Jen Shahade

Ben Johnson

On a special collaborative episode of Ladies Knight, Jennifer and Ben Johnson, host of the Perpetual Podcast, recap the recently concluded Women’s World Chess Championship, which Ju Wenjun won in spectacular style over her compatriot Grandmaster, Lei Tingjie.  They touch on their favorite moves from the final game, the moment Jennifer realized there may not be a playoff after all, and the impact of Ju Wenjun’s historic victory.  Jennifer also discusses her upcoming book, PLAY LIKE A CHAMPION, which happens to have the exact same tentative release date (Nov 1, 2023) as Ben’s book, PERPETUAL CHESS IMPROVEMENT.  Find Jennifer’s final game recap on Youtube, and watch a version of this episode on Ben’s YouTube channel.  Ladies Knight features music by the artist Juga.    

On a special collaborative episode of Ladies Knight, Jennifer and Ben Johnson, host of the <a href="https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Perpetual Podcast,</a> recap the recently concluded Women’s World Chess Championship, which Ju Wenjun won in spectacular style over her compatriot Grandmaster, Lei Tingjie.  They touch on their favorite moves from the final game, the moment Jennifer realized there may not be a playoff after all, and the impact of Ju Wenjun’s historic victory.  Jennifer also discusses her upcoming book, PLAY LIKE A CHAMPION, which happens to have the exact same tentative release date (Nov 1, 2023) as Ben’s book, PERPETUAL CHESS IMPROVEMENT.  Find Jennifer’s <a href="https://youtu.be/1cdLgk_OL0Y" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">final game recap on Youtube</a>, and watch a<a href="https://youtu.be/PFStSI5rKNk" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> version of this episode on Ben’s YouTube channel. </a> Ladies Knight features music <a href="https://www.jugamusica.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">by the artist Juga</a>.

Ladies Knight with Jen Shahade ft.  Recap of the Women’s World Chess Championship with Ben Johnson, host of the Perpetual Podcast LK055

Bernice Wambui Gikandi

Jennifer welcomes Bernice Wambui Gikandi to Ladies Knight. Bernice, at just 12 years old, is a rising star on and off the board. She’s the Global Youth ambassador for the Gift of Chess, a member of the Kenya Women’s Olympic team and reigning 2022 Kenya National Youth Champion. She also won the Under 12 Open section in Kenya, becoming the first female to do win an overall category in the Kenya Youth Champs. Jennifer first met Bernice via the Cross-cultural girls program, in partnership with US Chess Women, the Lighthouse Chess Club and Business Meets Kids &amp; Chess. Bernice went on to attend many of the US Chess Women workshops, in addition to Her Move Next programs, despite them being in the middle of night for her in Kenya. Jennifer and Bernice speak about what first drew her to chess, and why she is so passionate about giving back via her work with the Gift of Chess, where she spreads chess to kids in Kenyan schools. Bernice talks about being the only girl playing in the Kenya Under 12 Open section.  She also talks about meeting Grandmaster Pontus Carlsson on a recent visit by Pontus to Kenya, where he brought an important bounty: lots of great chess books, including Bernice’s current favorite, My System. Follow Bernice at https://twitter.com/BerniceWambui22 and find out more about her work at the Gift of Chess. https://www.thegiftofchess.org/ Ladies Knight features music by the artist Juga.  Photos By Allan Rongoey Find out more about host Jennifer Shahade on her website and find her books, Chess Queens and Play Like a Girl, at US Chess Sales, where signed copies are currently available. 

Jennifer welcomes Bernice Wambui Gikandi to Ladies Knight. Bernice, at just 12 years old, is a rising star on and off the board. She’s the Global Youth ambassador for the Gift of Chess, a member of the Kenya Women’s Olympic team and reigning 2022 Kenya National Youth Champion. She also won the Under 12 Open section in Kenya, becoming the first female to do win an overall category in the Kenya Youth Champs. Jennifer first met Bernice via the Cross-cultural girls program, in partnership with US Chess Women, the Lighthouse Chess Club and Business Meets Kids &amp; Chess. Bernice went on to attend many of the US Chess Women workshops, in addition to Her Move Next programs, despite them being in the middle of night for her in Kenya. Jennifer and Bernice speak about what first drew her to chess, and why she is so passionate about giving back via her work with the Gift of Chess, where she spreads chess to kids in Kenyan schools. Bernice talks about being the only girl playing in the Kenya Under 12 Open section.  She also talks about meeting Grandmaster Pontus Carlsson on a recent visit by Pontus to Kenya, where he brought an important bounty: lots of great chess books, including Bernice’s current favorite, My System. Follow Bernice at <a href="https://twitter.com/BerniceWambui22" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/BerniceWambui22</a> and find out more about her work at the Gift of Chess. <a href="https://www.thegiftofchess.org/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.thegiftofchess.org/</a> Ladies Knight features music <a href="https://www.jugamusica.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">by the artist Juga</a>.  Photos By <a href="https://twitter.com/Arongoey" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Allan Rongoey</a> Find out more about host <a href="https://jennifershahade.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Jennifer Shahade on her website</a> and find her books, <a href="https://www.uscfsales.com/chess-queens-signed.html" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Chess Queens</a> and <a href="https://www.uscfsales.com/signed-play-like-a-girl.html" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Play Like a Girl, at US Chess Sales, where signed copies are currently available. </a>

Ladies Knight with Jen Shahade ft. Bernice Wambui Gikandi LK054

Yanjaa Wintersoul

Jennifer invites a very special guest to Ladies Knight: International Memory Grandmaster, Yanjaa Wintersoul. Yanjaa, the first woman to become a Memory World Champion, talks about how memory tricks apply to games, life and feminism. Yanjaa and Jennifer have a broad-ranging discussion on creative memory, spaced repetition and pattern recognition. They also touch on memory techniques (see Greg Shahade’s referenced article here) and Jeopardy!, a show that Jennifer recently hosted the Chess, Masters category.  A longer version of this interview appeared on the GRID.  Find out more about Yanjaa on her website, www.wintersoul.org and @Yanjaa www.instagram.com/yanjaa/ Ladies Knight features music by the artist Juga.  Find out more about host Jennifer Shahade on her website and find her books, Chess Queens and Play Like a Girl, at US Chess Sales, where signed copies are currently available. 

Jennifer invites a very special guest to Ladies Knight: International Memory Grandmaster, Yanjaa Wintersoul. Yanjaa, the first woman to become a Memory World Champion, talks about how memory tricks apply to games, life and feminism. Yanjaa and Jennifer have a broad-ranging discussion on creative memory, spaced repetition and pattern recognition. They also touch on memory techniques (<a href="https://gregshahade.wordpress.com/2022/07/01/how-i-went-from-not-knowing-who-painted-the-mona-lisa-to-being-a-top-10-learned-league-player-in-one-year/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">see Greg Shahade’s referenced article here</a>) and Jeopardy!, a show that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3fmiNTgLZ4" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Jennifer recently hosted the Chess, Masters </a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3fmiNTgLZ4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">category</a>.  <a href="https://thepokergrid.com/2023/05/17/the-grid-074-ft-yanjaa-wintersoul-eight-three-offsuit/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">A longer version of this interview appeared on the GRID. </a> Find out more about Yanjaa on her website, <a href="https://www.wintersoul.org/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">www.wintersoul.org</a> and @Yanjaa <a href="https://www.instagram.com/yanjaa/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">www.instagram.com/yanjaa/</a> Ladies Knight features music <a href="https://www.jugamusica.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">by the artist Juga</a>.  Find out more about host <a href="https://jennifershahade.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Jennifer Shahade on her website</a> and find her books, <a href="https://www.uscfsales.com/chess-queens-signed.html" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Chess Queens</a> and <a href="https://www.uscfsales.com/signed-play-like-a-girl.html" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Play Like a Girl, at US Chess Sales, where signed copies are currently available. </a>

Ladies Knight with Jen Shahade ft. Yanjaa Wintersoul  LK053

Megan Chen

 Jennifer Shahade welcomes Megan Chen to Ladies Knight. Megan, a recent contributor to Chess Life Magazine, is currently on a great American quest to play US rated chess in every state. She’s already ticked off 44, and plans to be the first female player ever to get to all 50. A passionate adult improver, software engineer and traveler, follow Megan at https://twitter.com/gauss1181, where she often tweets using the hashtag #chesspunks. You can also get a glimpse into her travels—and her rating graph—on MSA.  Ladies Knight features music by the artist Juga. Subscribe to Ladies Knight on your favorite podcast channel. Find out more about host Jennifer Shahade on her website and find her books, Chess Queens and Play Like a Girl, at US Chess Sales, where signed copies are currently available.  

Jennifer Shahade welcomes Megan Chen to Ladies Knight. Megan, a recent contributor to Chess Life Magazine, is currently on a great American quest to play US rated chess in every state. She’s already ticked off 44, and plans to be the first female player ever to get to all 50. A passionate adult improver, software engineer and traveler, follow Megan at <a href="https://twitter.com/gauss1181" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/gauss1181</a>, where she often tweets using the hashtag #chesspunks. You can also get a glimpse into her travels—<a href="https://www.uschess.org/msa/MbrDtlMain.php?13453097" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">and her rating graph—on MSA.</a> Ladies Knight features music <a href="https://www.jugamusica.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">by the artist Juga</a>. <a href="https://ladiesknight.org/subscribe-to-podcast/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Subscribe to</a> Ladies Knight on your favorite podcast channel. Find out more about host <a href="https://jennifershahade.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Jennifer Shahade on her website</a> and find her books, <a href="https://www.uscfsales.com/chess-queens-signed.html" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Chess Queens</a> and <a href="https://www.uscfsales.com/signed-play-like-a-girl.html" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Play Like a Girl, at US Chess Sales, where signed copies are currently available. </a>

Ladies Knight with Jen Shahade ft. Megan Chen LK052

Isabelle Choko

Ladies Knight host Jennifer Shahade had the opportunity this Winter to meet an epic guest: Holocaust Survivor and 1956 French Women’s Chess Champion Isabelle Choko. We celebrate this occasion by rebroadcasting the episode and presenting two chess.com videos that Jennifer filmed in Paris, as well as a carousel of photos from Jennifer’s game against Madame Choko herself. 

Ladies Knight host Jennifer Shahade had the opportunity this Winter to meet an epic guest: Holocaust Survivor and 1956 French Women’s Chess Champion Isabelle Choko. We celebrate this occasion by rebroadcasting the episode and presenting two <a href="http://chess.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">chess.com</a> videos that Jennifer filmed in Paris, as well as a carousel of photos from Jennifer’s game against Madame Choko herself.

Ladies Knight with Jen Shahade ft. Isabelle Choko LK051

Our 50th Ladies Knight guest is Kalanithi “Kala” Kanapathy-Bagley, the founder of the Discovery Chess Academy and a member of US Chess Women’s committee, and popular and friendly face at our National Girls Clubs. She organizes the Ohio Chess Girls Championships and is a vocal proponent for bringing the benefits of chess to everyone. One of her most recent projects brings chess to the Indian River juvenile center, where she invited US Chess ED Carol Meyer. Jennifer and Kala talk about Kala’s first memories of chess, as a child in Malaysia, how becoming a chess parent changed her perspective and why it’s important to her to bring chess into juvenile detention centers and prisons. Find out more about Kala’s work at discoverychess.org. Ladies Knight features music by the artist Juga. Subscribe to us, review and share Ladies Knight on social media or with friends. Find out more about host Jennifer Shahade on her website and find her book at US Chess Sales.

Our 50th Ladies Knight guest is Kalanithi “Kala” Kanapathy-Bagley, the founder of the Discovery Chess Academy and a member of US Chess Women’s committee, and popular and friendly face at our National Girls Clubs. She organizes the Ohio Chess Girls Championships and is a vocal proponent for bringing the benefits of chess to everyone. One of her most recent projects brings chess to the Indian River juvenile center, where she invited US Chess ED Carol Meyer. Jennifer and Kala talk about Kala’s first memories of chess, as a child in Malaysia, how becoming a chess parent changed her perspective and why it’s important to her to bring chess into juvenile detention centers and prisons. Find out more about Kala’s work at <a href="http://discoverychess.org/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">discoverychess.org</a>. Ladies Knight features music <a href="https://www.jugamusica.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">by the artist Juga</a>. <a href="https://ladiesknight.org/subscribe-to-podcast/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Subscribe to us</a>, review and share <a href="https://new.uschess.org/category/ladies-knight" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Ladies Knight</a> on social media or with friends. Find out more about host <a href="https://jennifershahade.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Jennifer Shahade on her website</a> and <a href="https://www.uscfsales.com/chess-queens-signed.html" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">find her book at US Chess Sales.</a>

Ladies Knight with Jen Shahade ft. Kalanithi “Kala” Kanapathy-Bagley LK050

Jennifer Shahade speaks to WFM Devina aka “Simply Devina” Devagharan about her streaming career, and her strong advocacy for mental health in the chess world and beyond. They discuss the psychological challenges and benefits of the game and Devina’s positive approach to streaming and content.  Devina was a guest at our virtual girls club room, and our K-12 National Chess Championships in Memphis.  Follow Devina at twitch.tv/simplydevina and https://twitter.com/SimplyDevina. She hosts her podcast, Honest Vibes Only with IM Keaton Kiewra and KD Learns Chess on YouTube, Spotify or wherever you enjoy podcasts. More on her bio and lessons at https://www.devinadev.com/. This episode touches on anxiety and depression. Please text, call or chat 988 to reach the National Suicide &amp; Crisis Lifeline if you are experiencing depression.  Ladies Knight features music by the artist Juga. Subscribe to us, review and share Ladies Knight on social media or with friends. Find out more about hostJennifer Shahade on her websiteand find her book at US Chess Sales.At the K-12 Chess Championships: Karen Boyd, Luciana Morales, Jen Shahade, Epiphany Peters and Devina Devagharan, Photo by Caroline King

Jennifer Shahade speaks to WFM Devina aka “Simply Devina” Devagharan about her streaming career, and her strong advocacy for mental health in the chess world and beyond. They discuss the psychological challenges and benefits of the game and Devina’s positive approach to streaming and content.  Devina was a guest at our virtual girls club room, and our K-12 National Chess Championships in Memphis.  Follow Devina at <a href="http://twitch.tv/simplydevina" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">twitch.tv/simplydevina </a>and <a href="https://twitter.com/SimplyDevina" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/SimplyDevina</a>. She hosts her podcast, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0AHiTfi6kC50iocNzSbPqL" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Honest Vibes Only</a> with IM Keaton Kiewra and KD Learns Chess on YouTube, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0AHiTfi6kC50iocNzSbPqL" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a> or wherever you enjoy podcasts. More on her bio and lessons at<a href="https://www.devinadev.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> https://www.devinadev.com/</a>. This episode touches on anxiety and depression. Please text, call or chat 988 to reach the National Suicide &amp; Crisis Lifeline if you are experiencing depression.  Ladies Knight features music <a href="https://www.jugamusica.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">by the artist Juga</a>. <a href="https://ladiesknight.org/subscribe-to-podcast/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Subscribe to us</a>, review and share <a href="https://new.uschess.org/category/ladies-knight" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Ladies Knight</a> on social media or with friends. Find out more about host<a href="https://jennifershahade.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Jennifer Shahade on her website</a>and find her book at US Chess Sales.At the K-12 Chess Championships: Karen Boyd, Luciana Morales, Jen Shahade, Epiphany Peters and Devina Devagharan, Photo by Caroline King

Ladies Knight with Jen Shahade ft. Devina Devagharan LK049

Maya Myers

Jennifer Shahade brings Senior Tournament Director and four-time All Girls Nationals Team champ Maya Myers to Ladies Knight. In 2022, Myers became the first African American woman to earn the International Arbiter title.  Maya and Jennifer discuss her role and reaction to Brooklyn Castle, the acclaimed documentary film about IS 318, which she attended with her twin sister Mariah McGreen. Maya also tells us which tournament rules she would change if she could, and her first and most recent encounters with Grandmaster Maurice Ashley. She also speaks about the influence of IA Sophia Rohde, who made her shoot for the highest titles possible. Maya is now a coach and TD at the Charlotte Chess Center, and also works as a repair technician at Apple.   Find Maya Myers at the Charlotte Chess Center. Ladies Knight features music by the artist Juga. Subscribe to us, review and share Ladies Knight on social media or with friends. Find out more about host Jennifer Shahade on her website and find her book at US Chess Sales.

Jennifer Shahade brings Senior Tournament Director and four-time All Girls Nationals Team champ Maya Myers to Ladies Knight. In 2022, Myers became the first African American woman to earn the International Arbiter title.  Maya and Jennifer discuss her role and reaction to Brooklyn Castle, the acclaimed documentary film about IS 318, which she attended with her twin sister Mariah McGreen. Maya also tells us which tournament rules she would change if she could, and her first and most recent encounters with Grandmaster Maurice Ashley. She also speaks about the influence of IA Sophia Rohde, who made her shoot for the highest titles possible. Maya is now a coach and TD at the Charlotte Chess Center, and also works as a repair technician at Apple.   Find Maya Myers <a href="https://www.charlottechesscenter.org/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">at the Charlotte Chess Center.</a> Ladies Knight features music <a href="https://www.jugamusica.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">by the artist Juga</a>. <a href="https://ladiesknight.org/subscribe-to-podcast/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Subscribe to us</a>, review and share <a href="https://new.uschess.org/category/ladies-knight" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Ladies Knight</a> on social media or with friends. Find out more about host <a href="https://jennifershahade.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Jennifer Shahade on her website</a> and find her book at US Chess Sales.

Ladies Knight with Jen Shahade ft. Maya Myers LK048

Laurel Aronian LK047

Jennifer Shahade welcomes high-school sophomore Laurel Aronian to Ladies Knight. Laurel is a president of her high school chess team, St. Luke’s, and talks to Jennifer about how she maintains her interest in the game while juggling a busy high school academic and extracurricular schedule.  Laurel talks to Jennifer about keeping more girls in the game, homework, plateaus and the importance of pizzas. Laurel is an active member of our US Chess Women girls club, and also a teen ambassador for our program, where she spearheads activities at our girls club like the teen pizza party. Laurel is also the founder of chessin1day, where she has taught over 100 kids chess. She maintains a blog on chess.com and has contributed to several chess magazines, including a story on the Girls Club game against Judit Polgar for Chess Life Kids. Ladies Knight features music by the artist Juga. Subscribe to us, review and share Ladies Knight on social media or with friends. Find out more about host Jennifer Shahade on her website or twitter.  If you’d like to get more involved in making chess more inclusive, check out a new job description for a US Chess Women Program Coordinator. 

Jennifer Shahade welcomes high-school sophomore Laurel Aronian to Ladies Knight. Laurel is a president of her high school chess team, St. Luke’s, and talks to Jennifer about how she maintains her interest in the game while juggling a busy high school academic and extracurricular schedule.  Laurel talks to Jennifer about keeping more girls in the game, homework, plateaus and the importance of pizzas. Laurel is an active member of our US Chess Women girls club, and also a teen ambassador for our program, where she spearheads activities at our girls club like the teen pizza party. Laurel is also the founder of <a href="https://www.chessin1day.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">chessin1day, </a>where she has taught over 100 kids chess. She maintains a blog on <a href="http://chess.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">chess.com</a> and has contributed to several chess magazines,<a href="http://bt.royle.com/publication/?m=42239&amp;i=754256&amp;view=articleBrowser&amp;article_id=4312514&amp;ver=html5" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> including a story on the Girls Club game against Judit Polgar for Chess Life Kids.</a> Ladies Knight features music <a href="https://www.jugamusica.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">by the artist Juga</a>. <a href="https://ladiesknight.org/subscribe-to-podcast/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Subscribe to us</a>, review and share <a href="https://new.uschess.org/category/ladies-knight" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Ladies Knight</a> on social media or with friends. Find out more about host <a href="https://jennifershahade.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Jennifer Shahade on her website</a> or<a href="https://twitter.com/JenShahade" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> twitter. </a> If you’d like to get more involved in making chess more inclusive,<a href="https://new.uschess.org/news/us-chess-seeks-program-coordinator" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> check out a new job description for a US Chess Women Program Coordinator. </a>

Ladies Knight with Jen Shahade ft. Laurel Aronian LK047

Luciana Morales

Jennifer welcomes Women’s International Master Luciana Morales to Ladies Knight. Luciana is a three-time Continental Champion, the first Peruvian woman to qualify for the Women’s World Champs and an Olympian captain and player. Now hailing from Brownsville, Texas, Luciana works for chessable, where she was recently promoted to Classroom Manager. She  goes by “Mom’s Gambit” on social media, where she explores balancing her passion for chess for her new role as a mother. Jennifer and Luciana talk about her origin story in chess, and what it was like to be the first girl to win the absolute section in the Lima city Youth Championships. She also compares her college experience in Texas vs. Peru and the new chessable course she is working on about the games of the first five Women’s World Champions.  Luciana is a passionate advocate for empowering youth and bringing more girls and women into the game. Bringing this vision to life has taken her all over the World from Mexico to Spain to the US Chess Girls Club in Memphis, TN. Follow Luciana on twitter and Instagram, and look for her upcoming course on chessable in early 2023.

Jennifer welcomes Women’s International Master Luciana Morales to Ladies Knight. Luciana is a three-time Continental Champion, the first Peruvian woman to qualify for the Women’s World Champs and an Olympian captain and player. Now hailing from Brownsville, Texas, Luciana works for chessable, where she was recently promoted to Classroom Manager. She  goes by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/momsgambit/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">“Mom’s Gambit”</a> on social media, where she explores balancing her passion for chess for her new role as a mother. Jennifer and Luciana talk about her origin story in chess, and what it was like to be the first girl to win the absolute section in the Lima city Youth Championships. She also compares her college experience in Texas vs. Peru and the new chessable course she is working on about the games of the first five Women’s World Champions.  Luciana is a passionate advocate for empowering youth and bringing more girls and women into the game. Bringing this vision to life has taken her all over the World from Mexico to Spain to the US Chess Girls Club in Memphis, TN. Follow Luciana on <a href="https://twitter.com/LucianaMorales" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/momsgambit/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and look for her upcoming course on <a href="https://www.chessable.com/blog/the-chess-story-of-wim-luciana-morales/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">chessable in early 2023.</a>

Ladies Knight with Jen Shahade ft.  Luciana Morales LK046

Two-time US Women’s Chess Champion Jennifer Shahade hosts the official podcast of US Chess Women, where she interviews female chess champions and leaders.

Jennifer welcomes Tatia Skhirtladze to Ladies Knight. Skhirtladze is the director and producer of “Glory to the Queen”, a documentary film exploring the outstanding success of Georgian women in chess, focused on four legends of the game: Nona Gaprindashvili, Maia Chiburdanidze, Nana Ioselaini and Nana Alexandria. Jennifer and Tatia speak about highlights from her film, Tatia’s own first encounter with Chiburdanidze, and the impact of the Queen’s Gambit. Born in Tbilisi, Georgia, Tatia now teaches video art at the University of Appiled Arts in Vienna. She will be in the USA in September, and we’ll update this article with any confirmed appearances, which now include a lecture at Harvard University.    You can purchase and watch the movie on numerous venues, including Apple, amazon and vimeo. Ladies Knight features music by the artist Juga. Love the podcast? Subscribe to us, review and share Ladies Knight on social media or with friends.  Ladies Knight is the proud recipient of two Chess Journalist of the Year Awards in 2022, including Best Podcast, and Best Episode, with Anastasiya Rakhmangulova.Photo © Bernd KlingerL to R: Nana Ioseliani, Maia Chiburdanidze, Nona Gaprindashvili and Nana Alexandria

Jennifer welcomes Tatia Skhirtladze to Ladies Knight. Skhirtladze is the director and producer of “Glory to the Queen”, a documentary film exploring the outstanding success of Georgian women in chess, focused on four legends of the game: Nona Gaprindashvili, Maia Chiburdanidze, Nana Ioselaini and Nana Alexandria. Jennifer and Tatia speak about highlights from her film, Tatia’s own first encounter with Chiburdanidze, and the impact of the Queen’s Gambit. Born in Tbilisi, Georgia, Tatia now teaches video art at the University of Appiled Arts in Vienna. She will be in the USA in September, and we’ll update this article with any confirmed appearances, which now include a <a href="https://daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/events/screening-glory-queen" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">lecture at Harvard University. </a> You can purchase and watch the movie on numerous venues, including <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/glory-to-the-queen/id1587169575" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Apple</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Glory-Queen-Nona-Gaprindashvili/dp/B09KD6Z3VK#:~:text=Glory%20to%20the%20Queen%20revolves,present%20mixes%20into%20permanent%20performance.&amp;text=Rentals%20include%2030%20days%20to,hours%20to%20finish%20once%20started." rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">amazon</a> and <a href="https://vimeo.com/ondemand/glorytothequeen" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">vimeo.</a> Ladies Knight features music <a href="https://www.jugamusica.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">by the artist Juga</a>. Love the podcast? <a href="https://ladiesknight.org/subscribe-to-podcast/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Subscribe to us</a>, review and share <a href="https://new.uschess.org/category/ladies-knight" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Ladies Knight</a> on social media or with friends.  Ladies Knight is the proud recipient of two Chess Journalist of the Year Awards in 2022, including Best Podcast, and <a href="https://ladiesknight.org/2022/03/ladies-knight-with-jen-shahade-ft-anastasiya-rakhmangulova-lk040/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Best Episode, with Anastasiya Rakhmangulova</a><a href="https://ladiesknight.org/2022/03/ladies-knight-with-jen-shahade-ft-anastasiya-rakhmangulova-lk040/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">.</a>Photo © Bernd Klinger L to R: Nana Ioseliani, Maia Chiburdanidze, Nona Gaprindashvili and Nana Alexandria

Ladies Knight with Jen Shahade ft. Tatia Skhirtladze LK045

In a special episode of Ladies Knight, Jennifer Shahade takes on listener questions, ranging from a member of her girls chess club who struggles with closing winning positions, to previous guest Laura Smith on how Jennifer would approach a return to professional chess. She also answers a question from podcaster Daniel Lona who asks about some of her favorite interactions inspired by CHESS QUEENS, and a number of questions that emerged from her social media channels.  Ladies Knight features music by the artist Juga. Love the podcast? Subscribe to us, review and share Ladies Knight on social media or with friends.                                                      CREATOR: gd-jpeg v1.0 (using IJG JPEG v80), quality = 75

In a special episode of Ladies Knight, Jennifer Shahade takes on listener questions, ranging from a member of her girls chess club who struggles with closing winning positions, to previous guest Laura Smith on how Jennifer would approach a return to professional chess. She also answers a question from podcaster Daniel Lona who asks about some of her favorite interactions inspired by <a href="https://www.uscfsales.com/chess-queens.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CHESS QUEENS</a>, and a number of questions that emerged from her social media channels.  Ladies Knight features music <a href="https://www.jugamusica.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">by the artist Juga</a>. Love the podcast? <a href="https://ladiesknight.org/subscribe-to-podcast/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Subscribe to us</a>, review and share <a href="https://new.uschess.org/category/ladies-knight" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Ladies Knight</a> on social media or with friends.  CREATOR: gd-jpeg v1.0 (using IJG JPEG v80), quality = 75

Ladies Knight Q&A with Jen Shahade  LK044

Yosha Iglesias

Jennifer is joined by Yosha Iglesias, a multi-talented chess professional:  a FIDE Master, composer, coach and  YouTuber. She also works for chess24, and is  among the top ten female players in France, (ranked #9 in June 2022). Jennifer and Yosha speak about how the Eureka moment of solving a chess problem can be similar to a Eureka moment in life—and how this manifested for Yosha in finding her gender identity. They also discuss Yosha’s own chess compositions, including this surprisingly difficult mate in one: On her blog, Iglesias writes about why it’s important for chess organizations to have trans inclusive policies. (See US Chess’s policy here.) A deep thinker about gender, theory and the game, Yosha points out that, “If men and women have equal abilities for the game of chess, the so-called female category is justified by the numerous additional difficulties and discriminations that the players underdog because of their gender. And believe me, trans players are no more spared than other players.”     Find out more about Yosha on her website, and follow her on twitter and Youtube.   Jennifer Shahade is the Director of US Chess Women and the author of CHESS QUEENS, now available everywhere, including US Chess Sales.

Jennifer is joined by Yosha Iglesias, a multi-talented chess professional:  a FIDE Master, composer, coach and  YouTuber. She also works for chess24, and is  among the top ten female players in France, (ranked #9 in June 2022). Jennifer and Yosha speak about how the Eureka moment of solving a chess problem can be similar to a Eureka moment in life—and how this manifested for Yosha in finding her gender identity. They also discuss Yosha’s own chess compositions, including this surprisingly difficult mate in one: <a href="https://yoshachess.com/article/what-it-feels-like-for-a-pre-transition-girl-in-the-chess-world/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">On her blog, Iglesias</a> writes about why it’s important for chess organizations to have trans inclusive policies. <a href="https://new.uschess.org/news/us-chess-transgender-policy" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">(See US Chess’s policy here</a>.) A deep thinker about gender, theory and the game, Yosha points out that, “If men and women have equal abilities for the game of chess, the so-called female category is justified by the numerous additional difficulties and discriminations that the players underdog because of their gender. And believe me, trans players are no more spared than other players.”     <a href="https://yoshachess.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Find out more about Yosha on her website</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/IglesiasYosha" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">follow her on twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLkEyv6ABJSY_aVsJ4C8rKQ" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Youtube. </a> Jennifer Shahade is the Director of US Chess Women and the author of CHESS QUEENS, <a href="https://geni.us/ChessQueens" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">now available everywhere</a>, including <a href="https://www.uscfsales.com/chess-queens.html" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">US Chess Sales.</a>

Ladies Knight with Jen Shahade ft. Yosha Iglesias LK043

Martin LK042

Jennifer interviews author, chess coach as well as a longtime friend of Jen’s, Jessica Era Martin, to Ladies Knight. Jessica is the founder of Over the ChessBoard, a coaching organization dedicated to bringing chess everyone. A published poet and frequent contributor to chesskid, she’s also the author of several books, including two 2022 titles, Chess Strategy for Beginners (out now!) and Chess Openings for Beginners (June).   Jennifer and Jessica discuss the origin of her middle name ERA, the importance of inclusion in chess books, and favorite openings.  They also touch on how to bring and keep more girls into the game, and the importance of creating a safe and welcoming environment for girls, women and the LGTBQ+ community.  Mentioned in the pod:   Jessica’s books: https://www.amazon.com/Jessica-E-Martin/e/B07YLWY3DQ/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1 Jennifer’s book CHESS QUEENS: https://www.uscfsales.com/chess-queens.html US Chess Safe Play policies: https://new.uschess.org/us-chess-safe-play-guidelines Jonathan Corbblah on the GRID: https://thepokergrid.com/2021/07/12/the-grid-057-ft-jonathan-corbblah-nine-five-suited Find out more about Jessica, her lessons and her books on https://www.overthechessboard.com  Ladies Knight features music by the artist Juga. Love the podcast? Subscribe to us, review and share Ladies Knight on social media or with friends. 

Jennifer interviews author, chess coach as well as a longtime friend of Jen’s, Jessica Era Martin, to Ladies Knight. Jessica is the founder of Over the ChessBoard, a coaching organization dedicated to bringing chess everyone. A published poet and frequent contributor to chesskid, she’s also the author of several books, including two 2022 titles, Chess Strategy for Beginners (out now!) and Chess Openings for Beginners (June).   Jennifer and Jessica discuss the origin of her middle name ERA, the importance of inclusion in chess books, and favorite openings.  They also touch on how to bring and keep more girls into the game, and the importance of creating a safe and welcoming environment for girls, women and the LGTBQ+ community.  Mentioned in the pod:  Jessica’s books: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Jessica-E-Martin/e/B07YLWY3DQ/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/Jessica-E-Martin/e/B07YLWY3DQ/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1</a> Jennifer’s book CHESS QUEENS: <a href="https://www.uscfsales.com/chess-queens.html" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.uscfsales.com/chess-queens.html</a> US Chess Safe Play policies: <a href="https://new.uschess.org/us-chess-safe-play-guidelines" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://new.uschess.org/us-chess-safe-play-guidelines</a> Jonathan Corbblah on the GRID: <a href="https://thepokergrid.com/2021/07/12/the-grid-057-ft-jonathan-corbblah-nine-five-suited/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://thepokergrid.com/2021/07/12/the-grid-057-ft-jonathan-corbblah-nine-five-suited</a> Find out more about Jessica, her lessons and her books on <a href="https://www.overthechessboard.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.overthechessboard.com</a> Ladies Knight features music <a href="https://www.jugamusica.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">by the artist Juga</a>. Love the podcast? <a href="https://ladiesknight.org/subscribe-to-podcast/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Subscribe to us</a>, review and share <a href="https://new.uschess.org/category/ladies-knight" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Ladies Knight</a> on social media or with friends.

Ladies Knight with Jen Shahade ft. Jessica Era Martin LK042

In this special episode of Ladies Knight, host Jennifer Shahade invites you to join her on the road, starting with her Chess Queens book launch in London, where she visited a girls school called Sarah Bonnell, a women’s group called the “Trouble Club”, and our friends at the London Chess &amp; Bridge Shop. She moves on to an historic simultaneous match conducted by the top female player of all time, Judit Polgar, where Jennifer was captain of the girls club. Then Jennifer takes us down to Memphis for the High School National Championships, where she hosted the US Chess girls club, along with a bevy of inspiring guests. She concludes the episode with a visit to the World Chess Hall of Fame, where she and her husband Daniel Meirom, showed two of their feminist chess art pieces in the current show, Mind, Art and Experience, which celebrates the tenth anniversary of the HOF’s move from Miami to Saint Louis.   Links Featured in the Show: Jennifer’s new book CHESS QUEENS on US Chess Sales Signed copies of CHESS QUEENS on US Chess Sales (limited availability)  Sunday Times Review of CHESS QUEENS  Mind Art and Experience show at the WCHOF Marcel Duchamp vs. Eve Babitz as re-imagined in Vanity Fair Jen’s game at the London OTB Southbank Event  Article on Jennifer and Daniel’s piece, Not Particularly Beautiful The Girls Club vs. Judit Polgar (also look for a piece in Chess Life Kids by girls club teen leader Laurel Aronian) 2021 visit by Judit to our Girls ClubPHOTO COURTESY LONDON CHESS &amp; BRIDGE SHOPSARAH BONNELL SCHOOLPHOTO BY CAROLINE KING FOR USCHESSJEN AT THE TROUBLE CLUBSARAH BONNELL SCHOOLPHOTO BY CAROLINE KING FOR USCHESSJEN AT THE WORLD CHESS HOFPHOTO COURTESY LONDON CHESS &amp; BRIDGE SHOP

In this special episode of Ladies Knight, host Jennifer Shahade invites you to join her on the road, starting with her Chess Queens book launch in London, where she visited a girls school called Sarah Bonnell, a women’s group called the “Trouble Club”, and our friends at the London Chess &amp; Bridge Shop. She moves on to an historic simultaneous match conducted by the top female player of all time, Judit Polgar, where Jennifer was captain of the girls club. Then Jennifer takes us down to Memphis for the High School National Championships, where she hosted the US Chess girls club, along with a bevy of inspiring guests. She concludes the episode with a visit to the World Chess Hall of Fame, where she and her husband Daniel Meirom, showed two of their feminist chess art pieces in the current show, Mind, Art and Experience, which celebrates the tenth anniversary of the HOF’s move from Miami to Saint Louis.   Links Featured in the Show: <a href="https://www.uscfsales.com/chess-queens.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jennifer’s new book CHESS QUEENS on</a> <a href="https://www.uscfsales.com/chess-queens.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">US Chess Sales</a> <a href="https://www.houseofstaunton.com/chess-queens-signed.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Signed copies of CHESS QUEENS on US Chess Sales</a> (limited availability)  <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/chess-queens-by-jennifer-shahade-review-women-need-more-than-the-queens-gambit-q07pcwtrx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sunday Times Review of CHESS QUEENS </a> <a href="https://worldchesshof.org/exhibit/mind-art-experience" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mind Art and Experience</a> <a href="https://worldchesshof.org/exhibit/mind-art-experience" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">show at the WCHOF</a> <a href="https://lithub.com/eve-babitz-on-the-time-she-played-chess-nude-with-marcel-duchamp/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Marcel Duchamp vs. Eve Babitz as re-imagined in Vanity Fair</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIwAagY6T3c" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jen’s game at the London OTB Southbank Event </a> <a href="https://news.stlpublicradio.org/arts/2019-10-17/on-chess-not-particularly-beautiful" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Article on Jennifer and Daniel’s piece, Not Particularly Beautiful</a> <a href="https://new.uschess.org/news/us-chess-girls-club-splits-point-polgar" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Girls Club vs. Judit Polgar</a> (also look for a piece in Chess Life Kids by girls club teen leader Laurel Aronian) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PCeUdPT8Ig" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2021 visit by Judit to our Girls Club</a>PHOTO COURTESY LONDON CHESS &amp; BRIDGE SHOP SARAH BONNELL SCHOOL PHOTO BY CAROLINE KING FOR USCHESS JEN AT THE TROUBLE CLUB SARAH BONNELL SCHOOL PHOTO BY CAROLINE KING FOR USCHESS JEN AT THE WORLD CHESS HOF PHOTO COURTESY LONDON CHESS &amp; BRIDGE SHOP

Ladies Knight with Jen Shahade on the Road, ft. CHESS QUEENS LK041

Anastasiya Rakhmangulova LK040

Jennifer welcomes Women’s International Master and former Ukrainian Champion Anastasiya Rakhmangulova to Ladies Knight. Jennifer first heard about Anastasia, who goes by “Nastia”, in the 2020 Isolated Queens tournament, an online event that Jen hosted with Alexandra Botez at the start of the pandemic. Almost two years later, Nastia began to update her Instagram followers on the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 24th. This began with a harrowing week long stay in a Kyiv bomb shelter and then her subsequent escape to the Czech Republic. Ever since, Anastasia has been connecting and fundraising urgently and incessantly to help friends, family and members of service in Ukraine. Jen and Nastia also touch on lighter topics, such as her favorite chessplayers, books, and future chess goals. Follow Nastia on her Instagram profile, and find out more about her efforts to help here. Correction: The Ukrainian  women’s team won the 2006 Olympiad, not the 2008 Olympiad (won by Georgia.) Thanks to everyone who donated to the US Chess Fundraiser with the Kasparov Chess Foundation to help Ukrainian chessplayers. It closed out with over 33K in donations.   Ladies Knight features music by the artist Juga.  Jennifer Shahade is the Director of US Chess Women and the author of Chess Queens, now available and in stock at US Chess Sales.Photo by Lennart Ootes

Jennifer welcomes Women’s International Master and former Ukrainian Champion Anastasiya Rakhmangulova to Ladies Knight. Jennifer first heard about Anastasia, who goes by “Nastia”, in the 2020 Isolated Queens tournament, an online event that Jen hosted with Alexandra Botez at the start of the pandemic. Almost two years later, Nastia began to update her Instagram followers on the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 24th. This began with a harrowing week long stay in a Kyiv bomb shelter and then her subsequent escape to the Czech Republic. Ever since, Anastasia has been <a href="https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=4B6Y4SWVX39F2" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">connecting and fundraising urgently</a> and incessantly to help friends, family and members of service in Ukraine. Jen and Nastia also touch on lighter topics, such as her favorite chessplayers, books, and future chess goals. Follow Nastia on <a href="https://instagram.com/nastiachess?utm_medium=copy_link" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">her Instagram profile</a>, and <a href="https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=4B6Y4SWVX39F2" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">find out more about her efforts to help here.</a> Correction: The Ukrainian  women’s team won the 2006 Olympiad, not the 2008 Olympiad (won by Georgia.) Thanks to everyone who donated to the <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-ukrainian-chess-players" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">US Chess Fundraiser with the Kasparov Chess Foundation to help Ukrainian chessplayers.</a> It closed out with over 33K in donations.  Ladies Knight features music <a href="https://www.jugamusica.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">by the artist Juga</a>.  Jennifer Shahade is the Director of US Chess Women and the author of <a href="https://www.uscfsales.com/chess-queens.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chess Queens, now available </a>and in stock at US Chess Sales.Photo by Lennart Ootes

Ladies Knight with Jen Shahade ft. Anastasiya Rakhmangulova LK040

Martha Fierro LK039

Martha Fierro

Jennifer Shahade welcomes a chess champion, friend and leader to Ladies Knight: Martha Fierro of Ecuador. Martha is a woman with many titles: she’s a FIDE Vice President, an International Master, a Women’s Grandmaster, International Organizer and a two-time Olympic medalist. She’s also one of Jennifer’s earliest inspirations: Jennifer first met Martha at a small tournament in Washington DC. Jennifer was not yet a championship player, and was in one of the reserve sections: Martha, who was already a master player, still went out of her way to mentor Jennifer. Martha is one of the most respected sportspeople in her country, and was once elected as sportsperson of the year for her many victories in Pan-American Championships, as well as her international successes. The founder and head trainer of the Martha Fierro International Chess Academy, her new initiative, the “Ajedrez En Tu Barrio” program, brings chess to children in underserved neighborhoods in Ecuador. Follow Martha Fierro on twitter and learn more about her academy here. Martha is also featured in Jennifer’s new book, Chess Queens, which you can now order at US Chess Sales. Ladies Knight features music by the artist Juga. Love the podcast? Subscribe to us, review and share Ladies Knight on social media or with friends.

Jennifer Shahade welcomes a chess champion, friend and leader to Ladies Knight: Martha Fierro of Ecuador. Martha is a woman with many titles: she’s a FIDE Vice President, an International Master, a Women’s Grandmaster, International Organizer and a two-time Olympic medalist. She’s also one of Jennifer’s earliest inspirations: Jennifer first met Martha at a small tournament in Washington DC. Jennifer was not yet a championship player, and was in one of the reserve sections: Martha, who was already a master player, still went out of her way to mentor Jennifer. Martha is one of the most respected sportspeople in her country, and was once elected as sportsperson of the year for her many victories in Pan-American Championships, as well as her international successes. The founder and head trainer of the Martha Fierro International Chess Academy, her new initiative, the “Ajedrez En Tu Barrio” program, brings chess to children in underserved neighborhoods in Ecuador. <a href="https://twitter.com/MarticaFierro" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Follow Martha Fierro on twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.academiamarthafierro.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">learn more about her academy here.</a> Martha is also featured in Jennifer’s <a href="https://jennifershahade.com/books/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">new book, Chess Queens</a>, which you <a href="https://www.uscfsales.com/chess-queens.html" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">can now order at US Chess Sales.</a> Ladies Knight features music <a href="https://www.jugamusica.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">by the artist Juga</a>. Love the podcast? <a href="https://ladiesknight.org/subscribe-to-podcast/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Subscribe to us</a>, review and share <a href="https://new.uschess.org/category/ladies-knight" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Ladies Knight</a> on social media or with friends.

Ladies Knight with Jen Shahade ft. Martha Fierro LK039

Ella Papanek

US Chess expert and quant sports trader Ella Papanek joins Jennifer Shahade on Ladies Knight for a fascinating discussion. A recent graduate of Harvard University, Ella works at the Susquehana International Group (SIG), a global quantitative trading firm in the Philly area. Her interests span from chess to poker to sports, and of course- statistics, her major at Harvard.  Jen and Ella’s wide-ranging discussion touches on rating distribution and gender, evaluating chess positions from a human perspective, and the Philadelphia Sixers.   SIG is a sponsor of US Chess, and recently supported the 2022 Pan-American Championship. If you want to find out more about their work, check out their website at sig.com and find out more about internship opportunities in their campus life brochure. Discussed in the episode: Angela Saini’s book, Inferior Jennifer Shahade’s upcoming book, Chess Queens, now available at US Chess Sales Daryl Morey and Jessica Gelman’s MIT Sports Analytics Conference MIT Sports Analytics panel “Beyond the Gambit: Chess’ Big Move” NFL Big Data Bowl: https://operations.nfl.com/gameday/analytics/big-data-bowl/ Jen’s podcast episode with chess enthusiast Bill Chen, who also works at SIG North American Corporate Chess League Ladies Knight features music by the artist Juga. Love the podcast? Subscribe to us, review and share Ladies Knight on social media or with friends.

US Chess expert and quant sports trader Ella Papanek joins Jennifer Shahade on Ladies Knight for a fascinating discussion. A recent graduate of Harvard University, Ella works at the <a href="https://sig.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Susquehana International Group (SIG),</a> a global quantitative trading firm in the Philly area. Her interests span from chess to poker to sports, and of course- statistics, her major at Harvard.  Jen and Ella’s wide-ranging discussion touches on rating distribution and gender, evaluating chess positions from a human perspective, and the Philadelphia Sixers.   SIG is a sponsor of US Chess, and recently <a href="https://www.capitalareachess.com/PanAm2022" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">supported the 2022 Pan-American Championship</a>. If you want to find out more about their work, check out their website <a href="https://sig.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">at sig.com</a> and find out more about internship opportunities in <a href="https://dayinthelife.sig.com/career-brochure" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">their campus life brochure</a>. Discussed in the episode: <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/553867/inferior-by-angela-saini/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Angela Saini’s book, Inferior</a> <a href="https://jennifershahade.com/books/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Jennifer Shahade’s upcoming book, Chess Queens</a>, now <a href="https://www.uscfsales.com/chess-queens.html" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">available at US Chess Sales</a> <a href="https://www.sloansportsconference.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Daryl Morey and Jessica Gelman’s MIT Sports Analytics Conference</a> MIT <a href="https://www.sloansportsconference.com/event/beyond-the-gambit-chess-big-move" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Sports Analytics panel “Beyond the Gambit: Chess’ Big Move”</a> NFL Big Data Bowl: <a href="https://operations.nfl.com/gameday/analytics/big-data-bowl/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://operations.nfl.com/gameday/analytics/big-data-bowl/</a> Jen’s <a href="https://thepokergrid.com/2020/04/04/the-grid-033-ft-bill-chen-queen-jack-offsuit/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">podcast episode with chess enthusiast Bill Chen</a>, who also works at SIG North American <a href="https://nacorporatechess.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Corporate Chess League</a> Ladies Knight features music <a href="https://www.jugamusica.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">by the artist Juga</a>. Love the podcast? <a href="https://ladiesknight.org/subscribe-to-podcast/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Subscribe to us</a>, review and share <a href="https://new.uschess.org/category/ladies-knight" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Ladies Knight</a> on social media or with friends.

Ladies Knight with Jen Shahade ft. Ella Papanek LK038

Rusudan Goletiani LK037

Rusudan Goletiani

Jennifer welcomes International Master Rusudan Goletiani to Ladies Knight. Goletiani is a three-time World Youth Champion, a two-time Olympic medalist and a former US Women’s Champion- she took Jennifer’s title in 2005!   Rusudan recently gave a riveting presentation in the girls club at the K-12 Nationals in Orlando, Florida, about the struggles she encountered on the way to her successful life and career.  In 1992, Rusa fled her region of Georgia, Abkhazia, due to war. She explains the dramatic story to Jennifer in the podcast, revealing the most terrifying moments of her life during her escape, as well as the most relieving.  Rusa and Jen also discuss the legendary Georgian champions that inspired her as a youngster, including Nona Gaprindashvili, Maia Chiburdanidze, Nana Ioseliani and Nana Alexandria. All four were featured in the documentary “Glory to the Queen.” They wrap up with a discussion on the importance of confidence and girls and chess. Beyond her chess accomplishments, Rusudan is a mom of three, a Columbia University business grad, and currently works in finance.  Discussed in this episode: Glory to the Queen documentary: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8682060/ Rusa quoted in Jen’s upcoming book, “Chess Queens”: https://jennifershahade.com/books  K-12 Nationals girls club room: https://www.instagram.com/p/CXMWrGTuiiN/ US Chess Women: https://new.uschess.org/give/women-chess-initiative Girls to Grandmasters: https://www.g2gm.org/  Find out about our US Chess Women programs, including our girls club and women’s classes at uschesswomen.org. We appreciate every donation and renewal. Love the podcast? Subscribe to us, review and share Ladies Knight on social media or with friends.   Spectrum Studios / Saint Louis Chess Club

Jennifer welcomes International Master Rusudan Goletiani to Ladies Knight. Goletiani is a three-time World Youth Champion, a two-time Olympic medalist and a former US Women’s Champion- she took Jennifer’s title in 2005!    Rusudan recently gave a riveting presentation in the girls club at the K-12 Nationals in Orlando, Florida, about the struggles she encountered on the way to her successful life and career.  In 1992, Rusa fled her region of Georgia, Abkhazia, due to war. She explains the dramatic story to Jennifer in the podcast, revealing the most terrifying moments of her life during her escape, as well as the most relieving.  Rusa and Jen also discuss the legendary Georgian champions that inspired her as a youngster, including Nona Gaprindashvili, Maia Chiburdanidze, Nana Ioseliani and Nana Alexandria. All four were featured in the documentary “Glory to the Queen.” They wrap up with a discussion on the importance of confidence and girls and chess.  Beyond her chess accomplishments, Rusudan is a mom of three, a Columbia University business grad, and currently works in finance.  Discussed in this episode:  Glory to the Queen documentary: <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8682060/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8682060/</a> Rusa quoted in Jen’s upcoming book, “Chess Queens”: <a href="https://jennifershahade.com/books" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://jennifershahade.com/books</a> K-12 Nationals girls club room: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CXMWrGTuiiN/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/p/CXMWrGTuiiN/</a> US Chess Women: <a href="https://new.uschess.org/give/women-chess-initiative" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://new.uschess.org/give/women-chess-initiative</a> Girls to Grandmasters: <a href="https://www.g2gm.org/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.g2gm.org/</a> Find out about our US Chess Women programs, including our girls club and women’s classes at <a href="https://new.uschess.org/give/women-chess-initiative" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">uschesswomen.org</a>. We appreciate <a href="https://new.uschess.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&amp;id=5" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">every donation</a> and<a href="https://new.uschess.org/become-member" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> renewal</a>. Love the podcast? <a href="https://ladiesknight.org/subscribe-to-podcast/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Subscribe to us</a>, review and share <a href="https://new.uschess.org/category/ladies-knight" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Ladies Knight </a>on social media or with friends. <ul><li></li><li></li></ul> <ul><li> Spectrum Studios / Saint Louis Chess Club </li></ul>

Ladies Knight with Jen Shahade ft. Rusudan Goletiani LK037

Donna Dodson

Jennifer Shahade welcomes artist, sculptor and Fulbright Scholar Donna Dodson on to the GRID. In 2018, Dodson created an epic chess set for a show at the Boston Sculptors Gallery, “the Match of the Matriarchs,” and she invited Jennifer, Daniel Meirom and Kledia Spiro to collaborate with her. The centerpiece of the show was a chess set featuring massive sea creatures made in wood, with Cephalopods (octopuses, squid, cuttlefish) against cetaceans (marine mammals like whales and dolphins). Donna discusses the concept behind the work as they dive into the intelligence of sea creatures, including octopuses. Dodson also talks about her own contribution to the interactive piece Jennifer and Daniel created, “Not Particularly Beautiful” which traces the fear of powerful women in chess back to the madwoman chess queen that rose to power in the 16th century. They also touch on a performance piece alongside the 2018 show, where Jennifer played chess player and mathematician Vanessa Sun on the extraordinary set, while artist and Olympic weightlifter Kledia Spiro performed. Dodson also discusses a controversial work she created, Seagull Cinderella, which was beloved by many, but also attacked as a “duck with boobs” by one irate community member in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Jennifer and Donna tie the incident into another work Jen and Daniel contributed to the show, Breast Milk vs. Formula, as well as recent controversies in the chess world. Find out more about Donna’s work on her website, including her critically acclaimed recent show, Amazons Among us (where she also collaborated with Spiro), and the Match of the Matriarchs. You can also follow her on twitter @artistdonnad. Follow host Jen Shahade on twitter and her website, where she recently released information on Chess Queens, a new book featuring the greatest female players of all time. Find out about our US Chess Women programs, including our girls club and women’s classes at uschesswomen.org. We appreciate every donation and renewal. Love the podcast? Subscribe to us, review and share Ladies Knight on social media or with friends.  Photo Susan Collings 

Jennifer Shahade welcomes artist, sculptor and Fulbright Scholar <a href="http://donnadodsonartist.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Donna Dodson</a> on to the GRID. In 2018, Dodson created an epic chess set for a show at the Boston Sculptors Gallery, “the Match of the Matriarchs,” and she invited Jennifer, Daniel Meirom and <a href="http://www.klediaspiro.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Kledia Spiro</a> to collaborate with her. The centerpiece of the show was a chess set featuring massive sea creatures made in wood, with Cephalopods (octopuses, squid, cuttlefish) against cetaceans (marine mammals like whales and dolphins). Donna discusses the concept behind the work as they dive into the intelligence of sea creatures, including octopuses. Dodson also talks about her own contribution to the interactive piece <a href="https://news.stlpublicradio.org/arts/2019-10-17/on-chess-not-particularly-beautiful" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Jennifer and Daniel created, “Not Particularly Beautiful”</a> which traces the fear of powerful women in chess back to the madwoman chess queen that rose to power in the 16th century. They also touch on a performance piece alongside the 2018 show, where Jennifer played chess player and mathematician Vanessa Sun on the extraordinary set, while artist and Olympic weightlifter Kledia Spiro performed. Dodson also discusses a controversial work she created, Seagull Cinderella, which was beloved by many, but also attacked as a “duck with boobs” by one irate community member in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Jennifer and Donna tie the incident into another work Jen and Daniel contributed to the show, Breast Milk vs. Formula, as well as recent controversies in the chess world. <a href="http://donnadodsonartist.blogspot.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Find out more about Donna’s work on her website</a>, including her critically acclaimed recent show, <a href="http://donnadodsonartist.blogspot.com/2021/04/amazons-among-us.html" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Amazons Among us (where she also collaborated with Spiro)</a>, and <a href="http://donnadodsonartist.blogspot.com/p/mermaids.html" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">the Match of the Matriarchs</a><a href="http://donnadodsonartist.blogspot.com/p/mermaids.html" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">.</a> You can also follow her on <a href="https://twitter.com/artistdonnad" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">twitter @artistdonnad.</a> Follow host <a href="https://twitter.com/JenShahade" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Jen Shahade on twitter</a> and <a href="https://jennifershahade.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">her website</a>, <a href="https://jennifershahade.com/books/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">where she recently released information on Chess Queens</a>, a new book featuring the greatest female players of all time. Find out about our US Chess Women programs, including our girls club and women’s classes at <a href="https://new.uschess.org/give/women-chess-initiative" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">uschesswomen.org</a>. We appreciate <a href="https://new.uschess.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&amp;id=5" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">every donation</a> and<a href="https://new.uschess.org/become-member" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> renewal</a>. Love the podcast? <a href="https://ladiesknight.org/subscribe-to-podcast/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Subscribe to us</a>, review and share <a href="https://new.uschess.org/category/ladies-knight" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Ladies Knight </a>on social media or with friends. <ul><li>Photo Susan Collings </li><li></li></ul>

Ladies Knight with Jen Shahade ft. Donna Dodson LK036

Informative, engaging, and much appreciated. Jennifer Shahade&#39;s observant and thoughtful nature shines through.

Can't wait for the next episode

Super excited to see what Jen is going to do with this! ❤️

Great Podcast

Ladies Knight Chess

Carla Heredia

The November episode of Ladies Knight features Carla Heredia Serrano, a Women’s Grandmaster from Ecuador, who now lives in California. A member of the Ecuadorian Olympic team, Carla recently graduated from Texas Tech with a Masters in Sports Management and a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Now Carla works with the Berkeley Chess School on many projects including the organization and marketing of the Summer IM norm tournament, a women’s event designed to offer IM norms. Annie Wang tied for first with Grandmaster Irina Krush, while Irina took the title on tieberak. Find articles on the event from Carla, with Frisco Del Rosario, as well as a story by GM Krush herself. Carla is also teaching for the BCS in a Title I school in the Bay area, as part of one of 11 grants that are part of the partnership between US Chess and the Saint Louis Chess Club. Find another in-depth interview with Carla about her time at Texas Tech here and follow Carla Heredia Serrano on twitter and Instagram. Ladies Knight features music by the artist Juga, who went viral when her song, Oh Capablanca,dropped in the Fall of 2018. You can find more about Juga on https://www.jugamusica.com/  Find our full family of US Chess podcasts here. To support this podcast, subscribe and if you like it, rate five stars on Apple Podcasts and review.  Consider a donation to advance our Women’s Programs at https://new.uschess.org/give/donate-online-women/  US Chess Sales has also recently unveiled a suite of new US Chess Women themed merchandise, which helps support US Chess Women.

The November episode of Ladies Knight features Carla Heredia Serrano, a Women’s Grandmaster from Ecuador, who now lives in California. A member of the Ecuadorian Olympic team, Carla recently graduated from Texas Tech with a Masters in Sports Management and a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Now Carla works with the<a href="https://www.instagram.com/berkeleychess/?hl=en" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> Berkeley Chess School</a> on many projects including the organization and marketing of the Summer IM norm tournament, a women’s event designed to offer IM norms. Annie Wang tied for first with Grandmaster Irina Krush, while Irina took the title on tieberak. Find articles on the event from <a href="https://new.uschess.org/news/krush-wang-win-berkeley-im-tournament/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Carla, with Frisco Del Rosario</a>, as well as a story <a href="https://new.uschess.org/news/krushs-summer-tour-part-berkeley/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">by GM Krush herself.</a> Carla is also teaching for the BCS in a Title I school in the Bay area, as part of <a href="https://new.uschess.org/women/us-chess-womens-program-grant-recipients-announced/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">one of 11 grants that are part of the partnership between US Chess and the Saint Louis Chess Club.</a> Find another in-depth interview with <a href="https://today.ttu.edu/posts/2018/10/chess-carla-heredia" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Carla about her time at Texas Tech here</a> and follow Carla Heredia Serrano on<a href="https://twitter.com/HerediaCarla" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.instagram.com/herediac4rla/?hl=en" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> Instagram.</a> Ladies Knight features music by the artist Juga, who went viral when<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21QpsK7LRM4" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> her song, Oh Capablanca,</a>dropped in the Fall of 2018. You can find more about Juga on <a href="https://www.jugamusica.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.jugamusica.com/</a>  Find <a href="https://new.uschess.org/category/podcast/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">our full family of US Chess podcasts here.</a> To support this podcast,<a href="https://ladiesknight.org/subscribe-to-podcast/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> subscribe </a>and if you like it, rate <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ladies-knight/id1450189401?ls=1&amp;mt=2#episodeGuid=https%3A%2F%2Fladiesknight.org%2F%3Fp%3D227" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">five stars on Apple Podcasts</a> and review.  Consider a donation to advance our <a href="https://new.uschess.org/give/women-chess-initiative/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Women’s</a> Programs at <a href="https://new.uschess.org/give/donate-online-women/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://new.uschess.org/give/donate-online-women/ </a> US Chess Sales has also recently unveiled a suite of <a href="https://www.uscfsales.com/catalogsearch/result/?cat=0&amp;q=Women" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">new US Chess Women themed merchandise, which helps support US Chess Women.</a>

Ladies Knight with Jen Shahade Featuring Carla Heredia – LK011

James Altucher

It’s Podcast Tuesday on Chess Life Online, and since this month we have five Tuesdays, we have a Ladies Knight bonus clip for you. Jennifer Shahade talks to podcast host, author of 20 books, investor and blogger James Altucher about something his followers may know a little less about: James is also a US Chess master. He explains to Jennifer his swan song in chess two decades ago, at the hands of now seven-time US Women’s Champion Grandmaster Irina Krush. Jennifer also talks to James the importance of tough female competition and how much of an influence Irina had on her career.  This podcast episode was recorded at James’ comedy club in New York City, Stand Up NY,where, Jennifer recorded a longer interview  with James for her other chess inspired podcast, the pokergrid. Podcast Tuesday at US Chess is Cover Stories with Dan Lucas on the first Tuesday of the month, One Move at a Time on the second Tuesday of the month, Ladies Knight with Jen Shahade on the third Tuesday and The Chess Underground with Pete Kariaganis on the final Tuesday.

It’s <a href="https://new.uschess.org/category/podcast/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Podcast Tuesday</a> on<a href="https://new.uschess.org/news/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> Chess Life Online</a>, and since this month we have five Tuesdays, we have a Ladies Knight bonus clip for you. Jennifer Shahade talks to <a href="https://jamesaltucher.com/podcasts/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">podcast host,</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/James-Altucher/e/B001IOBN80" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">author of 20 books</a>, investor and blogger <a href="https://jamesaltucher.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">James Altucher</a> about something his followers may know a little less about: <a href="http://www.uschess.org/msa/MbrDtlMain.php?12447432" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">James is also a US Chess master.</a> He explains to Jennifer <a href="http://www.uschess.org/msa/XtblMain.php?199710266960-12447432" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">his swan song in chess two decades ago</a>, at the hands of now seven-time US Women’s Champion Grandmaster Irina Krush. Jennifer also talks to James the importance of tough female competition and how much of an influence Irina had on her career.  This podcast episode was recorded at<a href="https://standupny.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> James’ comedy club in New York City, Stand Up NY</a>,where,<a href="https://thepokergrid.com/2019/10/17/james-altucher-eight-five-offsuit/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> Jennifer recor</a><a href="https://thepokergrid.com/2019/10/17/james-altucher-eight-five-offsuit/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">ded a longer interview</a>  with James for her other chess inspired podcast,<a href="https://thepokergrid.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> the pokergrid.</a> <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cover-stories/id1370934535" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Podcast Tuesday at US Chess is Cover Stories</a> with Dan Lucas on the first Tuesday of the month<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/one-move-at-a-time/id1438797301?mt=2&amp;ls=1" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">, One Move at a Time on the second Tuesday</a> of the month, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ladies-knight/id1450189401" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Ladies Knight with Jen Shahade on the third Tuesday</a> and<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chess-underground/id1464693679" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> The Chess Underground with Pete Kariaganis on the final Tuesday.</a>

Ladies Knight Bonus Episode with Jen Shahade Featuring James Altucher – LK010.5

Maureen Grimaud

The August episode of Ladies Knight features Maureen Grimaud, chair of the US Chess Women’s committee. Maureen is a vocal proponent and supporter of bringing more women and girls into chess, from her work with the girls club’ rooms and Regional women’s events. In a Sports Illustrated article about women in chess, Maureen said, “It’s a numbers game, It’s a total and complete numbers game. What the women’s committee is trying to do is to grow the base.” Maureen, who is a successful franchise owner, got into chess through her husband David Grimaud. In her interview with Jennifer, she explains how she uses lessons from business to help her grow chess for girls and women. They also discuss the popular Girls’ Club Rooms at US Chess National Scholastics, a concept that Maureen Grimaud was instrumental in executing. Maureen, who is a successful franchise owner, got into chess through her husband David Grimaud. In her interview with Jennifer, she explains how she uses lessons from business to help her grow chess for girls and women. They also discuss the popular Girls’ Club Rooms at US Chess National Scholastics, a concept that Maureen Grimaud was instrumental in executing.

The August episode of Ladies Knight features Maureen Grimaud, chair of the US Chess Women’s committee. Maureen is a vocal proponent and supporter of bringing more women and girls into chess, from her work with the girls club’ rooms and Regional women’s events. <a href="https://www.si.com/more-sports/2018/12/17/lisa-lane-hou-yifan-womens-chess-gender-inequality-world-championships" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">In a Sports Illustrated article about women in chess,</a> Maureen said, “<a href="https://new.uschess.org/news/sports-illustrated-features-us-chess-women-total-numbers-game/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">It’s a numbers game,</a> It’s a total and complete numbers game. What the women’s committee is trying to do is to grow the base.” Maureen, who is a successful franchise owner, got into chess through her husband David Grimaud. In her interview with Jennifer, she explains how she uses lessons from business to help her grow chess for girls and women. They also discuss the popular Girls’ Club Rooms at US Chess National Scholastics, a concept that Maureen Grimaud was instrumental in executing. Maureen, who is a successful franchise owner, got into chess through her husband David Grimaud. In her interview with Jennifer, she explains how she uses lessons from business to help her grow chess for girls and women. They also discuss the popular Girls’ Club Rooms at US Chess National Scholastics, a concept that Maureen Grimaud was instrumental in executing.

Ladies Knight with Jen Shahade Featuring  Maureen Grimaud – LK008

Megan Lee

The newest episode of Ladies Knight features host Jennifer Shahade in conversation with our new U.S. Women’s Open Champion, Megan Lee. Jennifer interviews Megan live from the Las Vegas Chess Festival. Now based in Seattle, 22-year-old Lee is a graduate from the Rhode Island School of Design. In her conversation with Jennifer, she explains why she calls herself a “maker”, as well as a designer and photographer. Her projects have ranged from chairs to wallets to a chess set, and you can browse through her impressive portfolio at https://www.meleeproductions.com/. Megan is also a big fan of chess variants, and she talks to Jen about Seirawan Chess, Chess 960 and her favorite, bughouse. She even reveals the results of two bug games she played against World #2 Fabiano Caruana when he visited Rhode Island.Finally, Megan talks about her toughest game at the U.S. Women’s Open, a victory against Claudia Munoz of Texas Tech University.  This podcast was recorded live at the Las Vegas Chess Festival 

The newest episode of Ladies Knight features host Jennifer Shahade in conversation with our new U.S. Women’s Open Champion, Megan Lee. Jennifer interviews Megan live from the Las Vegas Chess Festival. Now based in Seattle, 22-year-old Lee is a graduate from the Rhode Island School of Design. In her conversation with Jennifer, she explains why she calls herself a “maker”, as well as a designer and photographer. Her projects have ranged from chairs to wallets to a chess set, and you can browse through her impressive portfolio at <a href="https://www.meleeproductions.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.meleeproductions.com/</a>. Megan is also a big fan of chess variants, and she talks to Jen about Seirawan Chess, Chess 960 and her favorite, bughouse. She even reveals the results of two bug games she played against World #2 Fabiano Caruana when he visited Rhode Island.Finally, Megan talks about her toughest game at the U.S. Women’s Open, a victory against Claudia Munoz of Texas Tech University. This podcast was recorded live at the Las Vegas Chess Festival

Ladies Knight with Jen Shahade Featuring Megan Lee – LK006

In the October edition of Ladies Knight, Jennifer Shahade speaks to IM Dorsa Derakshani about her childhood in Iran, her TED talk and what surprised her most about living in the United States. Dorsa Derakshani is an International Master, Women Grandmaster, three time gold medalist at the Asian Youth Champs and a pre-med student at Saint Louis University. In 2017 she switched federations to the United States after she was banned from playing the Iran National team for her decision not to wear hijab when competing internationally. Her brave choices were reported on all over the World, from NPR to CNN. Dorsa wrote a memorable op-ed for the New York Times in December 2017:  “In this sense, America at its best reflects the best values of chess. Chess doesn’t care how old you are or what you wear. It doesn’t care about what gender you are, or how much money you have. It is blind to all of that. It cares only about merit. That’s why I’m applying for United States citizenship and why I hope to someday represent this country in the Olympics. And it’s why barring people from the game based on their ethnicity, religion or clothing is so wrong.” Find our full family of US Chess podcasts here. To support this podcast, subscribe and if you like it, rate five stars on Apple Podcasts and review.  Consider a donation to advance our Women’s Programs at https://new.uschess.org/give/donate-online-women/  US Chess Sales has also recently unveiled a suite of new US Chess Women themed merchandise, which helps support US Chess Women.

In the October edition of Ladies Knight, Jennifer Shahade speaks to IM Dorsa Derakshani about her childhood in Iran,<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnPmfzAGkcU" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> her TED talk</a> and what surprised her most about living in the United States. Dorsa Derakshani is an International Master, Women Grandmaster, three time gold medalist at the Asian Youth Champs and a pre-med student at Saint Louis University. In 2017 she switched federations to the United States after she was banned from playing the Iran National team for her decision not to wear hijab when competing internationally. Her brave choices were reported on all over the World, from <a href="https://www.wbur.org/onlyagame/2017/09/29/chess-hijab-dorsa-derakhshani" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">NPR</a> to CNN. Dorsa wrote a memorable op-ed for <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/29/opinion/iran-chess-woman-america.html" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">the New York Times in December 2017</a>:  “In this sense, America at its best reflects the best values of chess. Chess doesn’t care how old you are or what you wear. It doesn’t care about what gender you are, or how much money you have. It is blind to all of that. It cares only about merit. That’s why I’m applying for United States citizenship and why I hope to someday represent this country in the Olympics. And it’s why barring people from the game based on their ethnicity, religion or clothing is so wrong.” Find <a href="https://new.uschess.org/category/podcast/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">our full family of US Chess podcasts here.</a> To support this podcast,<a href="https://ladiesknight.org/subscribe-to-podcast/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> subscribe and </a>if you like it, rate <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ladies-knight/id1450189401?ls=1&amp;mt=2#episodeGuid=https%3A%2F%2Fladiesknight.org%2F%3Fp%3D227" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">five stars on Apple Podcasts</a> and review.  Consider a donation to advance our <a href="https://new.uschess.org/give/women-chess-initiative/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Women’s</a> Programs at <a href="https://new.uschess.org/give/donate-online-women/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://new.uschess.org/give/donate-online-women/ </a> US Chess Sales has also recently unveiled a suite of <a href="https://www.uscfsales.com/catalogsearch/result/?cat=0&amp;q=Women" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">new US Chess Women themed merchandise, which helps support US Chess Women.</a>

Ladies Knight with Jen Shahade Featuring Dorsa Derakshani – LK010

Charlotte Clymer

Writer, army veteran, influencer and US Chess member Charlotte Clymer joins Jennifer Shahade on Ladies Knight live from Las Vegas, where Charlotte participated in her first women’s event, the US Women’s Open. Charlotte and Jennifer talk about Charlotte’s experience in the Armed Forces Championships, how to make chess more inclusive and why every chess game is like a movie. They also tackle tough questions like whether or not gender fluidity threatens Women’s chess tournaments (spoiler alert- Charlotte says NO!) and how even well-meaning allies can go wrong when heaping flattery and attention on marginalized groups. Charlotte also talks about her goals in chess, her chess heroes and the injustice of ageism. Follow Charlotte on https://twitter.com/cmclymer and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/cmclymer/. Stay up to date with US Chess Women on https://twitter.com/USChessWomen and at https://new.uschess.org/give/women-chess-initiative/. 

Writer, army veteran, influencer and US Chess member Charlotte Clymer joins Jennifer Shahade on Ladies Knight live from Las Vegas, where Charlotte participated in her first women’s event, the US Women’s Open. Charlotte and Jennifer talk about Charlotte’s experience in the Armed Forces Championships, how to make chess more inclusive and why every chess game is like a movie. They also tackle tough questions like whether or not gender fluidity threatens Women’s chess tournaments (spoiler alert- Charlotte says NO!) and how even well-meaning allies can go wrong when heaping flattery and attention on marginalized groups. Charlotte also talks about her goals in chess, her chess heroes and the injustice of ageism. Follow Charlotte on <a href="https://twitter.com/cmclymer" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/cmclymer</a> and Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cmclymer/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/cmclymer/</a>. Stay up to date with US Chess Women on <a href="https://twitter.com/USChessWomen" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/USChessWomen</a> and at <a href="https://new.uschess.org/give/women-chess-initiative/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://new.uschess.org/give/women-chess-initiative/</a>.

Ladies Knight with Jen Shahade Featuring Charlotte Clymer – LK007

Daniel Rensch

The September episode of Ladies Knight features International Master and commentator Daniel Rensch, known to many as the Chief Chess Officer at chess.com. Danny, the first male guest on Ladies Knight emphasizes the importance of men speaking up and advocating for women in our culture and sport. Jennifer and Danny also talk about gender ratio statistics on chess.com and US Chess and initiatives like the US Chess Women Program and this year’s Women’s speed chess champs. They also talk about how to shutdown toxic and circular chatter on streams led by or featuring women, including the example set by two of the site’s most popular commentators IM Anna Rudolf, and our first Ladies Knight guest, Alexandra Botez. Danny and Jen recorded this episode of Ladies Knight in Saint Louis, where they also competed in a Crossfit Blitz game outside the World Chess Hall of Fame. Keep up to date with Danny on the chess.com Youtube channel, where he is hosting World Cup game highlight recaps, as well as his official twitter and facebook pages.  Find a full index of US Chess podcasts here. To support the podcast, subscribe and if you like it, rate five stars on Apple Podcasts and review.  Consider a donation to advance our Women’s Programs at https://new.uschess.org/give/donate-online-women/ US Chess Sales has also recently unveiled a suite of new US Chess Women themed merchandise, which helps support US Chess Women.

The September episode of Ladies Knight features International Master and commentator Daniel Rensch, known to many as the Chief Chess Officer at <a href="http://chess.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">chess.com</a>. Danny, the first male guest on Ladies Knight emphasizes the importance of men speaking up and advocating for women in our culture and sport. Jennifer and Danny also talk about gender ratio statistics on <a href="http://chess.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">chess.com</a> and US Chess and initiatives like the US Chess Women Program and this year’s Women’s speed chess champs. They also talk about how to shutdown toxic and circular chatter on streams led by or featuring women, including the example set by two of the site’s most popular commentators IM Anna Rudolf, and our<a href="https://new.uschess.org/news/ladies-knight-debuts-shahadebotez/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> first Ladies Knight guest, Alexandra Botez.</a> Danny and Jen recorded this episode of Ladies Knight in Saint Louis, where they also competed in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXYZ-uHLFGk" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Crossfit Blitz game outside the World Chess Hall of Fame.</a> Keep up to date with Danny on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5kS0l76kC0xOzMPtOmSFGw" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">the chess.com Youtube channel,</a> where he is hosting World Cup game highlight recaps, as well as his <a href="https://twitter.com/DanielRensch/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">official twitter</a> and<a href="https://www.facebook.com/danielrensch/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> facebook pages.</a>  Find <a href="https://new.uschess.org/category/podcast/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">a full index of US Chess podcasts here.</a> To support the podcast,<a href="https://ladiesknight.org/subscribe-to-podcast/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank"> subscribe and </a>if you like it, rate <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ladies-knight/id1450189401?ls=1&amp;mt=2#episodeGuid=https%3A%2F%2Fladiesknight.org%2F%3Fp%3D227" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">five stars on Apple Podcasts</a> and review.  Consider a donation to advance our <a href="https://new.uschess.org/give/women-chess-initiative/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Women’s</a> Programs at <a href="https://new.uschess.org/give/donate-online-women/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://new.uschess.org/give/donate-online-women/ </a>US Chess Sales has also recently unveiled a suite of <a href="https://www.uscfsales.com/catalogsearch/result/?cat=0&amp;q=Women" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">new US Chess Women themed merchandise, which helps support US Chess Women.</a>

Ladies Knight with Jen Shahade Featuring Daniel Rensch – LK009

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