The 14th of March of 1999 match played between Maurice Ashley and Adrian Negulescu is legendary for its implications: It made Maurice Ashley the first black chess Grandmaster. And by the way, the match ended with a fork: Rd8, Be4, Qf6, in favour of Maurice.

GM Pontus Carlsson is a Swedish-Colombian chess Grandmaster, entrepreneur, and social advocate known for his unique blend of elite sportsmanship and business expertise.

He became the 16th Swede to earn the GM title in 2007, remarkably achieving both his IM and GM titles within a three-year span.

He is the only player to win the Tusenmannaschacket (the world’s largest rapid tournament) three times.

He represented Sweden at the 2006 Chess Olympiad and earned an undefeated 6/9 score at the 2007 European Team Championship with a 2686 performance rating.

Carlsson founded Business Meets Chess & Kids, a non-profit initiative that connects corporate executives with underprivileged youth to foster critical thinking and networking through chess.

Additionally, he holds a Master of Science in Business Administration and Marketing and is fluent in approximately 7–10 languages, including Swedish, Spanish, English, German, French, Chinese, and Czech.

www.businessmeetschessandkids.com

Today, we are traveling back to the mid-19th century. We’re looking at a face you might have seen in a grainy, black-and-white photograph: a young man with a sharp gaze, a high collar, and a mind that could see twenty moves ahead while the world around him was trying to hold him back.

This is the story of Theophilius Thompson.

When we talk about chess, too often the narratives focus solely on a particular demographic. But the chessboard, in its purest form, is a place of equality, where intelligence, foresight, and courage are the only currencies that matter. And across Africa, women are proving themselves to be the richest among us in these assets.

For centuries, chess has been the ultimate test of the human mind. But why do the ranks of Grandmasters remain so undiverse? In the premiere episode of The Chess Talks Podcast, we peel back the layers of the 64 squares to explore the stark reality of Black underrepresentation in the game.

From the streets of Harlem to the rural villages of Africa, we dive into:

The Stats: Why less than 3% of USCF members are Black and what that means for the global game.

Ancient Roots: Rediscovering Africa’s rich strategic history, from Ethiopia’s Senterej to the math of Mancala.

The Science: How chess physically re-wires the brain, enhances neuroplasticity, and builds "Theory of Mind."

The Barrier: Why access, not talent, is the final boss for the next generation of Black masters.

Join us as we explore how to unlock the potential of the "unseen pawns" and transform the landscape of this timeless game.