Derrick Rose retires… chess next?

Derrick Rose announced his retirement yesterday from his 16-year basketball career. The highlight of his career was becoming the youngest player to win the 2011 Most Valuable Player award. From the Englewood community of Chicago’s southside, Rose starred at Simeon High School, where he was an All-State performer, before spending one year at the University of Memphis. As fortune would have it, the Chicago Bulls won the lottery for the 1st overall pick and, after a short deliberation, chose the hometown prep star.

For those who have not seen Rose play for Simeon, his athleticism and fearless play were crowd-pleasers. He led Simeon to two state championships, was a first-team Parade All-American, and was also a McDonalds All-American. Going to Chicago was a perfect fit, as he led the Bulls to championship contention for the first time since the Michael Jordan era. Often the smallest man on the court, he gave Chicago fans plenty to cheer about.

Now… something you may not have known. Rose is also a chess enthusiast and envisioned a high-stakes “Chesstival” tournament back in 2023. The tournament was never held, but his love for chess became a discussion in chess circles. Many players play chess on online servers these days, but it is unclear where Rose learned chess, or who taught him. Sources say he has been playing since his days at Simeon. If you watch his style of basketball, it is hyperaggressive and very tactical. He blows the opposition away with his quickness and athleticism. As the injuries began to pile up, he was much more crafty and beat the opposition with strategy instead of tactics.

I don’t dunk or jump high anymore. I’m not killing u with speed nor am I a one man fastbreak anymore. I don’t even shoot my reverse layups lol. I’m a totally different player. I love chess so I would put it this way… I lost my Queen early in the game but I fought my fuckin way back to get one of my pawns down the board to get her back. If you know chess… that’s a very hard process to achieve and if you really know how to play you know even the master games are won with few pieces on the board and it’s about strategy, heart and skill.

~Derrick Rose

What will DRose do in his retirement? Well, he is married with three children, Derrick Jr., Layla, and London. He will have a lot of time to play chess or teach his youngest two. One thing is for sure: if he can apply the determination he had during his basketball career, he will be a strong player. The NBA has a chess club, and its players were the subject of an interesting article in GQ earlier this year. It was a good read and put chess in a positive light. Let’s hope DRose finds happiness in his retirement. Maybe we will see him at next year’s Chicago Open!