Jennifer Shahade
@jenshahade.bsky.social
3x National Chess Champ and PokerStars Pro and author.
https://jenshahade.substack.com/
Thinking Sideways comes in early 2026! Pre-orders are my love language: https://geni.us/ThinkingSideways
https://jenshahade.substack.com/
Thinking Sideways comes in early 2026! Pre-orders are my love language: https://geni.us/ThinkingSideways
Don’t Fall Cup: A Pre-Game Phrase
The origin of a motto, and a Thinking Sideways giveaway
jenshahade.substack.com
December 15, 2025 at 6:31 PM
How do you really get better at chess calculation?
Step 1: Ask better questions
Step 2: Organize the answers
jenshahade.substack.com/p/to-take-or...
Step 1: Ask better questions
Step 2: Organize the answers
jenshahade.substack.com/p/to-take-or...
To Take or Not to Take? Chess Puzzles with Fabi
Fabian and I go over puzzles from a new book by NMs Laura Smith and Dan Heisman
jenshahade.substack.com
December 10, 2025 at 4:26 PM
How do you really get better at chess calculation?
Step 1: Ask better questions
Step 2: Organize the answers
jenshahade.substack.com/p/to-take-or...
Step 1: Ask better questions
Step 2: Organize the answers
jenshahade.substack.com/p/to-take-or...
Women in chess foundation author panel starting soon with me, Susan Polgar and Danny Rensch!! Hosted by Keti Tsatsalashvili ‼️
www.twitch.tv/lularobs
www.twitch.tv/lularobs
December 7, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Women in chess foundation author panel starting soon with me, Susan Polgar and Danny Rensch!! Hosted by Keti Tsatsalashvili ‼️
www.twitch.tv/lularobs
www.twitch.tv/lularobs
Position from Grandmaster Felix Blohberger's lesson for the Women in chess Foundation fundraiser.
Can Black play ...d2 here?
Tune in: www.twitch.tv/lularobs
Can Black play ...d2 here?
Tune in: www.twitch.tv/lularobs
December 7, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Position from Grandmaster Felix Blohberger's lesson for the Women in chess Foundation fundraiser.
Can Black play ...d2 here?
Tune in: www.twitch.tv/lularobs
Can Black play ...d2 here?
Tune in: www.twitch.tv/lularobs
My latest on substack, where I ruminate on the last couple months of the year, and explain why poker is driven by the maxim, "I lose or I learn."
jenshahade.substack.com/p/chips-for-...
jenshahade.substack.com/p/chips-for-...
Chips for November, Chess for December
poker in Vegas, confidence coaching, and two holiday chess celebrations
jenshahade.substack.com
December 5, 2025 at 4:12 PM
My latest on substack, where I ruminate on the last couple months of the year, and explain why poker is driven by the maxim, "I lose or I learn."
jenshahade.substack.com/p/chips-for-...
jenshahade.substack.com/p/chips-for-...
Reposted by Jennifer Shahade
Excellent essay and accompanying video from @jenshahade.bsky.social about the challenges of using machine learning to look for beautiful mating patterns in #chess puzzles! I quite like the connection to the "tells" of LLM-generated text in particular.
jenshahade.substack.com/p/the-smothe...
My latest piece on DeepMind's new AI generated chess puzzles, why so many of their early creations revolved around the smothered mate, and what this means for the rest of us.
My latest piece on DeepMind's new AI generated chess puzzles, why so many of their early creations revolved around the smothered mate, and what this means for the rest of us.
The Smothered Test: Chess Beauty in the Age of AI
Some beautiful chess positions cooked up by DeepMind and what it means for the rest of us
jenshahade.substack.com
November 30, 2025 at 11:46 PM
Excellent essay and accompanying video from @jenshahade.bsky.social about the challenges of using machine learning to look for beautiful mating patterns in #chess puzzles! I quite like the connection to the "tells" of LLM-generated text in particular.
jenshahade.substack.com/p/the-smothe...
My latest piece on DeepMind's new AI generated chess puzzles, why so many of their early creations revolved around the smothered mate, and what this means for the rest of us.
My latest piece on DeepMind's new AI generated chess puzzles, why so many of their early creations revolved around the smothered mate, and what this means for the rest of us.
The Smothered Test: Chess Beauty in the Age of AI
Some beautiful chess positions cooked up by DeepMind and what it means for the rest of us
jenshahade.substack.com
November 30, 2025 at 11:36 PM
jenshahade.substack.com/p/the-smothe...
My latest piece on DeepMind's new AI generated chess puzzles, why so many of their early creations revolved around the smothered mate, and what this means for the rest of us.
My latest piece on DeepMind's new AI generated chess puzzles, why so many of their early creations revolved around the smothered mate, and what this means for the rest of us.
Reposted by Jennifer Shahade
The cost of Trump's immigration surge: Stalled investigations into child sexual abuse, Iranian oil smuggling and human trafficking, among others. My latest piece is a big team effort on how DHS has been transformed into the Department of Deportation.
Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/16/u...
Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/16/u...
Homeland Security Missions Falter Amid Focus on Deportations
www.nytimes.com
November 16, 2025 at 6:35 PM
The cost of Trump's immigration surge: Stalled investigations into child sexual abuse, Iranian oil smuggling and human trafficking, among others. My latest piece is a big team effort on how DHS has been transformed into the Department of Deportation.
Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/16/u...
Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/16/u...
In my latest, I go over the ups and downs that led me to a career-best finish at the North American Poker Tour in Las Vegas!
jennifershahade.com/stack/bronze...
jennifershahade.com/stack/bronze...
Bronze in Vegas
I recount my biggest poker score yet, a third-place finish at the North American Poker Tour in Las Vegas
jennifershahade.com
November 17, 2025 at 2:40 PM
In my latest, I go over the ups and downs that led me to a career-best finish at the North American Poker Tour in Las Vegas!
jennifershahade.com/stack/bronze...
jennifershahade.com/stack/bronze...
I made day FIVE of the North American Poker Tour event! 16 remain! Updates here: www.pokernews.com/tours/napt/2...
November 11, 2025 at 5:18 PM
I made day FIVE of the North American Poker Tour event! 16 remain! Updates here: www.pokernews.com/tours/napt/2...
My October in Review: Poker in Baltimore, a Banana at the Art Museum, DeepReads on Man Ray & Confirmation Bias, a Thinking Sideways update, and lots and lots of videos🍌
jennifershahade.com/stack/octobe...
jennifershahade.com/stack/octobe...
October Review: A Banana at the Art Museum
A round-up of October's content from anime and art to banana and books
jennifershahade.com
November 5, 2025 at 4:47 PM
My October in Review: Poker in Baltimore, a Banana at the Art Museum, DeepReads on Man Ray & Confirmation Bias, a Thinking Sideways update, and lots and lots of videos🍌
jennifershahade.com/stack/octobe...
jennifershahade.com/stack/octobe...
Today’s costume: a six million dollar banana
Tomorrow: tens of millions of Americans at risk of losing access to SNAP benefits/food stamps 💔
Tomorrow: tens of millions of Americans at risk of losing access to SNAP benefits/food stamps 💔
October 31, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Today’s costume: a six million dollar banana
Tomorrow: tens of millions of Americans at risk of losing access to SNAP benefits/food stamps 💔
Tomorrow: tens of millions of Americans at risk of losing access to SNAP benefits/food stamps 💔
New video! Learn how to snatch a draw from the jaws of defeat! jenshahade.substack.com/p/never-resi...
October 31, 2025 at 12:34 PM
New video! Learn how to snatch a draw from the jaws of defeat! jenshahade.substack.com/p/never-resi...
From losing to quad queens to checkmating with four chess queens. My latest: jenshahade.substack.com/p/four-queen...
Four Queens: Checkmate or Bust
A trip to Maryland and the difference between quad queens on the board and on the felt
jenshahade.substack.com
October 30, 2025 at 1:30 PM
From losing to quad queens to checkmating with four chess queens. My latest: jenshahade.substack.com/p/four-queen...
In my latest video with Fab, we talk about countering the Scotch Opening. 😀https://jennifershahade.com/stack/chess-openings-explained-countering
Chess Openings Explained: Countering the Scotch
In another addition of How to Beat Your Mom at Chess, I show you how to defend against the Scotch as Black
jennifershahade.com
October 24, 2025 at 3:11 PM
In my latest video with Fab, we talk about countering the Scotch Opening. 😀https://jennifershahade.com/stack/chess-openings-explained-countering
A very sad day. RIP to a wordsmith, a chess genius, and most importantly a kind person.
jenshahade.substack.com/p/daniel-nar...
jenshahade.substack.com/p/daniel-nar...
Daniel Naroditsky, 1995-2025
A wordsmith, a chess genius, and most importantly a kind person
jenshahade.substack.com
October 21, 2025 at 3:24 AM
A very sad day. RIP to a wordsmith, a chess genius, and most importantly a kind person.
jenshahade.substack.com/p/daniel-nar...
jenshahade.substack.com/p/daniel-nar...
An underrated secret to success: prove yourself wrong! I dive into a chess study showing this effect in my latest: substack.com/home/post/p-...
DeepReads #1: Prove Your Move Wrong
A new series where I dig into a book, study or article for insights on decision making, writing & happiness
substack.com
October 20, 2025 at 2:31 PM
An underrated secret to success: prove yourself wrong! I dive into a chess study showing this effect in my latest: substack.com/home/post/p-...
Reposted by Jennifer Shahade
Many thanks to @jenshahade.bsky.social for linking to my lichess blog in her most recent substack post! Check out her piece about the role of falsification in #chess here.
DeepReads #1: Prove Your Move Wrong
A new series where I dig into a book, study or article for insights on decision making, writing & happiness
jenshahade.substack.com
October 19, 2025 at 10:34 PM
Many thanks to @jenshahade.bsky.social for linking to my lichess blog in her most recent substack post! Check out her piece about the role of falsification in #chess here.
My latest video with my son, on the Sicilian vs the Caro-Kann, Reti vs Tartakower, and Xie Jun-Galliamova.
substack.com/home/post/p-...
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Chess Explained: Why the Sicilian is Better Than the Caro
With Halloween looming, Fabian and I go over some famous chess discoveries, including one that hits close to home.
substack.com
October 15, 2025 at 11:19 PM
My latest video with my son, on the Sicilian vs the Caro-Kann, Reti vs Tartakower, and Xie Jun-Galliamova.
substack.com/home/post/p-...
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Why are preorders are such a big deal for authors? Planet Money just did a great piece on this question here: www.npr.org/sections/pla...
Why preorders are such a big deal for authors
Special gifts. Great stories. And economics too!? Can it be true? The Planet Money book is available for preorder.
www.npr.org
October 15, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Why are preorders are such a big deal for authors? Planet Money just did a great piece on this question here: www.npr.org/sections/pla...
I wrote about a new book about Man Ray & Chess and why the pawn is the most important piece.
jenshahade.substack.com/p/pawns-on-a...
jenshahade.substack.com/p/pawns-on-a...
Why the Pawn Was a Man Ray Muse
A new book on Man Ray & Chess by Larry List gave me insight into the art of chess and Dada.
jenshahade.substack.com
October 10, 2025 at 1:09 PM
I wrote about a new book about Man Ray & Chess and why the pawn is the most important piece.
jenshahade.substack.com/p/pawns-on-a...
jenshahade.substack.com/p/pawns-on-a...
The How to Beat Your Mom at Chess series is back with "Chess Tactics Explained: The Block"!
jenshahade.substack.com/p/chess-tact...
jenshahade.substack.com/p/chess-tact...
Chess Tactics Explained: The Block
I show Fabian a historic win by Fischer, and some puzzles from my book
jenshahade.substack.com
October 6, 2025 at 10:10 PM
The How to Beat Your Mom at Chess series is back with "Chess Tactics Explained: The Block"!
jenshahade.substack.com/p/chess-tact...
jenshahade.substack.com/p/chess-tact...
Reposted by Jennifer Shahade
The Grid by @jenshahade.bsky.social has been a marvelous poker journey. Check out her latest. thepokergrid.com/2025/09/25/t...
The Grid 093 ft. Cindy Spier – Queen Seven Offsuit
Urgent care physician and poker player Cindy Spier enters the GRID to discuss one of her impressive tournament victories. At the Senior’s Event at a WSOP circuit event in Pompano, Florida, Dr. Spier h...
thepokergrid.com
October 3, 2025 at 2:53 AM
The Grid by @jenshahade.bsky.social has been a marvelous poker journey. Check out her latest. thepokergrid.com/2025/09/25/t...
The most fun I ever had giving a chess lesson jenshahade.substack.com/p/the-joys-o...
The Joys of an Anime Chess Lesson
The most fun I've ever had teaching the basics of chess
jenshahade.substack.com
October 3, 2025 at 2:46 AM
The most fun I ever had giving a chess lesson jenshahade.substack.com/p/the-joys-o...
Fischer's famous 1963 win against Pal Benko, and last night's Eagles game.
jenshahade.substack.com/p/the-block-...
jenshahade.substack.com/p/the-block-...
The Block of the Century
This Bobby Fischer game is exactly like last night's Eagles game
jenshahade.substack.com
September 22, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Fischer's famous 1963 win against Pal Benko, and last night's Eagles game.
jenshahade.substack.com/p/the-block-...
jenshahade.substack.com/p/the-block-...