Rochelle Ballantyne of East Flatbush was revealed as a prodigy when the documentary ‘Brooklyn Castle’ chronicled the powerhouse chess program at Williamsburg’s I.S. 318. The phenom has been chasing her potential ever since.
BY Doyle Murphy
Some days, Brooklyn’s chess queen can’t help feeling like a pawn.
Rochelle Ballantyne, a former child prodigy who was featured prominently in a chess documentary as a 13-year-old, is trying to hold onto her love for the game after years of grinding through high-stakes tournaments under the pressure of soaring expectations.