Chess Bitch: Women in the Ultimate Intellectual Sport

by Jennifer Shahade

In a game where the chess board's strongest piece the Queen is often referred to as a bitch, and where being female has been long considered a major disadvantage, this eye-opening account shows how... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 189008509X
• ISBN13: 9781890085094
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Siles Press
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.0" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

GOOD BOOK - Being Stalked

I am the ANTI CHESS BOOK STALKER. Whenever and Wherever a Good Chess Book is being unjustly bombarded by BOGUS kids reviews (and those using fake names on their accounts) the AnitiChessBookStalker will strike. Just like superman (or perhaps in this case a superwomen) I will be there to counter strike! First of all I have seen JENNIFER SHAHADE in person at her opening book signing and have read her book. It is targeted at an audience interested in a mature approach. This is not a scholastic chess book, though really it is fine for older kids to learn reality about an insider's view of the female chess world. Once again the stalker will be confronted and we know where to find you!!!

AWEFULLY GOOD!

This is the best book with a true perspective of women's chess. Just ask Beatrice Marinello of the USCF (she is a USCF National Master, great chess teacher and has been USCF Scholastic director and Executive Director - Need any more credentials?) who attended the book breaking ceremony with Jennifer Shahade. It appears that the INTERNET CHESS AUTHOR STALKER continues to attack Jennifer's books (rumor has it that it is a person with the initials E. L. who sued the USCF some 20 years ago or so). Just look at these recent reviews (so short so they could be written in a hurry and be plentiful). Jennifer Shahade gives her point of view on things and says what she feels. There is no libel at all in the book as you certainly don't see any lawsuits over anything written. It is toned down mellow-yellow like the book on the Polgar sisters (which doesn't really tell it the way it is as it must be rated "G" as compared to a "PG13" for Shahade). If you like reading a little history, yes with perhaps a little bit of gossip, then you will like this book.

Better than Polgar's Book

Jennifer goes into the nitty gritty of the inside world of girl's chess. The fact she is truthful and doesn't spare anyone of either the good and bad of things makes this a better book than Susan Polgar's book. Do you want a book that tells things the way they are, or a nicy, nicy book looking at the world through rose colored glasses? True, some people want everything will butter on it and feel the world must be "fair" to all. Perhaps some historical facts are up to debate, but a couple of the other reviewers may have their "facts" wrong themselves and need to provide their "sources" when trying to correct anyone.

Chess Bargain

Jennifer Shahade gave us a bargain by writing three books in one. Chess Bitch is the title of her maiden book that chronicles the relationship between women and chess on historical, cultural and personal levels. Each one of these levels is a triumph on its own. -- Historical: Shadade gives a brief history of women's chess through the lives of world champion women players, from Vera Menchik to Antoaneta Stefanova. She also briefly takes the reader through the history of women's chess in America. -- Cultural: The author delves into some of the issues, real or supposed, that are exclusive to women in chess. She presents a moderate feminist viewpoint sympathetically without alienating the reader. -- Personal: Ms. Shahade offers her own experiences and insight into how she dealt with chess as a female while expounding on her own philosophies and ideas. When I initially read the book my focus was on the historical information. Much of what Ms. Shahade presents, particularly in the section on American players, had been totally neglected by chess authors in the past. The biographical information on some players is sparse, but on others is quite detailed. The glimpse into Sonja Graf was basically a repeat of Shahade's fine New in Chess Magazine article from July, 2004. The biographies of Women World Champions, particularly from Menchik to Chimburdanidze, were fairly routine and handled equally well by John Graham in his "Women in Chess: Players of the Modern Age." But the author shines when looking at the post-Georgian champions. Her treatment of the American players is a delight and alone worth the price of the book. The biographies aren't limited to world champions or US champion, but extends to many other players who are noteworthy for their potential or for their uniqueness. The tie-that-binds is their gender more than their talent. While I won't list them all here, the number of players who are profiled is astonishingly large. The author's main technique seemed to be to introduce personalities that either followed a logical historical path or who fit under the topic of the chapter and intersperse the biographical information with tidbits of peripheral information as well as applicable cultural arguments. The result was akin to walking towards some destination, but taking time along the way to wander into some alleys or to peek inside some dimly lit alcoves that had little to do with the journey except to provide a more interesting trip. The main problem I found was that the destination was never always clear in my mind, leaving me confused at times about which was the path and which was the alley. The upside is that the journey was enjoyable enough to be an end in itself. Ms. Shahade, rather than being the extreme feminist that many reviewers seemed to imply, appeared to me to be more a rational feminist. She questioned everything from a feminist perspective without prejudice or any hint of close-mindedness. The mos

simply a brilliant writer / interviewer / analyst!

First other books by women I've enjoyed: Kitchen, NP, The Good Earth, Ethan Frome, The Autobiography of Alice B Toklas, Mrs Dalloway, The God of Small Things, and The Bell Jar. Second me: I am an American, well-read, male, feminist, CPA, lawyer, former national master (current expert), w/out an international rating, and with a graduate degree. Finally her: CB is excellently written, researched, and a real page-turner for this well-read author's first book! Ms Shahade's choices about who to dwell on and what to reveal about them and how to blend diverse aspects into a central theme is profoundly satisfying and unique. Her leading insider status and enthusiasm for the general topic helped her presentation a lot and also very helpful to the book is her candid, direct style regardless of whether she is writing about her friends / rivals (the other current top women players) or others from the past that she had to do research to get to know and understand. As a world traveller the author has a lot of her own ongoing experiences and anecdotes to draw upon. CB is a revealing look into the mind of a leading women's grandmaster and thinker about an important sport. CB is essential to anyone such as myself who is trying to understand how feminism in a sub-culture surfaces and is dealt with reasonably. Us the readers get a lot of value from CB regardless of whether or not we know how to play chess! I cannot emphasize that enough! CB is a bargain, really: we are getting the ultimate insider tour of a top level of women competitors plus an analysis of how feminism comes into play in various ways both subtle and profound and not in ways you would guess by yourself without the author's help. Look, this is a young, bright, energetic author who is articulate and accessible and generous and cares more about her life experiences than simply racking up championship titles. Whether the readers are already knowledgeable about feminism or not, CB in an understandable way relates feminism as it exists in the chess world. #5 female in the world GM Alexandra Kosteniuk is given a balanced exam; the Polgars were dealt with in interesting detail as well; Susan's struggles and successes are included. Judit's the greatest woman in chess ever, but the author was not intimidated and did a great job dissecting her. Sofia's Rome fantastic result was discussed and analysed with the third best of these remarkable sisters. Their home schooling is also described in very interesting detail. The person who had a sex change operation deserved a face to face interview and her own chapter - Ms Shahade gave her both although the person is only an expert in the USA. A lot of lesser authors would have looked to the rating instead of to the story and missed writing that excellent chapter. The Iranian and Ms Nangwale and IM Krush were all three portrayed very, very positively as they all three deserved. However, the soul of the writer's attention is clearly Sonja Graf