Chessville Interviews - Jennifer Shahade - Interviewed by Phil Innes

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Phil Innes talks with

WGM Jennifer Shahade

Excerpted from the Bio on Jennifer Shahade's Official Website:

Jennifer Shahade, age 24, is a Women's Grandmaster and two-time American Women's Chess Champion (2002, 2004).

She has represented the U.S. in international competitions in countries all over the world, including Spain, Russia, China, India, and Brazil.

Her writing has appeared in Chess Life Magazine, New In Chess, and the Los Angeles Times Book Review. Her recently published first book, Chess Bitch, is reviewed here.

She is a color commentator for the internet radio station chess.fm.

Through the non-profit Chess-In-The Schools, Shahade coaches inner-city youths, including a girls class, and the three-time National Junior High Championship team, I.S. 318.

Phil Innes: Your selection of quotation for Chapter 11 is from Mrs. H. D. Sheldon writing in Chess Review, 1950:

"Every radio comedian and night-club wit has several entries in his card-index file about the possibility of a woman's becoming president of the United States. The idea that a woman might become our chess champion seems equally 'comical.' Yet both of these possibilities are less remote than they were, in say, 1930..."

Let's get straight to it Jennifer, are you going to be the one? What are you going to have to do to become United States Chess Champion, and in what time frame would you attempt it? If its not you at age 24, which other woman currently on the scene do you think has the best shot, or is going to be your toughest competition?

No, I won't be U.S Champion. I think Irina Krush has the best shot. Anna Zatonskih is also very good, at a similar level as Irina, but she is older and can't win the Samford anymore. Irina can, and it also might be easier for her to get sponsorship since she has lived in New York all her life and has some connections here.

PI: In chapter 6 you say that the traditional argument goes "if women are as strong as men, why would they play separately?" But the question you ask yourself is "Why might women enjoy playing against other women?" What's the answer to your own question, and do you think this is a significant reason why only 7% of players in the US are female?

I personally enjoy playing against other women cause it's a good bonding experience to be in tournaments where there are more women. Being one of a handful of women at an open tournament can be fun, but it also can be a bit too much attention. Being just one of the ladies is a nice change!

PI: Who do you want to read your book, Chess Bitch?

Everyone! In particular, I want more women to read it. So far, I think my book has sold more copies to men, because more men play chess and frequent the games sections of bookstores. I want to get more ladies involved, reading Chess Bitch and coming out to tournaments. Getting more women involved in chess would help bump chess up to the next level of popularity, because I think the extent to which it's male-dominated is unsavory to a lot of potential players, both male and female.

PI: There is a huge fuss about that word in the title. What do you think of mostly men who say that they would object to the book becoming part of a high school studies course, not because of the history between the covers, but because of the word "Bitch" in the title. Do you think this word would shock any teenager these days, or they would not understand it?

I don't think a high school class would be likely to read the book if it was called "Women in Chess", so I don't understand that argument. Honestly, I think a highschooler would be more likely to pick up a book like Chess Bitch, because there is controversy and intrigue in the title, and the last thing you want at that age is something your parents would approve of 100%!!

PI: Alekhine famously said of Vera Menchik that if she didn't have to defend her world title against inferior opposition for so long she would have become a much stronger player. Menchik was famous for defeating many male grandmasters in the 1930's, including Max Euwe and Sammy Reshevsky, and was the first woman to do so. How strong do you think she really was and could have been?

It's hard to judge her strength by today's standards... My best guess is that she was 2200 strength... and she could have been 2400 with the right psychologist!

PI: If I said, "In 10 years a woman will be world champion of chess, and she will be Chinese." do you think this statement is ridiculous? What effect do you think a woman world chess champion would have on women in competitive areas of life, and in all spheres of activity?

I wouldn't rule anything out, though of course I don't think it's likely, because it's still hard for Chinese players to reach the very top since none of the top ten players in the World are Chinese. Clearly this would be a revolutionary occurrence for chess, and would create a lot of budding female Chinese grandmasters. Unfortunately, I don't think a Chinese world champion would help women's chess in general in the West that greatly. It depends a lot on how much she promoted the game in the West and how well she spoke English. I'm focused on promoting U.S. Chess, and a female U.S. Champion would be even better for the game here than a Chinese women's world champion.

Jennifer Shahade's Official Website

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