Maurice Ashley is a Jamaican-American chess grandmaster, author, commentator, app designer, puzzle inventor, and motivational speaker. He was born on March 6, 1966, in St. Andrew, Jamaica, and later moved to the United States.
Ashley is best known for being the first African-American to attain the grandmaster title, which he achieved in 1999. He has contributed significantly to the chess world. He is the author of the book "Chess for Success," a chess commentator for renowned tournaments, the designer of the iPhone app "Learn Chess! with Maurice Ashley," and an inventor of numerous puzzles.
His Chess career began at the University of the West Indies, after which he moved to the United States. In the U.S., he coached the Raging Rooks of Harlem and the Dark Knights, both of whom went on to win national championships under his guidance.
Ashley's notable accomplishments include his induction into the US Chess Hall of Fame in 2016, his award of the International Arbiter title in 2021, and his appointment by the Jamaica Olympics Association as the Ambassador of Chess.