Speaker Profile

Jennifer Shahade is a three-time National Chess Champion, PokerStars Pro and author.

A two-time Global Poker Award winner and chess Olympic medallist, Shahade was the first female to win the US Junior Open.

She's the author of many books, including Chess Bitch / Chess Queens and  Thinking Sideways: How to Think Like a Chess Player and Win at Life, which is hot off the press.

The co-founder of the non profit 9 Queens and a board member of the World Chess Hall of Fame, Shahade is known for making mind sports more inclusive, and for her bold moves to instigate more gender equality in chess. As The Telegraph reported, “Thanks to the actions of female stars like Jennifer Shahade, a dark side to the male-dominated-mind sport can no longer be hidden.”

She is the host of the instructional series of "How to Beat Your Mom at Chess" with her chess-loving son, and you can find her essays and videos on her newsletter, the Games and the GRID.