Kelsey has been involved in the chess community since she began playing at age eight, and has since earned recognition at regional, national, and international levels. At Unruly Queens, Kelsey is devoted to sharing the game’s complex beauty and logic with players of all levels. She values on conveying the valuable mindsets and life skills chess develops—discipline, preparation, resilience—and how these translate meaningfully to other disciplines. Above all, Kelsey sees chess as a platform for building meaningful social connections not constrained by geographical location or background, helping others form lifelong friendships and equipping them to make their own impact within their communities.

Kelsey’s most memorable chess achievements and impact include:  

• Achieved US National Master title at age 13
• 2023 Pan-American Chess Championships G18 Gold Medal
• 2021 North American Chess Championship G16 Gold Medal
• FIDE World Youth Official/Personal Right Representative (2023, 2019)
• Seven-time MA Girls State Champion (2019-2025)
• 2x National Grant Awardee by US Chess Federation for the Unruly Queens Initiative (2023, 2024)
• American Chess Magazine (2023) columnist game commentator
• Raised $3500 in charity funds (2022) by co-organizing Helping Ukraine Chess Challenge