As late as 1950, many chess clubs in America excluded women. The Marshall Chess Club in New York City was an exception, organizing the U.S. Women's Chess Championship beginning in the late 1930s. Since the 1980s, the average rating of the players has increased. The Saint Louis Chess Club has organized the championship since 2009, with record-setting prizes. Drawing on archives and original interviews with the living U.S. Women's Chess Champions, this book examines their careers with biographies, photos, and 171 annotated games, most of which are from the 60 championships between 1937 and 2020.

Written by Richard James, Chess for Schools: From simple strategy games to clubs and competitions is a great resource to help teachers encourage children to enjoy the benefits and challenges of the chess game Chess is a game of extraordinary excitement and beauty and all children should have the opportunity to experience it. Indeed, many claim that playing abstract strategy games such as chess provides a wide range of cognitive and social benefits- such as improvements in problem-solving ability and communication skills. However, Richard James argues that, because of the complexity of chess, most younger children would gain more benefit from simpler chess-based strategy games and incremental learning. In this practical handbook, Richard provides a wide range of games and puzzles based on these principles which are appropriate for primary schools and explains how teachers can identify children who would benefit from starting young. Richard also sets out how this approach can engage the whole community, including working with children with special needs, getting parents involved in learning and playing, and developing partnerships between primary and secondary schools. Chess for Schools shares the latest research into how children process information, combined with insights into international best practice in teaching chess to young children. The book demonstrates the transformative effect chess can have on older children, and how this can be promoted in secondary schools. Richard James offers valuable insights into the greater context of chess-playing, expressing how and why chess is a joy to so many worldwide andshares a series of resources and minigames for teachers to use with their learners. An ideal resource for primary and secondary school teachers wanting to introduce their pupils to chess.

'Like The Queen's Gambit, this isn't really about chess, but power' 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

Fifteen chess-enhanced lesson plans address National Council for the Social Studies standards for grades 4–8 and help prepare students to succeed in University Interscholastic League (UIL) Chess Puzzle. Implement the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) curriculum standards in your classroom with People, Places, Checkmates: Teaching Social Studies with Chess. In this unique volume, 15 lesson plans teach culture, history, geography, and citizenship through the history of chess and its relationship to art, civics, culture, economics, geography, government, and technology. This book will also help educators and librarians prepare students to succeed in University Interscholastic League (UIL) Chess Puzzle. Each 40-minute lesson plan includes an NCSS theme, materials and sources, procedure, and evaluation. Each lesson is followed by an optional 10-25 minute chess exercise, composed of teacher background, procedure and materials, expected time, and evaluation. A separate chapter teaches the chess basics necessary for your students to actually play chess and successfully complete the optional exercises. Lesson plans complement upper elementary and middle school curricula in world history, U.S. history, geography, and social studies.

In these pages we see how Alekhine's preparation, both psychological and technical, bore brilliant fruit. Once he had pinpointed Euwe's weaknesses Alekhine struck with the force of a hurricane and regained the title by virtue of some of the most energetic, accurate and elegant play ever witnessed at world championship level.