Maurice Ashley

Analyst, commentator and emcee | Motivational speaker | Author, DVD producer, App Developer | Hall of Fame Inductee

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Traveling from:

Florida

Working Backward To Solve Problems

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Topics

People of Color Motivational Speakers Motivational Storytelling Commentators/ Pundits Coaches & Managers

Maurice Ashley

Analyst, commentator and emcee | Motivational speaker | Author, DVD producer, App Developer | Hall of Fame Inductee

Add To My Speaker List Check Fee/Availability

In-Person Fee Range:

$20,001 - $30,000

Fee Details

Traveling from:

Florida

Why Book

Made history in 1999 when he became the first African-American chess grandmaster
Provides dynamic live tournament coverage of world-class chess competitions and matches
Shares how chess principles and strategies can be applied to improve business practices and assist with personal growth

Biography

Maurice Ashley made history in 1999 when he became the first African-American chess grandmaster. He is a three-time national championship coach, author of Chess for Success: Using an Old Game to Build New Strengths in Children and Teens, ESPN commentator, iPhone app designer, puzzle inventor, and motivational speaker.

Maurice is well known for providing dynamic live tournament coverage of world-class chess competitions and matches. His high-energy, unapologetic, and irreverent commentary combines Brooklyn street smarts with professional ESPN-style sports analysis. He has covered every class of elite event, including the World Chess Championships, the US Chess Championships, the Grand Chess Tour, and the legendary “man vs. machine” matches between Garry Kasparov and IBM’s Deep Blue.

Traveling the world as an ardent spokesperson for the many character-building effects of chess, Maurice shares how chess principles and strategies can be applied to improve business practices and assist with personal growth. Maurice also acts as a master of ceremonies and inspirational speaker at business conferences and high-class chess events.

Maurice has received multiple community service awards from city governments, universities, and community groups for his work. In recognition of his immense contribution to the game, he was inducted into the US Chess Hall of Fame in 2016 and the Brooklyn Technical High School Hall of Fame in 2018.

Programs

Decision-Making Perspective: Seeing challenges from a different point of view

Chess is known as a thinking game. In order to beat your opponent you must step into their shoes and think about how they think. In this compelling speech, Maurice shows how to transfer the chess move thought process and adapt that same way of thinking to the critical decisions you make in business and life. This fascinating session will help you shift your decision-making perspective and adapt your thinking in ways you never expected.

Working Backward to Solve Problems

Ashley expounds upon the value of chess as a tool to hone the mind. He begins by waving off the misperception, common among non-chess-players, that grandmasters “see ahead” ten, twenty, or thirty moves into the game, then goes on to explain that the sharpest players do it not by looking forward, but by looking backward. Providing examples of how using this sort of “retrograde analysis,” combined with pattern recognition, he applies the lessons of a Grandmaster to the challenges leaders face when making high-level decisions.