Kenneth Clayton Explained

Country:	United States
Birth Date:	26 July 1938
Birth Place:	Washington, D.C.
Death Place:	Maryland, U.S.
Candidate Master (2009)
Peakrating:	2240 (January 1980)

Kenneth Roger Clayton^[1] (July 26, 1938 – December 26, 2017) was an American chess master. He won US Amateur Chess Championship in 1963. He attended Harvard University. His picture was on the cover of the June 1963 issue of Chess Life magazine.^[2]

Clayton, along with Walter Harris and Frank Street Jr., have been regarded as pioneers of African-Americans in chess in the 1960s.^[3]

Clayton held the FIDE title of Candidate Master and the USCF title of National Master. He died of Alzheimer’s on December 26, 2017.^[4]

References

• The seminal article on the history of black chess masters appeared on the Chess Drum website Gregory S. Kearse, A Brief History of Black Chess Masters in America, Chess Life Magazine, July 1998.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Kenneth Clayton, chess pioneer (1938-2017). December 28, 2017. Daaim. Shabazz.
2. Chess Life, June 1963, p. 140
3. Web site: Black History in Chess.
4. Web site: Black History Month 2022-Day 27: Kenneth Clayton. February 27, 2022. Daaim. Shabazz.