Nationwide — Meet Jessica Hyatt, the highest-rated African American female chess player ever and the youngest African-American woman to earn the National Master title. At just 19, she’s already rewriting chess history and inspiring a new generation of young Black girls.
Jessica’s journey began in Brooklyn, New York City, where she was introduced to chess through Chess in the Schools, a nonprofit that teaches the game to students in underserved communities. Her rating keeps rising, and her chess skills have earned her over $40,000 in college scholarships, according to Duchess International Magazine.
As a teenager, she was already beating older, more experienced opponents. In 2019, she took home the New York State Scholastic Championship title. By 2023, she became the KCF All-Girls Nationals Champion and a five-time member of the USA National Youth Team. That same year, at the World Youth Chess Championship, she held a draw against top-seeded Liya Kurmangaliyeva despite being rated 1818.
Jessica has also made headlines by defeating grandmasters. In 2021, she beat Grandmaster Michael Rohde, and followed up in 2022 by taking down chess prodigy Grandmaster Abhimanyu Mishra, joining a very small group of African-American women to ever beat a grandmaster.
In 2024, she was ranked the No. 1 18-year-old girl in the U.S. In June, she showcased her talent at a simultaneous exhibition hosted by the Detroit Institute of Arts and won every game. Two months later, she became the youngest African American woman to earn the National Master title, just one month after Shama Yisrael became the first.
But Jessica’s mission extends beyond personal wins. She wants to mentor girls of color and open doors in a game where Black women are still underrepresented. She aims to prove what’s possible when talent meets opportunity.