Maurice and the Black Bear School

This latest chapter of Hennessy’s Wild Rabbit campaign tells the story of Maurice Ashley, the world’s first Black chess grandmaster – a story of Black brilliance and, above all, the power of the mind. The film depicts Maurice’s ascent from wide-eyed rookie to grandmaster, transporting us into the world of ’90s Brooklyn as he hones his skills among the Black Bear School of Chess. But what begins as a chronicle of the harsh lessons of defeat becomes a voyage into the different layers of Maurice’s mind and a story of the journey he must take deep within himself to become a champion.