9Queens 7th Annual Chess Fest!

Hola, darlings!

I have just finished shopping online for the items to go into the gift bags for the top female finisher in each of the Open and Reserve Sections at the upcoming Hales Corners Chess Challenge XIX on April 12th.  I LUV shopping online - so easy!

Received in my in-box this morning an announcement from the 9Queens organization, based in Tucson, Arizona, founded by Jean Hoffman and Jennifer Shahade.  Jean is currently the Executive Director of the U.S. Chess Federation and continues her close association with 9Queens, while co-founder Jennifer Shahade, a two-time women's U.S. Chess Champion, continues to make special chess appearances and delights us all with her savvy and salient commentary at various U.S. chess events, often paired with GM Ben Feingold and GM Maurice Ashley, in addition to her work for the U.S. Chess Federation -- see her latest there, by the way:

Jennifer on Ted X, Toys and Chess Networks

By Jennifer Shahade

March 2, 2014 ...and she plays high stakes poker, too. Oh, did I mention she has also written a couple of best-selling chess books?  And is on the Board of Directors of the U.S. Chess Museum and Hall of Fame in St. Louis, Missouri, which is located across the street from the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis.  It's a beautiful area and the museum, it's fabulous!  Go visit -- but not in August -- too damn hot and humid. Back to that email announcement from 9Queens!  Here are some of the particulars, and it looks like it is stacking up to be the biggest and bestest yet: On April 26, 2014 from 12-3 pm, Hotel Congress will play host to 9 Queens 7th Annual Chess Fest, a community wide celebration, with special guest 19 year old Rochelle Ballantyne. Featured in the inspirational documentary Brooklyn Castle, Rochelle sits on the verge of history as she becomes the first African-American female chess Master. "Rochelle is the perfect embodiment of what the 9 Queens Player of the Year Award is about. She represents an individual with incredible passion for the game and someone who has shared her talents with youth in her community. She serves as a fantastic role model for how hard work and dedication pay off, and can ultimately lead someone to achieving their dreams.    - Amanda Mateer Women's Fide Master and recipient of the 2013 9 Queens Player of the Year Award    Goddesschess fans, if you have not yet seen the remarkable documentary Brooklyn Castle, which has aired on PBS, please find it and watch it.  I cannot say enough about the people behind the making of this documentary and the dedicated people who work with the young people at IS 318 in Brooklyn, day in and day out.  It is one of the most incredibly successful chess programs in the United States and PROVES that just because a child comes from a disadvantaged background doesn't mean that child is stupid or lazy and cannot excel.  I am a big Rochelle Ballantyne fan.  Ms. Ballantyne, now 19 (I believe) currently attends Stanford University.  Dedicated, resourceful, talented, powerfully driven -- all of these things are Rochelle Ballantyne:   File photo from 2012, included in New York Daily News article 01/06/2014.   The 9Queens 7th Annual Chess Fest is doing a fundraiser right now.  9Queens' goal is to raise $5,000 toward the costs of holding the 9Queens 7th Annual Chess Fest in Tucson by April 19, 2014.  So far, $2,066 has been raised, so they're nearly half way to their goal!  I hope you will consider making a donation to 9Queens for this event.  Any donation, no matter how small you may think it, add up to making this Festival possible for the women and kids of Tucson.  For U.S. citizens, donating to this U.S. approved charitable/educational institution, your contribution is tax-deductible if you itemize your deductions on Schedule A.

Rochelle Ballantyne Simul

From USCF

Ballantyne Performs Simul in DC for Chess-in-the-Schools Day

By Gavin Francis

April 23, 2013 The Council of the District of Columbia passed a resolution this month proclaiming April 18, 2013, to be “Chess in the Schools Day” in the District. Councilmember Tommy Wells presented a copy of the proclamation to U.S. Chess Center president David Mehler at a reception honoring Rochelle Ballantyne, the 17-year-old chess star from New York City who was featured in the documentary film Brooklyn Castle.   Rochelle Ballantyne performs a 20-board simultaneous  exhibition at the Town Hall Education Arts and Recreation Center (THEARC). While in Washington, Ballantyne, played a 20-board simul against D.C. public school students at the Town Hall Education Arts and Recreation Center. She also met with students and educators at local schools to promote the benefits of learning chess. Her visit to the nation's capital was co-sponsored by the Washington Teachers' Union, whose president, USCF member Nathan Saunders, supports using chess as a tool to promote higher academic achievement. Ballantyne is graduating this year from Brooklyn Tech High School this year and will attend Stanford University on a full scholarship in the fall. Her recent performance at Super Nationals puts her rating at just over 2100, pushing her closer to her goal of becoming the first African-American female master. Ballantyne's appearance and the District Council's proclamation were part of a larger initiative by the U.S. Chess Center, a local nonprofit charity that teaches chess to at-risk children as a means of improving their academic and social skills. The Chess Center has initiated chess programs in more than 80 D.C. public schools and taught approximately 30,000 children the rules, strategy, and etiquette of the game since its founding in 1992.

Rising Up the Ranks: Chess Femme Rochelle Ballantyne

Brooklyn teen Rochelle Ballantyne on path to become 1st black female chess master

by Yesha Callahan, Clutch Magazine | October 29, 2012 at 4:30 PM

 

From Clutch Magazine: Rochelle Ballantyne, 17, of Brooklyn is taking the chess world by storm. She is on the verge of becoming the first African-American female chess master and her journey has been documented in the film, Brooklyn Castle. Brooklyn Castle tells the stories of five members of the chess team at I.S. 318 middle school in Brooklyn. The film follows the challenges these kids face in their personal lives as well as on the chessboard, and is as much about the sting of their losses as it is about the anticipation of their victories. Ironically, the biggest obstacle thrust upon them arises not from other competitors but from recessionary budget cuts to all the extracurricular activities at their school.

Rochelle Ballantyne

Ballantyne was recently profiled in Teen Vogue and talked about her rise in the chess world and her motivation. “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. “When I first started playing, she introduced to me the idea of being the first African-American female chess master. I didn’t think about it much because for me it seemed like an impossible feat, and I didn’t think it could happen. I wasn’t as focused and dedicated as I am now. I didn’t think I was a good chess player—people told me I was, but it wasn’t my mentality at that moment. But then after she died, that really affected me, because she was the one person that always had confidence in me. She never pushed me, and she always respected me for who I was. I have to reach that goal for her.”

Read the rest of this story on Clutch Magazine.