Chess Queens by Jennifer Shahade

'Like The Queen's Gambit, this isn't really about chess, but power'
Sunday Times

What does it take to make it to the top of your game?

As a chess champion, Jennifer Shahade has travelled the world playing major tournaments. At the top, she finds rivalry and friendship; sexism and feminism; ecstatic highs and excruciating losses.

Chess Queens invites us behind the scenes of this ultra male-dominated sport. We meet today's elite, as well as the pioneering female players in history who fought against the odds to get to the top.

An essential guide for all aspiring chess queens, Jennifer's story reveals what it takes to break through the glass ceiling.


'Jennifer Shahade is a brilliant, insightful thinker who never fails to entertain and engage'
Maria Konnikova

'An astoundingly intimate, thoughtful and inspirational book by a person who has seen it all from the inside'
Angela Saini

Jennifer Shahade is an Olympic chess champion, poker pro, speaker and award-winning host. She is a two-time United States women's chess champion and was the first female to win the US Junior Open. Jennifer works to bring more women, girls and gender minorities into the game through her advocacy and work. In 2023, she broke international news of #MeToo in chess, forwarding her mission to make the chess safe and fun for all. She has won two Global Poker Awards and is an ambassador for PokerStars and Poker Power. Her books include Chess Queens (previously published under the title Chess Bitch) and Play Like a Girl! She lives in Philadelphia with her family.