WGM Jennifer Shahade Visits Her League 2

“I think that’s just an important thing to remember, that even if you lose interest in chess for a year, don’t be afraid to come back to it––you might actually be better when you come back.”

BY SIMONE MORDEN - SALK SCHOOL OF SCIENCE - HER LEAGUE MEMBER & HER NEWS COLUMNIST

WGM Jennifer Shahade

The second Her League tournament was hosted on April 9, and we welcomed a surprise guest! Her League brought to you by the HerMoveNext Foundation, the first online all-girls free chess league that encourages girls across the country to engage in chess, was recently able to host Woman Grandmaster Jennifer Shahade. Shahade is a two-time Women’s Champion. As the US Program Director of US Chess Women, she is not only an inspiration for young minds but also invites some of the best chess players in the world to contribute to the platform. Shahade’s Girls Club program has hosted guests including grandmaster Gary Kasparov (former World Chess Champion) and Irina Krush (World Grandmaster). The program, which recently celebrated its one-year anniversary, has hosted over 40 special guests. Shahade has also been a prolific writer and book author. She has co-authored Play Like A Girl, and she has a new book on the way.

During her time with Her League, players participated in the Q&A with Shahade, asking pertinent questions. When asked what advice she had for the players, Shahade responded, “Every game you play, no matter how short of a time control it is, you should analyze.”

Another piece of advice she shared, “If you find yourself plateauing in some kind of chess skill, well, you know usually if it’s true that you’re flattening, you’re not getting a lot better anymore at it. You want to do something different than you did before. So, if you’re reading a certain tactics book over and over again, and you don’t move to something else, maybe try some online tactics. Maybe set some tactics up on the board. If you’re only doing online tactics and you’re not getting better at them, definitely try a book, [and] try setting them up at the board.” To sum it up, Shahade said, “If you hit a wall––and you’re not improving at something––try something new.” Shahade noted that chess is a combination of multiple skills, so you can isolate which one you would like to get better at.

When Her League participant Joshini Sudhakar asked what the hardest thing to master in chess is, Shahade said, “I think it’s probably strategic understanding, especially for kids, because in openings, if you work hard and you work on improving your memory, you can get pretty good at them. [When it comes to] tactics, you know what to do: you look at online tactics, you use a book if you hit a wall. Analyzing your own games... you do that with a coach. If you don’t have a coach, you can use computer programs a little bit to help you see where you went astray. But strategy––getting better at knowing where the pieces go––there are no shortcuts. It’s really like you need years and years of experience.”

When asked what chess can provide beyond just playing the game, Shahade discussed the significance of writing: “Writing and chess is a beautiful marriage. Writing and chess go back hundreds of years. Some of the earliest books that were distributed widely, since the advent of the printing press, in the 15th century were chess books. So, because chess games have a beginning, middle, and end, if you’re interested in film-making, writing, or just the idea of storytelling, chess is actually a perfect way to develop your talent because it just has that natural arc. Especially very exciting games when you have an opponent you have a relationship with––either you have been losing to them a lot or they’re a good friend––so if you’re a writer and you’re thinking about an essay for some kind of application process, think about an actual game, talking about a specific game.”

Shahade revealed that she started traveling for chess when she was fifteen years old; she was invited to Brazil and Iceland the year after. Had she not played chess in her high school years, she mentioned, she probably would not have visited any foreign countries: “[Chess] completely opened up my world.” Estelle Morden asked, “Between long and short tournaments, how do you keep your mind active in between games” to which Shahade answered: “Well, I don’t think it is good to keep your mind as active in between games; have a little rest. It’s hard because it’s easy to say that, but if you really love chess, and you play a game, I know you’re going to be thinking about it after. But it’s tough, it’s a really difficult one, but try if you can quiet your mind a little bit so that you don’t get too burnt out.”

Another participant asked Shahade to share insight into her own personal chess arc. Jennifer Shahade revealed that after having given up chess for a couple of years in junior high school to pursue other creative subjects, such as writing and acting, Shahade returned to the game in high school. She said she was lucky to come back to it, since chess has given her so much. “A lot of people actually give it up in those years. You can actually get so much from it in high school because of potential for networking and college applications and just more opportunities. [...] I think that’s just an important thing to remember, that even if you lose interest in chess for a year, don’t be afraid to come back to it––you might actually be better when you come back.”

“As long as you are making friends and improving,” Shahade said, “you will get better.”

Thank you to everyone who attended Her League 2. Clearly participants enjoyed Jennifer Shahade’s guest appearance! We encourage league members to attend Jennifer’s US Chess Girls Club sessions, which typically take place on Thursdays. And please join us for Her League’s Summer Season which should have more exciting guest appearances.

Jennifer Shahade joins Her League 2