Jennifer Shahade is a three-time National Chess Champion, PokerStars Ambassador and author.  A two-time Global Poker Award winner and chess Olympic medalist, Shahade was the first female to win the US Junior Open, and claimed two U.S. Women’s Championship titles. 

She’s the author of many books, including Chess Bitch/Chess Queens, Play Like a Champion and Thinking Sideways: How To Think Like a Chess Player and Win at Life.  Her writing has appeared in the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, and the Financial Times.

Shahade is known for making mind sports more inclusive, and for big moves to instigate more gender equality in chess. As The Telegraph reported in 2023, “Thanks to the actions of female stars like Jennifer Shahade, a dark side to the male-dominated-mind sport can no longer be hidden.” In 2026, US Chess named her as their first official ambassador, in an announcement that they had resolved all matters amicably, while expressing “sincere gratitude” to Shahade for her “courage.”  

She has won poker tournaments all over the World, from Prague to London to Las Vegas.  Shahade is a board member at the World Chess Hall of Fame.

Stay up to date with her @jenshahade and on her Substack, See the Sideways Move and on her YouTube channel, where she hosts instructional videos with her chess-loving son. 

Reach Jennifer at jenshahade at gmail dot com and jenshahadeteam at gmail dot com.