Medina Parrilla wins All-Girls title!

Medina Parrilla

News just in from Rodney ThomasMedina Parrilla wins the All-Girls invitational sponsored by the Kasparov Chess Foundation. Parrilla won the under-18 section and by virtue of her victory, she wins a scholarship to University of Texas at Dallas. Parrilla beat top-seed Courtney Jamison to take top honors. (See results here.)

According to Thomas, Jim Stallings presented her the scholarship which is valued at over $65,000 for an out-of-state student. Several players of African descent have done well including a win by Stephanie Ballom in 2004. Ballom is now at Texas Tech.

About 200 players registered and competed in six age groups (under-18, under-16, under-14, under-12, under-10, under-8). Parrilla, a Bronx native, has been one of the top-rated girls for the past five years and has anchored the DeWitt Clinton High School team. Last weekend she competed in the National High School championships in Atlanta, Georgia. This win should put her close to 2000 USCF rating and she would be the third Black female to accomplish this since Baraka Shabazz and Colette McGruder.

Photo by Elizabeth Vicary.

25 Comments

  1. Congratulations to Ms. Medina P.! We’d be honored to have you as our honorary “queen” on our team at Sam Houston M.S. : 3rd Place Team 14 and Under Winners! What a joy to witness this young lady receive a scholarship from my alma mater and to share in a photo with our own local two-girl chess team “God’s Queens.”

  2. Photos from F. Leon Wilson…

    Daaim:

    2008 5th Annual National All Girls Open Nationals

    The top three winners in the 16 years and younger were all ladies of color.

    1. Angelica Berrios
    2. Darrian Robinson
    3. Brianna N. Conley

    More to come.

    F. Leon

    All-Girls under-16: 1st-Angelica Berrios; 2nd-Darrian Robinson; 3rd-Brianna Conley

    All-Girls under-16 (L-R)
    1st-Angelica Berrios
    2nd-Darrian Robinson
    3rd-Brianna Conley

  3. Congratulations Medina, and good luck in your future on and off
    the chess board! Best wishes to all the sharp sistas who continue
    to represent!!

    Kimani A. Stancil, PhD

  4. Looks like Medina got UTD, but all of you need to come down to FAMU when you finish high school! I’m coming to Detroit Cass Tech to get Jimmy Canty too! Yep… a shameless plug. 😉

  5. Here’s Rochelle Ballantyne… 1st under-14! Does New York think they run things here!?

    Rochelle Ballantyne, the under-14 winner, poses with IM Irina Krush.
    Photo by F. Leon Wilson.

  6. You could not have done it without Talent, dedication and perserverance . You deserve big time recognition for your accomplishment. Congratulations Medina!

  7. With your family support,your love for the game ,you will reach higher levels in this sport may our Father above guide you on 😆

  8. Elizabeth Vicary has posted some nice photos, but more importantly… GAMES!!! These girls got mad skills! Jasmine Fermin went on a king hunt in a couple of games sacking rooks all over the place! There is one game from Rochelle Ballentyne and a couple from Angelica Berrios. New York rules… except in basketball, right Maurice?? 😆

  9. Thanks for a great article! Some games/positions of Jasmine, Angelica, Rochelle and Darrian’s from this tournament and other recent nationals are on my blog at:
    https://lizzyknowsall.blogspot.com/2008/04/girls-nationals-games.html
    https://lizzyknowsall.blogspot.com/2008/04/my-afterschool-game-with-darrian.html
    https://lizzyknowsall.blogspot.com/2008/04/junior-high-nationals-at-least-my.html

    Elizabeth Vicary
    PS I should mention that Jasmine tied for first in her section (with Rochelle and Catherine Hochman) and got third on tiebreaks.

  10. We are very proud of the effort, focus and ability that these young ladies have displayed. There accomplishments will certainly inspire and encourage other ladies to want to play.

  11. Congradulations Medina Parrilla on your most recent accomplishment. Honors also for Darrian Robinson and the other young Queens excelling on the chess board.

  12. On page 39 of the August 2008 issue of Chess Life, Medina Parrilla is featured. They have one of her games against Sarah Chiang where the two battle in a main line Najdorf. Parrilla plays a Nd5 sacrifice followed by a queen sacrifice. The game follows a well-known book line, but it is rarely seen. If you’re going to play the Najdorf, make sure you know it well! (See Game)

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