Why only 3 black grandmasters, none of which are American?
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GM Maurice Ashley is Jamican! Did you read the post?
Oh no, theyre not American, so they must be rubbish ;) And i would say Sweden is at least as "privileged" as America.
Ashley moved to the United States at a young age and his entire chess career has been under the US flag.
Destroyer, you are not in God’s heaven or earth going to destroy me or my post...that’s why people come on here are turned off by people like you who attempt to discourage with your negative attitude. If you have noting positive to say to make a contribution please retreat. This is a learning and teaching moment. Thank you very much!
Jan 28, 2018
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#7
TuckerTommy wrote:
Destroyer, you are not in God’s heaven or earth going to destroy me or my post...that’s why people come on here are turned off by people like you who attempt to discourage with your negative attitude. If you have noting positive to say to make a contribution please retreat. This is a learning and teaching moment. Thank you very much!
How is this a learning and teaching moment. I see nothing being learned, nothing being taught. Just you concerned with black grandmasters and where they're from.
You are good enough or you are not good enough to be a GM. Takes lots of money (studying instead of working) to devote the time and effort. Does not matter where you are from or your ethnicity.
RedGirlZ wrote:
There are many European countries that also don't have many grandmasters, It's just a cultural thing.
Smart answer by RedGirlZ!!
Jan 28, 2018
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#11
African nation's are warm all year. They don't have winter or long monsoon season to stay indoors and play chess. Other board games are not popular too.
Jan 28, 2018
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#12
tate was US born and an IM. will that do?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emory_Tate
also
http://www.thechessdrum.net/historicmoments/HM_BlackChess/
I'm not sure what the OP is getting at but people and peoples excel at something because they are motivated and have the means and environment to pursue that interest. There are indeed cultural influences and maybe these influences are really more influential than other things such a innate ability or intelligence. The U.S. chess scene was probably somewhat unwelcoming to minorities (such a women and people of color) up until the second half of the 20th century but has certainly made strides since then. Cultures do change, however slowly and painful the process might be.
Possibly of related interest: https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-players/an-interesting-photo-from-1964
Oh I know what the OP is getting at. Controversy. That's all.
Jan 28, 2018
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#15
FBloggs wrote:
Oh I know what the OP is getting at. Controversy. That's all.
actually most of the op's posts have been about chess & he has mostly nice messages on his wall. so i doubt it :-)
president_max wrote:
FBloggs wrote:
Oh I know what the OP is getting at. Controversy. That's all.
actually most of the op's posts have been about chess & he has mostly nice messages on his wall. so i doubt it :-)
I was giving him the benefit of the doubt. 
Jan 28, 2018
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#17
There is also Kenny Solomon from South Africa.
He peaked at 2461 but became a Grand Master after winning the African Chess Championship eventhough he was not at the required 2500 FIDE points.
Personally I believe it has to do with opportunity, I also believe some cultures have a natural talent for chess for some strange reason, like Russians and Jews, and I think black folks have the same natural talent it has just not been cultivated to the same extent.Every time I play a black guy I am aware of a mix of technical understanding and out of the box thinking, they pretty much play chess the same way Jon Jones fights.
There's no question that black Americans are underrepresented in tournament chess but I doubt it's because of discrimination. I would bet that it's simply because chess isn't as popular in black communities. Black Americans are also underrepresented in water sports and the reason is probably the same. Different communities have different tastes in games, sports, music, television shows, etc. There's nothing wrong with that as long as there are no racial barriers.
Thank you president max and all the recent few who post positive responses. Having completed doctoral studies successfully, I must state that this could be the topic of a dissertation study. I must state that there is a high sports motivation among African Americans therefore the discipline of remaining confined for extended periods of time to play chess is absent. The question is what can be done to change that. Every culture and race has the potential to become grandmasters. Imagine how many more Magnus Carlsen’s remain dormant.
Isn’t it a shame that in a country that is very privileged moreso than the countries from which 3 countries from which the world’s only 3 GM’s emanate, there are no black American GM’s? Does that say something about chess and it’s appeal across races and cultures? Maurice Ashley was the first (Jamaican), Pontus Carlsson (Sweden), and Amon Simutowe-Zambian! What do you think accounts for this disparity?