Rochelle Ballantyne is best-known in the chess world as one of the star scholastic chess players featured in the excellent 2012 documentary, Brooklyn Castle, which chronicles the lives of the students and teachers  at the scholastic chess powerhouse school, IS 318 in Brooklyn, New York. In the years since that movie, Rochelle has continued to pile up impressive achievements. She earned a BA from Stanford University, a Masters of Education degree from Columbia University, and has been accepted into the New York University Law School for the fall. Rochelle also had many scholastic chess successes, she attained a peak US Chess rating of 2127, and she actively promotes chess as an educational tool. Last, but most importantly, Rochelle has long been a staunch advocate for criminal justice reform and the Black Lives Matter movement.   She shares her perspective on this movement, both as it pertains to the chess world, and to the world at large. Please enjoy our wide-ranging conversation. Timestamps and relevant links can be found below. 

 

We catch up on what Rochelle has been doing since she was featured in Brooklyn Castle. 

Mentioned: 

Elizabeth Spiegel on Perpetual Chess December 10, 2019 , 

Brooklyn Castle’s Website Lists Where You Can Watch The Movie, here: https://brooklyncastle.com/#watch1l’ 

Read Melinda Mathews’ 2018 Interview with Rochelle here: https://new.uschess.org/news/qa-rochelle-ballantyne-representation-important

 

7:00- What is the update on Rochelle’s Chess Playing? 

Mentioned: IM Greg Shahade, US Chess School

 

12:00- From her viewpoint as a woman and an African American chess player, what were Rochelle’s interactions like in the chess world? 

Mentioned: FM Justus Williams, NM James Black, FM Joshua Colas, Stanford University, 

 

23:45- A Patreon supporter of the podcast writes in to ask Rochelle how tournament players can help be supportive African American chess players.

Mentioned: Alexandra Botez shares a personal experience about sexual harassment in the chess world: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6W8EgX9Uc0   

 

29:00- The latest and greatest from Chessable is an updated and expanded comprehensive checkmate pattern course by CraftyRaf- check it out here: 

https://www.chessable.com/the-checkmate-patterns-manual/course/17841/

 

30:00- What is Rochelle’s opinion of how race relations have been handled by the US Chess Federation and other entities? 

Mentioned: Read the US CHess statement on Black Lives Matter here: 

https://www.chessable.com/the-checkmate-patterns-manual/course/17841/

Chess GIrls DC, 

Chess.com’s Peter Doggers interview series, On Racism, can be read here: 

https://www.chess.com/article/view/on-racism-nm-daniel-jones

https://www.chess.com/article/view/on-racism-gm-pontus-carlsson

https://www.chess.com/article/view/chess-racism-watu-kobese

Bill Goichberg 

 

38:00- Rochelle answers a few more listener-questions relating to education policy, both inside and outside of the chess world. 

Mentioned: IS 318 Vice Principal John Galvin, GM Maurice Ashley, Queen City Classic Chess Tournament  

 

47:00- Has Rochelle been attending any of the Black Lives Matter protests? 

Mentioned: IM Greg Shahade’s Twitter and Facebook,  

 

54:00- Does the fact that White moves first in chess have racist undertones in Rochelle’s opinion? 

Mentioned: Jen Shahade, Alexandra Botez 

 

1:00- Thanks to Rochelle, for sharing her perspective with us. Here is a list from Rochelle of Black Lives Matter causes and organizations that could use some support:

https://linktr.ee/cdr3?fbclid=IwAR1URl1PP7wBQNIF2Tt1DvYdSz_XodqZBXqJR0Vle0TGLTzdCO8jY-0n-WQ

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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