At 15 years, Jessica Hyatt has not only been awarded a $40,000 college scholarship, but she is on the verge of becoming the world’s first Black woman chess master!
Jessica, one of the top ten Black female chess players in the United States, recently awarded the coveted Daniel Feinberg Success in Chess Award, which includes a $40,000 college tuition.
“I play whenever I get the chance, like in my free time, like during my classes, like sometimes during classes,” Jessica told CBS News, saying that she plays at least 5 to 7 hours a day.
Jessica is a student at Success Academy, a school noted for its excellent chess programme. She met her coaches, Tyrell Harriott and David Mbonu, five years ago. Both are National Masters, the highest level in the United States.
To become a chess master, you must acquire a 2,200 ranking. Jessica is already at 1,950.
“I learned the game when I was 15, so for Jessica to be at 1,950, that’s a huge edge,” Harriot said.
With this, she hopes to become the first Black female chess master.
“There has never been a female Black player to break the master ranking and that’s what Jessica is going for,” Mbonu went on to say.
Even with the pandemic, Jessica continues to improve her chess abilities by playing online. Her mother, Loy Allen, has been very supportive of her daughter and hopes that her tale may inspire other young children of colour.
“If your kid’s passionate enough about it, have them go for it because the sky’s the limit, right?” stated Allen.
Furthermore, after accomplishing her goal of becoming a chess master, Jessica hopes to attend college at MIT and teach the game to other children.
