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
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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.