Is Brooklyn Home to the World’s First Black Female Chess Master?

Is Brooklyn Home to the World’s First Black Female Chess Master?


The borough of Brooklyn may produce the first ever black female chess master.

17-year-old Rochelle Ballantyne, whose journey is being documented in the film, Brooklyn Castle, recently sat down with Teen Vogue to share her story.

The film tells the story of 5 chess players at Brooklyn’s I.S. 318 middle school.

Ballantyne was recently profiled in Teen Vogue and spoke about her love for chess and how she got started.

“My grandmother taught me to play when I was in the third grade. I was really active as a child, and she wanted to find a way to keep me relaxed and get my brain going,” Ballantyne told Teen Vogue.

Read more at Clutch Magazine


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