For fans of The Queen's Gambit, this is the real life story of a female chess champion travelling the world to compete in a male-dominated sport with the most famous players of all time.

'Like The Queen's Gambit, this isn't really about chess, but power ... Shahade is up for the fight'
Sunday Times

What does it take to make it to the top of your game?

As a chess champion, Jennifer Shahade has travelled the world playing major tournaments. At the top, she finds rivalry and friendship; sexism and feminism; ecstatic highs and excruciating losses.

Chess Queens invites us behind the scenes of this ultra male-dominated sport. We meet today's elite, as well as the pioneering female players in history who fought against the odds to get to the top.

An essential guide for all aspiring chess queens, Jennifer's story reveals what it takes to break through the glass ceiling.


'Jennifer Shahade is a brilliant, insightful thinker who never fails to entertain and engage'
Maria Konnikova

'An astoundingly intimate, thoughtful and inspirational book by a person who has seen it all from the inside'
Angela Saini