Unlocking the Mind: Jennifer Shahade’s “Thinking Sideways” Explores Chess Philosophy for Life Success

Jennifer Shahade’s New Book Explores Chess Thinking Beyond the Board

New York, NY — In a world where strategic thinking is paramount, two-time U.S. Women’s Champion Jennifer Shahade is making waves with her latest book, Thinking Sideways: How to Think Like a Chess Player and Win at Life. The book, released on April 7, delves into the philosophy of chess and its applications in everyday decision-making, psychology, and even poker.

Shahade, a prominent figure in the chess community known for her roles as a player, commentator, and author, recently sat down with Chess.com’s FM Mike Klein to discuss the inspiration behind her book. She challenges the conventional wisdom that chess players must think many moves ahead, arguing instead that in today’s unpredictable world, it’s often more beneficial to expand one’s options rather than commit to a single prediction.

“Everybody’s always asking chess players, ‘You think so far ahead… I could never think that many moves ahead,’” Shahade explained. “But in our current world, where there is so much uncertainty… you’re doing it right if you don’t think too many moves ahead.”

This philosophy is the cornerstone of Thinking Sideways, encouraging readers to navigate complexity by considering multiple possibilities. Shahade emphasizes the importance of “candidate moves,” a concept familiar to chess enthusiasts. “When you see a chess position… many people stop at intuition and just play that move,” she said. “But we want to do better than that… come up with at least three candidate moves, evaluate each one, and pick the best one.”

However, she acknowledges that the process can be challenging. “Some people are very good at evaluating all their options, but then they’re really indecisive… if you’re good at seeing every possibility, you can easily get frozen. So it makes sense that it’s hard to combine two, and that is why chess is so hard. Life is even harder.”

Shahade’s insights extend beyond chess; she shared how the principles in her book contributed to her success in poker, including a career-best performance shortly after completing the manuscript. “One way that I did this is via visualizing myself winning… I just made the visuals of me winning a little bit more convincing and vivid,” she said. She also highlighted the importance of confidence, even if it feels irrational. “A lot of the research… showed that very high confidence helps you succeed, even if it’s sometimes a little bit delusional.”

A significant factor in her recent success was eliminating distractions. “I banned myself from my phone… my brain was just so much more alert… I was really able to retain things,” she noted.

Ultimately, Thinking Sideways is about more than just performance; it’s about fostering happiness and self-worth. “I think that we’re in such a hyper-competitive world, especially in chess. It’s so competitive and it can be so cutthroat. I want people to be able to step back and say like, ‘Okay, I’m worthy,’” Shahade said.

The book’s release coincided with the premiere of Netflix’s Untold: Chess Mates and Ben Mezrich’s Checkmate, and it has already garnered praise from outlets like the Financial Times and The Guardian.

In a notable turn of events, Shahade’s book launch followed her recent settlement with US Chess regarding a lawsuit she filed for misconduct and retaliation. The federation expressed gratitude for her courage in coming forward, stating that her actions have reinforced its commitment to a safe and inclusive chess community. As part of the resolution, Shahade has been named US Chess’s first-ever Official Ambassador, with plans to represent the organization at events nationwide.

With Thinking Sideways, Jennifer Shahade not only shares her chess wisdom but also inspires readers to embrace their unique skills and navigate life’s complexities with confidence.