Jennifer Shahade

Jennifer Shahade (1980-) is an American chess player, poker player, commentator and author. She was twice US Women’s Champion and holds the FIDE title of Women’s Grandmaster.

April Fools’ Day: Chess Miniatures and GothamChess

On April Fools’ Day, it’s possible to trick oneself and others. Highlighted is Marvelous Modern Miniatures: 2020 Games in 20 Moves or Less and International Master Levy Rozman’s matches with International Master Greg Shahade and with the bird-feed seller Dadang Subur. More 🡢

U.S. Women’s Chess Championships: Participants, Champions, Crosstables

In the 60 U.S. Women’s Chess Championships held between 1937 and 2020, there have been 148 competitors. Of those, 29 have earned the title of U.S. Women’s Champion. This article provides some facts and graphics about those participants and champions, plus a link to crosstables. More 🡢

Sherlock Holmes and Chess

There was a triple dose of Sherlock Holmes and chess at US Chess in December of 2020. On December 10, 2020, the 2017 U.S. Women’s Chess Champion Sabina Foisor appeared in the Girls Club to discuss Sherlock’s Method: The Working Tool for the Club Player, written with Grandmaster Elshan Moradiabadi. The December Ladies Knight podcast featured Maria Konnikova, author of Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes. On December 18, The Madwoman’s Book Club discussed Konnikova’s book, with Konnikova herself appearing in the first 10 minutes, and retrograde analysis. More 🡢

The Queen’s Gambit and Critical Thinking

I first read The Queen’s Gambit when I was a teenage chess expert, a lesser prodigy than the book’s main character, Beth Harmon. I noticed that what happened to Beth had happened to me too. Like Beth, I had been told that “Girls don’t play chess.” More 🡢

International Chess Day

Saturday, July 20th, is International Chess Day. Share why you love chess or what chess means to you. International Chess Day 2019 is also the 95th anniversary of FIDE, the World Chess Federation. FIDE has an agreement with Nielsen to research the marketability of chess. If you complete the survey, you can enter into a drawing to win a two-hour online masterclass with former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik. More 🡢

Chess Vacation of the Year! Contest

The International Chess Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada is known as “The Chess Vacation of the Year!” With tournaments, simultaneous chess exhibitions, lectures, a chess camp, and side events such as blitz, there is enough chess to keep anyone entertained from June 11-16, 2019. By commenting on this article, you may win a $25 gift certificate, good toward a side event entry fee or for merchandise/food from on-site vendors. More 🡢

Money for Love

The documentary The Gentleman Driver follows four amateur race car drivers who pay to compete alongside professional drivers. Just as these amateur drivers spend money to race, one amateur chess player likewise sponsors an annual event where he plays chess with professionals. Some amateurs spend millions to compete in the sports that they love, money that they earned from being extraordinary businessmen. More 🡢

Myths and unknowns about chess and the contenders for the World Chess Championship

If Fabiano Caruana wins the World Chess Championship match against champion Magnus Carlsen this month, he will be the first American to hold the championship title since Bobby Fischer won it in 1972. The match between Caruana, age 26, and Carlsen, age 27, of Norway, takes place in London, England, from Nov. 9 to 28. More 🡢