In the game of chess, the queen controls the most squares, and this young African-American chess player is currently making all the right moves. The talented 19-year-old woman from Brooklyn, Jessica Hyatt, was recently recognized as the highest-rated African American female chess player in U.S. history. In 2024, she became the youngest African American woman to cross the 2200 US Chess rating threshold. She is also only the second African-American woman to achieve that distinction.
The Rise of the Talented African American Chess Player
Jessica Hyatt initially honed her abilities through the school chess programs in New York, where her coaches recognized and nurtured her talents. This led to her winning a Daniel Feinberg Success in Chess Award of $40,000 while she was still attending high school. In 2019, she won the trophy for the 2019 New York State Scholastic Championship. In 2023, she went on to win the KCF All-Girls Nationals in addition to representing Team USA at the World Youth Championships. Her big breakthrough, though, was at the Marshall Chess Club in August 2024. It was there that she surpassed 2200 and secured the title of National Master.
The young African American chess player has even logged exhibition wins over grandmasters. In an exhibition play, she has defeated both GM Michael Rohde and prodigy GM Abhimanyu Mishra. These are significant achievements considering the challenges African American women face in the world of sports. In this field, access to resources and sponsorship has typically been uneven when compared to their male counterparts. Local coverage of her success has also noted that after crossing 2200, Hyatt ranked among the top women in the United States and now has her sights set on bigger titles.
Why Her Rise in the Chess World Is Important
Hyatt’s rise comes during a time when there is more attention being paid to racial and gender equality in chess. The United States had never had an African American woman National Master until July of last year. Shama Yisrael from Florida was the first to break that barrier, with Hyatt following a month later. This led her to become the youngest to achieve this title, followed by becoming the highest-rated. While this is encouraging news, there is still a long way to go as far as representation in the sport is concerned. At the moment, women make up less than 10% of rated players around the world.
At just 19, Jessica Hyatt is reshaping American chess. She won the 2019 New York State Scholastic Championship and the 2023 KCF All-Girls Nationals, and is a five-time USA National Youth Team member. She currently holds the record as the highest-rated African female chess player. pic.twitter.com/lZkIAo9gsr
— Africa Hall Of Fame (@Afrihalloffame) July 11, 2025
US Chess has created various events, initiatives, and mentorship programs with the goal of increasing female participation in the sport. This is why Hyatt’s growth not only serves as a source of inspiration but also an important step in the overall expansion of their efforts. The talented African American chess player has not only been focusing on her personal ratings, though. She has also participated in various community events, such as a simultaneous exhibition at the Detroit Institute of Arts in 2024. There, she showed younger players what mastering chess looks like up close and in person.
Chess and African American Culture
Chess has a long history in many black communities. Chess street tables can be found all over Chicago and New York, and people meet up in barbershops and church basements to both play and learn from each other. In 1999, Maurice Ashley became the first African American grandmaster, proving to all that these titles were attainable, no matter your background. Currently, a new generation of young African American chess players is expanding on those initial successes, and people like Rochelle Ballantyne, Shama Yisrael, and Jessica Hyatt are leading the charge.
There are also several other areas beyond chess where young African-Americans are currently breaking through. For example, Harvard’s Lauren Scruggs won silver in the individual women’s foil and gold (team) at Paris 2024. In tennis, Coco Gauff captured the 2023 U.S. Open when she was only 19 years of age, the first teen in the United States to do so since Serena. In figure skating, Starr Andrews became the first African American woman to medal in singles on the Grand Prix circuit, winning silver at Skate Canada 2022.
The Bottom Line
Jessica Hyatt’s success story is not just a personal one; it also represents the emergence of a whole new generation of African American chess players. It takes considerable courage and determination to become the highest-rated African American woman, and countless younger people will no doubt look up to her as an example of what they can achieve in their own lives. Just as in chess, her progress will be determined by her determination, passion, and ability to always think two steps ahead. Her story is one of many examples of how African Americans are currently breaking through preconceptions surrounding race and gender in sports.
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