EP-363 Jennifer Shahade on Playing Like a Champion, Building Confidence, and what "Zapping" is in Chess.

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 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. 

0:00- Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable.com!

Be sure to check out their new courses, and if you use this link to sign up for Chessable Pro, and and/or make a Chessable purchase, and it will help support Perpetual Chess. 

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

03:00- We discuss Jen’s recent event at the Marshall Chess Club. 

04:30- Patreon mailbag question- “What is 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 the shift in Jen’s confidence level as a chess player when she was 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 Sexual Assault Allegations Against a US Chess Grandmaster went Unaddressed for Years,French female players Open Letter,  Article regarding Steve Shutt, coach at Masterman High School (which Jennifer and I attended), 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 

• 1) Either leave a podcast review on Spotify/Apple Podcasts, Sub to the Perpetual Chess YouTube Channel, OR subscribe (for free) to the Perpetual Chess Linkfest Substack. You can also subscribe to to Jen Shahade’s YouTube Channel or Jen’s Substack
• 2) After completing step 1, email a screenshot to [email protected] subject line- Contest! 

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) Please specify in the email whether you are in the US or outside of the US.

Entries will be closed on January 16 and winners will be announced via email 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. 

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