Brooklyn teen becomes youngest Black female chess master in US history
Jessica Hyatt says now that she's surpassed 2,200 points and is among the top 30 female chess players in the country, she has her sights on becoming a chess grandmaster next.
Jessica Hyatt says she began playing chess for the very first time on a computer game at the age of 3.
"It was one of the games that I fell in love with," says Hyatt, who is now a world-renowned national chess master.
Hyatt currently holds three prestigious chess titles: National Master, Candidate Master and Woman Candidate Master - and has made history as the youngest African American female National Chess Master in U.S. history, all by the age of 19.
When asked how she felt upon making history, Hyatt admitted almost couldn't believe the magnitude of the news.
"I was excited," she said. "I didn’t even know it was a record."
In her earlier years, Hyatt enrolled at Success Academy High School of the Liberal Arts, a public charter school in Brooklyn that runs from grades K-12, where she was then re-introduced to chess through a course that taught the game.
By 10th grade, Hyatt had earned a $40,000 college scholarship, contingent on her graduating from Sucess Academy High School of the Liberal Arts.
In 2019, Hyatt swept the U/1800 section at the state championships with a perfect 6–0 record, earning the title of divisional state champion. The following year, she placed second in the All-Girls City Chess Championships, further cementing her rising status in competitive chess.
"I just play chess because it's fun," says Hyatt. "I like finding and building plans to win the game."
Hyatt proudly stands among the top 30 highest-rated female chess players in the nation, having surpassed 2200 ranking points — a clear reflection of her passion for the game, and her determination to continue to strive for more.
"Theres a lot of things to learn about chess, it's not just a game you can master, there's always something to learn," says Hyatt.
On Thursday, Hyatt will compete in two national tournaments at the legendary Marshall Chess Club in New York City, in the hope of achieving her next goal.
"I want to eventually get to Grand Master or start to train chess to a huge group of people," says Hyatt.
