Rob Fetell

As Germantown Friends School junior Rob Fetell prepared for chess competitions, he struggled to gather all of the information he needed to prepare to meet his opponents. So, he did what any tech-savvy teenager of his generation would do – he made an app!

Fetell has been playing chess since first grade, stating that it is “a family tradition.” He ranks 61st nationally for his division in the United States Chess Federation (US Chess) National High School Chess Championships.

He has also loved computers and robotics since he was very young, and delved into computer programming in his high-school years. Recently, he combined his passions by developing the app “Chess Ratings,” which was picked up by Apple and is available on the App Store for free.

“I’m kind of an information junkie, and I think a lot of people in the chess world are, too,” Fetell said. “I once played someone badly because I treated him like someone who was really good. Going in cold is never a good idea.”

He found the available chess apps cumbersome and glitchy, so he taught himself the latest Apple programming language and got to work creating a better product. Simplifying the time-consuming and difficult process of digging up competitor’s information, Fetell’s app scrapes the U.S. Chess database for player information and history — tournament participation, points, wins, loses, draws and opponent rating.

Fetell even figured out the U.S. Chess algorithm for figuring ranking and then put it into code, allowing players to figure out their rating before it is officially posted.

“That one was really tough,” he said.

“You can get everything in [a player’s] chess career through the app.” Fetell said proudly. His app passed the rigorous Apple requirements and standards, and, in the first few weeks in the App Store, it had more than 100 downloads and four zealous, five-star reviews.

“Making the app was a great way for me to learn more about programming while, at the same time, doing something that is useful for all chess players,” Fetell said. “Also, I’ve developed a really broad skill set for programming, so now I can do many more things.” He is currently working on a social media app.

At GFS, Fetell is developing the competitive chess team and working with younger kids to foster a love of chess and programming.

“I really like working with younger kids,” he said. “Programming is a way of thinking that combines creativity and the ability to apply that to making something concrete. That is valuable, especially if you can start at a really young age.”

He wants other kids benefit from chess, as he has.

“Chess taught me discipline and how to look ahead – you always have to picture the end game, and I think that applies a lot in life,” he said. “Also, you have to be prepared to win or lose and if you go down you can’t give up, you have to keep going.”