Spotlight on Ashanti Marshall

Ashanti playing in her first chess tournament - The Independence Tornado, 2013 organised by The Bahamas Chess Federation.

​Who says chess is not for girls?

Many girls play chess and enjoy the game equally as much as boys do.  Like boys, some girls play for fun and some delve into chess tournaments.  I recently had the opportunity to interview Ashanti, a recent high school graduate, about her experience with chess and how COVID-19 restrictions impacted her and her classmates during their final year of school.  

Interviewer: Since the World Health Organisation declared COVID-19 a pandemic in 2020, much has changed in our daily lives. What was it like for you having to attend classes, prepare assignment and for exams? What were some of the things that you or other students found different and challenging?

Ashanti: The beginning of quarantine was actually quite fun, staying home all day, sleeping and playing games online with friends. The start of online school wasn’t all that challenging either, learning the digital platforms came easily and we didn’t have to bother with the stuffy uniforms anymore. Gradually the work load started to pick up but our class managed to rally together and push forward. It wasn’t until the next year with BGCSE’s on the horizon did everything become overwhelming. The teachers didn’t really care that we were unmotivated and struggling to get assignments completed in a timely fashion. We were so far behind the curriculum we had to attend extra classes for hours at a time on weekends. There was no time for relaxing anymore. Our failures were thrown in our faces endlessly and it even got to a point where kids stopped coming to school at all because they were tired of being berated.
When they started integrating a mix of in person and online classes teachers would opt to give quizzes during in person days. Only a handful of us ever wrote anything on those thick papers they handed out. Most would just put their heads down and go to sleep because they didn’t know the information and couldn’t be bothered to try. Online schooling was terrible but the worst part about it was being told we didn’t have a right to be exhausted.


Interviewer: During your school “career”, what were some of the extra-curricular activities you participated in?

Ashanti: During my school career I participated in Art, Swimming, Piano and Chess as extra- curricular activities.


Interviewer: Let us talk about chess. What was your first recollection of chess? And what did you think about the game at that time, your first impression?

Ashanti: My first memory of chess is playing by myself on my bedroom floor not understanding the rules. My father noticed this and enrolled me in classes with Mr. Kean Smith. From there I remember sitting at the public stone boards across from the University of The Bahamas under the big tree, by ourselves going through workbook exercises. Not long after I started to find chess to be something to fall back on. It was simple to understand yet thrilling and difficult to play with strategy.

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Interviewer: I believe you have an interest in art? Why art and what steps have you taken to develop your interest?

Ashanti: Where most classes felt like a competition for who could get the highest grade, art provided an entirely new relaxing and friendly environment. It’s not an outlined course. Art can quite literally be anything and everything you wish as well as made from anything and everything you wish. Art has always been a way for me to connect with myself during stressful times. To regroup and fully assess how I feel about situations by drawing or to just relax and enjoy some peace and quiet. I’ve taken art classes from grade 3 straight till grade 11 when Covid first hit.


Interviewer: Do you have any favourite artists and what makes them standout to you?

Ashanti: I do not have a favorite artist. Most of the artists I keep up with all practice more cartoon inspired styles and I’ve never really been able to pick one above all the others. STARember or Kasey Golden however are two that I regard very highly.


Interviewer: In the chess world, some people say that chess is art, some describe it as science and others as sport. What if anything does chess have in common with art?

Ashanti: Chess and art have a lot in common in the sense that no two people play the same way just as no two people produce the same artworks. Everyone has their own unique playing style that imbues some of their unique personality into every game.


Interviewer: Did you benefit from playing chess? How?

Ashanti: Chess class helped me break out of my shell a bit. Having other kids to talk and play with every Saturday outside of the ones I saw daily at school pushed me to be more outgoing. It’s not very easy to blend together with people of varying backgrounds but I always felt as if our club was like a family. We knew each other’s favorite snacks as well as favorite moves on the board. There was never a dull or malicious moment when we were together.

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Interviewer: Which sports were most popular at school? Did any of your teachers or friends in school play chess? What did your teachers and friends say when they found out that you play chess?

Ashanti: The most popular sports at my school were track and basketball. We didn’t have a chess club so I never really shared with anyone at school that I played. When I did bring it up once in a while to express joy over a good game I played nobody ever understood what I was talking about but still listened with interest. My math teacher on one occasion found some games I recorded in the back of my book and forced me to explain to her how to read them.


Interviewer: I believe you participated in a chess event with students of The Bahamas Red Cross Centre for the Deaf? What were your expectations before the event? Did you have any memorable experiences at the chess event?

Ashanti: My expectations for the chess event with the students of The Bahamas Red Cross Centre for the deaf were wavering. I was extremely nervous before the event that the atmosphere
would have been awkward but I was proven wrong immediately. The other kids seemed just as eager to meet us and even gave us our own nicknames in Sign Language. I still remember my nickname with fondness and hope to meet and play some of them again in the future. They were very tactical players.


Interviewer: Would you recommend that parents introduce their children to chess as a possible activity? Why?

Ashanti: I wholeheartedly recommend parents to introduce their children to chess, especially the more introverted ones. It’s an experience that every child should get the chance to participate in. Being a part of a team, creating bonds and pushing your brain to multitask, plan ahead.


Interviewers: Is chess appealing to teenage girls? How can chess instructors and organisers make chess more appealing to teenage girls?

Ashanti: I don’t think chess is very appealing to teenage girls at least not the ones that I know personally. I can’t really think of much that can be done to make the game seem attractive for a teenage girl. Maybe a more diverse selection of prizes a young lady might be interested in.


Interviewer: When you consider the future, what is your view of space tourism? Is this something that you and your friends or former classmates might consider if the price of the tickets are right?

Ashanti: In recent years humans have begun to be more forward thinking so I can Definitely see this as a big thing in the future. Once the price is right people today will do just about anything to experience space. I however barely enjoy getting on a plane to go on vacation I’m quite sure I could not handle getting on a rocket to go to space. However, one of my close friends’ loves astronomy and would jump at the chance to observe space from up close.


Interviewer: Now that you have graduated from high school, what is next for you and do you believe you will continue to play chess?

Ashanti: Now that I have graduated from high school I plan to attend university at St Francis Xavier’s in Nova Scotia Canada. I’d like to pursue a major in English and a minor in Art. I’ve been shying away from chess for a few months now but my love for the game has not died in the slightest and I hope to continue playing soon.

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(Photo by Kean Smith) Ashanti (Left) playing a casual game during group chess classes in September, 2019