He became the first African chess grandmaster in 2007
In 2001, Amon was adjudged Zambia’s Sportsman of the year, and despite the fame, he believed he needed to upgrade himself academically. He moved to the United States to study finance and economics at the University of Texas and saw this as a valuable step towards becoming a grandmaster. His dream came to fruition in 2007 when he earned the title of grandmaster, the first in Africa, and third in the world. His keenness for tactics and exceptional attacking style catapulted him into the ranks of success, according to the Chess Institute of Canada.
