Rochelle Ballantyne is an African American chess player.  She was one of the students featured in the 2012 documentary “Brooklyn Castle.”  Her United States Chess Federation rating is 2062, putting her in the 99th percentile of American junior players.  She needs to reach the rating of 2200 to become the first African American female chess master.  Now 22 years old, she has been playing chess since she was 8 years old.  Raised in New York City, Ms. Ballantyne’s grandmother taught her to play chess and she continued to hone her skills through the Chess-in-the-Schools (CIS) program at PS 139 in Brooklyn.  She won the 2012 All-Girls National Chess Championships, and was awarded full scholarships to the University of Texas and Stanford University.  She graduated from Stanford in 2016.

Ms. Ballantyne will discuss her experience as a budding chess master and will demonstrate her skills by playing 6 players simultaneously.  This event is free to the public and wheelchair accessible.  Sponsored with the assistance of the West Coast Chess Alliance.