told this reporter that he was influenced by the only chess book he'd ever read, "The Art of Attack in Chess" by IM Vladimir Vukovic. (Photo courtesy Daaim Shabazz, The Chess Drum)

Seated at his board Saturday with a view of the restrooms, Chirila said, "During the first round of the afternoon he came out of the restroom, mumbled 'Call 911,' and the next second he collapsed." He said he did not sense anything wrong with Tate in the opening two rounds of the tournament.

According to Chirila, play stopped at the GM Sam Shankland Championship and players exited the tournament room. Bay Area Chess Director of Enrichment Abel Talamantez phoned for help and "players tried to give him first aid." Chirila added that the fire department arrived within five to 10 minutes.

The tournament resumed after one hour but Chirila said after "watching [Tate] collapse like that" he was merely "pushing the pieces" when the tournament resumed. 

Tate had 1.5/2 to open the tournament and his last game necessarily went down as a loss to Expert Yuan Wang.

He will be remembered as the most decorated U.S. serviceman in chess history. Tate won the U.S. Armed Forces Championship five times in the 1980s. His wins chronicled his rise through the U.S. Air Force, as his first came as a senior airman, he second as a sergeant, and the final three as a staff sergeant. 

Tate, stationed at Ft. Meade, Maryland, accepts the first Colonel Haskell Small trophy from the namesake's widow in 1984 after winning his second U.S. Armed Forces Championship. (photo courtesy U.S. Chess Federation)

The Chicago native grew up in Indiana but hopped back to the Windy City often to play chess. He eventually would win the Indiana State Championship six times as well.

Tate crisscrossed the U.S. in the 1990s, playing in open tournaments from coast to coast. His U.S. Chess profile page lists more than 600 tournaments just since 1991.

He also had a penchant for a peripatetic lifestyle, spending months in Europe and often clustering tournaments in one area. His peak published U.S. Chess rating reached 2499 in 1997 (he made 2500 in his live rating after the U.S. Masters that year), but curiously his FIDE topped out nearly a decade later at 2413, allowing him to earn the international master title just before his 50th birthday. Fittingly, he earned his final norm at an open tournament (the World Open in 2006).

Andrew Tate said this of his father's ascetic lifetsyle: "He was a man who was at home in his own skin. He didn’t need or want a house or a car or a little garden to feel at home. He was happy anywhere...He didn’t have a wife or a lot of material possessions but he was a genius. Make no mistake -- not only in chess, at everything."

He rarely held back his beliefs. Within the last week he posted on his Facebook page about police brutality and other topical issues, claiming that he was thrice beaten by police.

His Wikipedia page advertises more than 80 grandmasters wins (which is likely even lower than his final lifetime amount). Here's one from early in his career where Tate refuses to accept that his queen will not prevail. In the final position, 61. Qh2+ wins a piece, so Black resigned.

Tate treated minor pieces like pawns -- sacrificing them caused him no greater concern than dropping a penny. He also loved Open Sicilians, and often his opponents never made it out of the opening. 

After son Andrew won an Indiana State Championship himself at the age of five, Emory played his son without looking at the board but while making dinner. Tate won in a Sicilian.

His most oft-quoted game may be this one. Against a top grandmaster, he offered a knight for long-term play. As was typical, he threw ever piece of wood on the fire until his opponent's king was incinerated:

His lack of formal training caught many off guard, but occassionally this worked against him too. Tate was once checkmated by GM Alex Yermolinsky in nine moves. Ever the connoisseur of a lightning attack, Tate allowed the mate to appear on board. 

Tate (left) with RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan in 2009. (Photo Erik K. Arnold via The Chess Drum)

This next game comes with a few asterisks. It was played at a time control of G/30 and it came when his opponent was yet to reach master, but Tate still punished GM Fabiano Caruana's queen sortie convincingly. See if you can do the same:

Tate played in one U.S. Championship in 2006. Typical of his style, in nine games he drew exactly none (+4-5=0). His biggest win came against GM Varuzhan Akobian where the underdog played much more restrained than usual, but he still got around to sacrificing a piece eventually.


In his final year of life, he played several events in Bulgaria, captured his final first place in the Netherlands, then played several tournaments in the Bay Area of California including his last.

This is the game that clinched his final tournament win. Tate was still pushing his h-pawn until the end:



IM Emory Tate, middle, posing for a winner's picture after taking the Panthena Open this year in Rotterdam. (Photo courtesy official site)

Later in life he began coaching, and according to Shabazz, he was still reaching for the grandmaster title (presumably the World Senior Championship would have been the best avenue, as at the time of death his FIDE had fallen to the 2200s).

Tate proudly poses with a student. (Photo courtesy Chris Saito)

In the mid-1990s, he stayed in North Carolina for a short time, where this reporter grew up. I saw Tate use a backgammon "doubling cube" for cash blitz games, a new one for me that produced wonderment. He regaled audiences with bombastic replays of his latest wins, leading to more than the usual fear when I sat across to play him.

We fought over the board three times. This encounter, our first, was indicative of his entire career. If you play an kingside fianchetto as Black, Tate was nearly obligated to play h4 in the first 10 moves, sometimes sooner.

Little did I know that my wayward idea of winning an early piece only helped expedite the attack. Tate used every bullet in his gun and I consider this one of the lucky escapes of my career:

His h-pawn could charge as Black just as easily, as he showed in this scalp against a three-time U.S. Champion:


Stories and memorials poured in on social media late Saturday and early Sunday. Many spoke of the "hole" that will be there at open tournaments across the U.S.

Chess teacher NM Craig Jones called Tate "the most charismatic and entertaining player ever" in American chess history.

Our own Vice President, IM Daniel Rensch: "If anyone wants to see the greatest game ever played, give me a chessboard and gather round" - Emory Tate, immediately after walking into the skittles room at the National Open (I can't remember the year... but I could not have been more than 13 or 14 years old).

This was my first experience of the man. What the game might have lacked in substance (regarding his claim), he easily made up for with his entertaining, colorful, hilarious and very often crude (bordering on vulgar) analysis. He controlled the room for the next hour. He had a lasting affect on me and my feelings that chess analysis could and SHOULD be a fun, entertaining and enjoyable experience for all.

Emory truly was a legend. I had the pleasure of playing him several times, with every game ending in a spectacular (and I mean spectacular) draw. But even more than his moves on the board, his presence off the board was always felt, in any and every tournament hall he entered. He will be missed.

Frequent Chess.com and ChessKid.com contributor FM Todd Andrews mentioned a period when Tate lived in Alabama and his pride in a dominant Southern player. The Tennessean wrote that after Tate's whiskey drinking: "I would soak up his animated annotations on chess, tactics and what most would consider a twisted glance of the world. I believed that Emory believed every word he said. I saw a truth in his convictions...While he was no stranger to controversy, he also knew how to encourage. We traveled the Northeast together. We both found ways to hustle up gas money to get to the next event. We got lost and somehow found our way back again. He was always proud of his children."

Grandmaster Jesse Kraai, also of Northern California (where Tate's final U.S. Chess address was): "Really bummed to learn that Emory Tate collapsed playing a game today. He was one of those guys everyone liked to talk about, but no one really understood."

IM Stuart Rachels, former U.S. Champion: "Tate was a lunatic, a creative genius, a 2400 with more talent than a hundred GMs or a single [Kamran] Shirazi. Underneath he was disarmingly sweet, even timid."

GM Sam Shankland, whose name was attached to Tate's final tournament: "Emory Tate was his own description. Those who knew him or encountered him could never really describe him in words. He lived as a legend of sorts, immune to adjectives, you just had to experience him or hear some stories about him to get the tiniest glimpse into who this man was. He definitely was a person who treaded that commonly described fine line between brilliance and insanity, and in that way he reminded me a little of Bobby Fischer."

More from GM Maurice Ashley to Chess.com: "He was an inspiration to me early on in my career as his no holds barred approach against any opponent showed an utter fearlessness that one could only hope to emulate. I'll never forget the 'bite the bullet' tongue lashing he gave me when he insisted I switch from 1.c4 to 1.e4, despite my protestations that I was in no way prepared to make such a radical change. Good thing I listened to him as it altered the trajectory of my game and proved to be just what I needed to broaden my approach to chess. He was always ready to dole out such advice, whether the listener was ready to hear it or not. No one will ever say that he was not a fully authentic human being. Emory was always Emory, damned whoever was watching."

They played only twice; of their first meeting, Ashley said, "The final position is amusing: we had nothing left to sacrifice and reluctantly had to accept a draw! We actually chuckled at each other, two fighters gaining much respect for each other's attitude at the board."


"Players like him do not come along every day, every month, every year. He was one in a generation, and he will be thought of, always, with a chuckle and a smile. No doubt he is challenging Tal to some blitz right now. May he rest in peace."

Andrew Tate posted this on his Facebook page: "He is the smartest man I have ever met bar none. People called him crazy. But I understood him. And regardless of his abnormal thinking he turned me into a brilliant person. You can't argue with the methods if the result is flawless. And he was a world level chess master who gave me the skill I needed to live a life worth living. It is impossible to replace a man like him. Everyone thinks their father is special I'm sure, but my dad genuinely was. Our last conversation was the beginning of a poem. I will finish it myself in the coming days. First I have tears to shed. RIP Emory Andrew Tate."

Andrew related his father's favorite quote to Chess.com: "My unmatched perspicacity, coupled with my sheer indefatigability, combine to make me a feared opponent in any realm of human endeavor."

22263 reads 105 comments
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Comments


  • 4 hours ago

    TomHaegin

    Only the good die young. R.I.P.

  • 14 hours ago

    Samantha212

    God Bless you Master Tate for the inspiration you left behind.

    Your dedication and passion to the game will continue to influence those who knew you and those who are yet to learn of your accomplishments.   Rest in Peace

  • 15 hours ago

    brutussluggo

    Emory and I were good friends and spent a lot of time together while we were stationed together in the Air Force.  I have many fond memories of him and our adventures together.  He told me several years ago that he knew his life would not end well. I asked him why he said that.  He said to me  "When you screw up the opening and the middle game then you are going to have a bad endgame".  I will greatly miss Emory.  

  • 21 hours ago

    power_2_the_people

    cool enough! where is hollywood when we need them? Laughing

  • 21 hours ago

    chessdrummer

    [COMMENT DELETED]
  • 26 hours ago

    ddmeltzer8

    He will probably get his own memorial-tournament in a year or two,three at topps.

    He definetly deserve one.

    (there might be a problem with it since he wasnt a GM,though)

  • 28 hours ago

    beardown12

    Our  Twin  Ports  Chess Club  had  a TPCC  Emory  Tate  Memorial Tournament  10/19/2015  ..  can  be  found  on  USCF  site..  we  hope  to  see  a  much  larger  tournament  for the  same  purpose    . 

  • 28 hours ago

    Middleagedgenius

    Emory was brash and antogonistic when we were competitors in an early 80's Air Force chess tournament and he summarily crushed me in our encounter when I mistakenly assumed this attacker could be attacked.  But he was supportive and genial when we were team mates at the Armed Forces tournament that followed.  He won that tournament and we, his team mates, rode on his shoulders to the team championship.  Emory was the most fearsome opponent I ever faced.  His intensity at the board was palpable.  He remains the most memorable chess player I ever met.  My condolences to his family and friends.  May he rest in piece.

  • 33 hours ago

    MaxxLange

    I am deeply saddened by his loss. A brilliant and unforgettable man. Rest in peace. 

  • 33 hours ago

    ddmeltzer8

    I didnt know the man,never even saw him,but for what I could gather hi musthave been a "giant".

    My condolancies to evryone who knew him.

    This is a HUGE loss for chess!

    R.I.P.   Emory Tate(brilliant player)

  • 39 hours ago

    DRAGONHUNTERZ

    Emory Tate used to be one of the most funnest chess coaches I ever met. Being a good coach with a sense on humor but taught wisley and strong. His teaching made me memorize all the most common openings(Fried Liver, Scholars, Relo Pez, Sicilian and much more). My friend got lessons from him and he would say "Coach Emory is an AWESOME coach!". I would agree with him and try to sneak in a game or two after a lesson with Tate but never did.Frown Coach Emory is still my most favorite coach. (He might be playing Bobby Fischer as I'm typing this) RIP Emory Tate

    From, 

    Jetson at Achievments Academy

  • 40 hours ago

    Eeswarking

    I saw all of this, speechless... I Eeswar Kurli (played AB) think that he was Bobby Fischer"s Brother. He was one of the best players to watch. The round before the incident he played with me and my friends. I couldn't think that round about the game. Let him rest in peace...(he is probably destroying Tal as we speak right now)

  • 46 hours ago

    esteger1

    Emory was one-of-a-kind, and that was okay since the world couldn't have handled two of them. For all the trouble he might have been in, might have caused, or merely just imagined, he was a good soul and Inspirational coach. He never lost sight of the fact that chess is fun, and that was his greatest message, now legacy. Rest in peace my friend.

  • 2 days ago

    coenj

    Mr. Tate participated in the BPB Limburg Open (The Netherlands) in May of this year. The organisation wishes to express her condolances to his family and friends.

  • 2 days ago

    BornAmish

    Emory Tate used to stay at my house in Indianapolis for chess tournaments and some times we'd talk to the early hours of the morning. The comments I've read pretty much try to paint a picture of who this man is, but words don't do him justice. I recall some of the unbelievable stories & things he would bring up, but never was able to prove/disprove. One night, we were eating at a Japanese restaurant, Ginza, on the west side and at our table was four other people (two couples). Emory started a conversation with everyone (that's Emory!) and somewhere along the line said he spoke Spanish & Russian. Well, one of the other guys starts talking in Spanish and Emory converses with him fluently in Spanish. Then, the other one speaks what appears to be Russian! Without missing a beat speaking Spanish, Emory goes into a Russian exchange with our comrads!! I'll never forget that. Emory Tate was a genuine human being and never compromised. Brilliant isn't the word to describe him. Genius isn't the word. Insane isn't either. Emory Tate is an experience. You just have to experience him to know. I am thankful to having experienced him. RIP Emory Tate...Fearlessly Uncompromising Emory Tate.

  • 2 days ago

    chessdrummer

    I have received the funeral arrangement for chess legend International Master Emory Andrew Tate, Jr. They are as follows:

    Saturday, October 24th 2015
    Old Union Grove Church,
    864 County Road 17
    Banks, Alabama 36005

    Wake at 11am and Funeral at 12.

  • 2 days ago

    beardown12

    Four  members  of  our  rather  remote  chess  club,  Twin  Ports  Chess  Club,  knew  Emory  Tate.. Last  night we  had  our  "TPCC  Emory Tate  Memorial  Tournament"..  a few of  us  exchanged  reminiscences..

    Obscurely  to some,  he  maintained  e-mail  contact  with  the  legendary  "Myshkin"  which  to  the  many  who  understand  reference  means  a  great  deal...

  • 2 days ago

    Omtaga

    I remember the first time I met Emory Tate.

    I grew up in the backwoods of Indiana and didn't know a soul I couldn't beat. So when I was old enough, I moved to Indianapolis in the hopes that I would find other chess players. Sure enough I caught news of the Indiana State Chess Championship and showed up the night before for some skittles games. I was beating everyone left and right when the organizers came up to me and said they were trying to arrange a quick tournament and asked if I would like to join.

    I didn't know anything about ratings, openings, pawn structure, pigs on the seventh or an isolated pawn but I could rip a king off the board. I won the first couple of games in the tournament and soon found myself matched with a quiet young black man. He demolished me in about 25 moves. I sat there stunned, I had never had my ass handed to me like that in chess, ever.

    Emory reset the board, I was confused, I thought he was wanting to play again. He started playing our game over from memory. He played through the opening several times with me, showing me the best lines. After a few minutes he got up and left quickly. I felt humiliated.

    The next day Emory won the Indiana State Championship and I realized how lucky I was to have played him. To this day, I wish I had another chance to play against Tate. Maybe I'd make it 26 moves and he could show me something new again.

    Rest in peace Master Tate.

  • 2 days ago

    lleznram

    rip emory tate

  • 2 days ago

    bfltony

    I met Emory in the Air Force and we would practice playing for upcoming Air Force tourneys and we would travel together throughout Europe. I can remember before a tournment the night before we would play each other with no pieces on the board. (Of course he would win) He was a brillant chess player who had no fear.  He was often misunderstood but he loved the game.  What more can you say about a person who is doing what they loved. 

    Yes he was brash and often said the wrong things for the buttoned up chess players.  I recall playing in Germany and there was a crowd watching him play as always, and he stops and says Tony I going to play the scalded dog version of the Sicilian.  I am looking at him like what..his reply was in this version his King will run around the board like a scalded dog. Funny and Tate but maybe that is not something you should say before you make a move.

    Lastly the funny thing about Tate was you knew he would make a move that would not make any sense to the natural eye but because of his greatness you would not question it.  I was at one tourney with him and he was getting ready to play somebody and he would say I got to get this guy out of the book and H4 will do it. His chess play and the person proved one thing to us you can be different and great. 

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