Podcast Episode #2: Featuring Rochelle Ballantyne, Star of the 2012 Brooklyn Castle Documentary

Recap of our second podcast episode!

Listen to the official Queens United Chess podcast episodes on Spotify and YouTube.

Episode 2: Featuring Rochelle Ballantyne, Star of the 2012 Brooklyn Castle Documentary

Rochelle Ballantyne

Rochelle Ballantyne is an iconic, inspirational figure in the chess community.  Appearing in the 2012 documentary Brooklyn Castle, she went on to graduate from Stanford University and Columbia University, and is currently a law student at NYU where she holds numerous leadership roles in student groups including Women of Color Collective, and the Suspension Representation Project. She is currently on her way to become the first African American female chess master, and her hard work and perseverance is the driving factor that has brought her to where she is today. 

Ballantyne’s Career

Rochelle Ballantyne's chess journey began around the age of 8 to 9, when her grandmother introduced her to the game. She went on to join her elementary school’s chess club where she found herself winning against her many opponents, which sparked the start of Ballantyne’s remarkable chess career.

Throughout her career to this current day, Rochelle Ballantyne describes her mom and grandmother as being her biggest inspirations and supporters, and especially thanks her grandmother for her guidance through a journey that wouldn’t have been possible without her. 

Rochelle Ballantyne has paved the way for so many young women and people of color in the chess community, and while facing setbacks, Ballantyne describes that as one of the driving factors that inspires her to continue to keep playing, knowing the impact she has on the lives of so many individuals. She is currently training to become the first African American female chess master, and hopes to achieve this goal in the near future. 

Brooklyn Castle Documentary:

In junior high, Rochelle Ballantyne starred in the 2012 Brooklyn Castle documentary. Rochelle describes the main purpose of the documentary to be highlighting the story of her junior high school chess team, and how they progressed from being the underdogs, to winning national championships. Ballantyne hopes that through this documentary, more people understand the importance of education for children, and how important it is to fund that education so children can be exposed to a variety of activities. 

Ballantyne’s Impact

Rochelle Ballantyne is, and will always be recognized as an influential chess player, who has inspired so many women and people of color into the chess community. She is an advocate, and strives to encourage the necessary conversations the chess community needs to have in order to be more accessible and inclusive. We thank her for everything she’s done, and continues to do for underrepresented chess players of all ages across the country!

Want to learn more about Rochelle Ballantyne and her incredible journey? Tune in to the full interview on our Spotify and YouTube!