Will I love Chess Queens?

If you enjoyed the Netflix series Queen’s Gambit, then you will enjoy this book telling of the lives of many women chess players throughout the past 100 years leading up to the great Judith Polgar and beyond.

I have played chess all my life, including in competitions, so I have some knowledge of the intricacies of the game. Still, the book is very accessible and well-written, dealing with the difficulties faced by women in being taken seriously by the chess community, mainly run by men. Yes, it is a feminist book, but it is neither strident nor preachy, just… show more.

While much has been written about the best male players, the lives and games of the best female players have rarely been spotlighted (with the exception of the inimitable Judit Polgar).

A few recent books (I will mention also She Plays to Win by Lorin D’Costa) are starting to turn this around.

Shahade is a well-known media personality, a very strong chess player and poker player and writes lucidly both about her own journey within the male-dominated world of modern chess, and about the journeys of historical players such as Vera Menchik.

I love books that show me facets and… show more.