This week’s return guest is 2 time US Women’s Champion and award-winning author, podcaster and commentator Jennifer Shahade. Jennifer has recently released the excellent and inspiring new tactics book, Play Like a Champion. Play Like a Champion is a collection of biographical sketches of top woman players, featuring memorable tactics for a wide range of chess experience levels. In our conversation, we discuss Jen’s writing and puzzle selection process, new chess vocabulary, Jen’s advice for starting chess clubs, and her decision to leave US Chess. We also discuss Jen’s next projects and her plans for 2024. As always, timestamps of topics discussed are below.
03:00- We discuss Jen’s recent event at the Marshall Chess Club.
04:30- Patreon mailbag question- Jen’s advice for starting a Women’s meetup/chess club.
07:30- Why does Jen think there might be a “confidence gap” between how women and men assess their own chess skills?
Mentioned: Elizabeth Spiegel, Shawn Martinez
14:30- What led to Jen’s confidence level shifting in chess as a teenager?
15;00- How did Jen decide on the wide range of difficulty within her puzzles?
Mentioned: The Botez Sisters, Silman’s Complete Endgame Course, IM Sara Khadem
25:00- New chess strategy terminology? What is a “zap”? What does it mean to “think sideways”
29:00- How is Jen’s next book progressing?
31:30- Jen discusses her collaboration with IM Jeremy Silman, who was her publisher for the book Chess Bitch.
Mentioned: GM Ben Finegold, Anna Hahn, Irina Krush, Pal Benko: My Life, Games, and Compositions
38:00- Will Jen be blogging more frequently?
Mentioned: Jen’s substack
40:00- Jen discusses her decision to leave US Chess in the wake of the Alejandro Ramirez allegations.
Mentioned: How Alejandro Ramirez Allegations Against a US Chess Grandmaster went Unaddressed for Years,French female players Open Letter, Carol Meyer stepping down as US Chess Executive Director
48:00- Jen on her 2024 events and plans:
Chesskid National Festival, Russell Makofsky’s Impact Coaching Network, FM Mike Klein, FM James Canty, GM Daniel Naroditsky, IM Daniel Rensch, ASAP Philly
53:00- How to enter to win a copy of Play Like a Champion signed by Jennifer Shahade
SIGNED BOOK IS US ONLY, outside the US, you can still enter to win a free Forward Chess Digital Copy of Jen’s book. (there are two prizes in total)
Entries will be closed on January 16 and winners will be announced via shortly thereafter
55:00- Thanks, as always to Jen for joining me. Be sure to check out her book and to subscribe to her blog.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
EP 369- NM Robert Ramirez on the difference between Adult and Youth Chess Students, Chess in Cuba, and Why He Loves the Pirc Defense
EP 368- Erik Allebest (Chess.com CEO)- Online Cheating, The Magnus-Hikaru match that fell through, the Chess24 closure & more
Book Recap #35- Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning- What should chess players know about how to learn and retain information? (with Dr. Nick Vasquez)
EP 367- Adult Improver Julio Calcina: A Chess and MMA Enthusiast on the Life Lessons that Each Can Provide.
EP 366- GM Raven Sturt: Chess Improvement Deep Dive with a Self-Taught Grandmaster. Board Visualization Tips, Book Recs & Lots more.
EP 365- GM Abihimanyu Mishra: The Young Phenom on his Chess Improvement Regimen, His Next Goals, and his 2024 Plans
EP 364- GM Patrick Wolff: Recent Chess News Breakdown: Prearranged Draws, Bizarre Dress Codes, the Candidates Cycle- Is it time to Replace FIDE? Plus, a Chess and AI update
EP 362- IM Jeremy Silman tribute: IM John Donaldson and IM Cyrus Lakdawala look back on their friend's life and legacy
Book Recap #34- IM Jeremy Silman's The Amateurs Mind (with David Hamm)
EP 361- Professor/ GM David Smerdon: Renewed Chess Cheating Allegations and the new “Gender Equality in Chess Index.”
EP 360- Adult Improver Ben Hodgkiss just quit his job to pursue chess full-time. Here is his story.
EP 359- Davaun Williams (aka Chess Knowledge with H1) on Chess TikTok Stardom, Opening Traps, and Improvement Recs
EP 358- GM Robert Hungaski on Teaching Chess Teachers, Nakamura, Shirov, Niemann The Indian Chess Boom & more
EP 357- Adult Improver Denis Markov on How a Calm and Consistent Approach has Elevated his Chess Game
EP 356- FIDE Grand Swiss Recap/FIDE Candidates Lookahead plus LiChess Catchup with Community Manager Chris Callahan
EP 355- Cecilia Albertini and Chandler Toffa- Two filmmakers discuss their touching new chess documentary, The City of Human Chess
EP 354- Perpetual Chess Improvement Book Discussion with Dr. Christopher Chabris
EP 353- GM Davorin Kuljasevic: Chess Improvement Q & A (plus discussion of his great new book on GM Ding Liren)
EP 352- Emilia Castelao and Craig Dubose: Two Chess Enthusiasts on their Chess Passion Projects
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