Vincent Hsiao

Ian Rodrigues (9) holds a phone, showcasing his app, Chess Cardinals. He began creating this platform in June to help with the online organization of the nonprofit. “I got involved with the Chess Cardinals because I felt like this could really change how the organization operated altogether, while also helping Ben [Nair], the director,” Rodrigues said. “The app is really sending a message out there, informing the people of this nonprofit promoting chess. {I wanted] to get it out to an actual community, and make it something you can see with your own eyes.”

A sudden scream broke the silence. All eyes immediately spun towards the back of the classroom, where Ian Rodrigues (9) sat, staring down at his phone with a look of pure triumph. After hours of coding, testing and feedback rounds, Rodrigues’ personal app had officially received its long-awaited stamp of approval from Apple.

Rodrigues began designing Chess Cardinals, an app that allows users to register for chess competitions, in June. This platform is an extension of the Chess Cardinals nonprofit, a local organization focused on providing accessible programs and promoting girls in chess. Rodrigues, now a tournament and technology director, launched this project to minimize issues that users experienced on the Chess Cardinals website.

“[The Chess Cardinals nonprofit] was founded about four years ago, and since then, they have been operating from a website,” Rodrigues said. “However, when you register for a tournament on the website, the process is very complex. I saw a chance to help this nonprofit for free. My goal with the app then became to make it a more accessible platform.”

Rodrigues has been playing chess for six years, and has always had a passion for software development and computer science, whether it’s making websites, games or 3D creations. He first became interested in technology when he started inspecting web pages and HyperText Markup Language.

“There’s a stereotype that comes with programming that it’s just a bunch of typing, not much else,” Rodrigues said. “But, you can get really creative with what you do. There’s a million ways to create the same thing, and you have to choose which one is best.”

Following the developmental stage and launch of the app, the challenge quickly evolved into a grinding effort to keep the app functional and user-friendly.

“[My job] is basically to maintain [the app],” Rodrigues said. “The problem is that there are so many updates to all of the software development kits. There are also other improvements that I can make to the app, so people have made suggestions,   like a ‘forgot password’ [link].”

Rodrigues’ work on additional features like password recovery shows the continuous evolvement of the app and his commitment to development. Ultimately, that effort pays off by giving users an excellent experience.

“​​The new platform significantly boosted user experience and engagement,” Chess Cardinals Director Ben Nair said. “The app helps users remember preferences, data and payment details, meaning the tournament registration process is now lightning fast. There has been so much positive feedback, and we anticipate great things from Ian’s future updates.”

After seeing these immediate results and the appreciation from the chess community, Rodrigues became even more motivated to persevere through the challenges.

“One problem I encountered was getting a general idea of what people wanted at first,” Rodrigues said. “It was hard to understand suggestions I received. Thankfully, we did create a testing group, and some parents were able to test the app for me.”

Despite these initial struggles, Rodrigues found the gratification he felt after launching the app for the chess community vastly outweighed them.

“In the beginning, this app was only something fun for me,” Rodrigues said. “I didn’t even think I would share it with the organization. After I did my app release, I saw the smiles of everybody [at Chess Cardinals], and I can say it was definitely worth it. The app is for the whole community now.”