I have been playing chess for over 10 years, however, I didn’t start playing competitively until I was in high school. I founded the chess team and by my senior year I was ranked the 41st young woman in the nation by the United States Chess Federation.

After accepting a full ride to a university in DC, I was offered a position to teach chess professionally for the largest chess academy in the country.

Eventually, I was promoted to help oversee their operations in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. I trained and evaluated instructors, handled scheduling, logistics, equipment, taught classes, and ran summer camps across the country.

However, I realized most of the students and people I was working with did not share my diversity. I came to view chess as the ultimate tool to help students in their cognitive development.

To me, it was clearly evident that students of color and children of low socioeconomic status needed this form of instruction the most. I ended up leaving the company I was working for to found what was then called Young Kings and Queens so I could target young women and minorities.

With hard work and dedication, we filed in the state of New York under Young Royalty Chess Academy in October of 2019.  

Young Royalty Chess  Academy Founder, Danielle Little