Like many of her fellow students at the University of Chicago, Darrian Robinson texts frequently, is in a sorority and likes to spend her free time binge-watching popular TV shows, like "Orange Is the New Black" and "New Girl."
But among the accomplishments that set her apart is a significant one: Robinson is currently the highest-rated female African-American chess player in the U.S., according to the U.S. Chess Federation, and at press time was ranked 1,707 overall of 54,243 players.
Q: How often do you practice?
A: Now that I'm in college, I don't practice as much as I should. But when I was younger, I'd practice a lot. I went to a specialized middle school that was very big on chess. I would practice two hours each day in school, then I'd practice with my coach once a week between an hour and two hours. Every weekend I'd play.
Q: How do you think playing chess has benefited you?
A: I think being the highest-rated African-American female chess player in the U.S. has helped me stand out from the crowd. It's something most people don't have under their belts. It helped me get into college. I remember the person who read my application to the University of Chicago came up to me during the meet-and-greet for incoming first-year students, and he remembered me immediately and that I played chess competitively.
See the interview.
But among the accomplishments that set her apart is a significant one: Robinson is currently the highest-rated female African-American chess player in the U.S., according to the U.S. Chess Federation, and at press time was ranked 1,707 overall of 54,243 players.
Q: How often do you practice?
A: Now that I'm in college, I don't practice as much as I should. But when I was younger, I'd practice a lot. I went to a specialized middle school that was very big on chess. I would practice two hours each day in school, then I'd practice with my coach once a week between an hour and two hours. Every weekend I'd play.
Q: How do you think playing chess has benefited you?
A: I think being the highest-rated African-American female chess player in the U.S. has helped me stand out from the crowd. It's something most people don't have under their belts. It helped me get into college. I remember the person who read my application to the University of Chicago came up to me during the meet-and-greet for incoming first-year students, and he remembered me immediately and that I played chess competitively.
See the interview.
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