Videos from the U.S. Chess Championship May 13, 2009
Posted by Jennifer in : chess , 3 commentsI’m at the U.S. Chess Championship in Saint Louis, doing commentary and writing Chess Life Online articles. I also chaired the tournament committee and am also co-hosting the following nightly video recaps with Macauley Peterson:
Naked Chess April 16, 2009
Posted by Jennifer in : art, chess, feminism , 23 commentsWith Dim Mak Films, I created the following video, in which I play chess against a naked man.
The video was inspired by contributing to a new book I wrote on Marcel Duchamp and chess (buy it here!) and this famous photo of Marcel Duchamp playing against a naked woman.
One great thing about playing against a naked man in chess is that there are no pockets for electronic devices, so you can be absolutely sure he is not cheating.
A few other notes on the video, shot at the new studio, Philadelphia Soundstages:
1. I am wearing a corset. I figured it was only fair to introduce a little nudity into my own outfit.
2. The chess pieces are actually naked chess pieces, borrowed for the shoot from thechesspiece.com. Check out a close up of the beauties.
3. The game from the shoot is based on a Duchamp win over E.Smith, one of the 15 games I analyzed in Marcel Duchamp: The Art of Chess. Contrary to the video, Smith did not play all the way to checkmate; He resigned a couple moves before in a totally lost position.
4. The naked man, Jason Bretz, is nicknamed "Smiley" and I didn’t realize why till after the shoot, as I guess being naked, cold and in a doomed chess position took away some of his natural cheer.
On Tuesday, May 5, there will be a panel discussion on Duchamp’s chess career at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, one day before the art exhibit Marcel Duchamp: Chess Master opens at the Saint Louis University Museum of Art (SLUMA). Joining me on the panel will be Marcel Duchamp: The Art of Chess authors Francis M.Naumann, Dr. Bradley Bailey and Larry List. Larry wrote The Imagery of Chess, Revisited and was a curator for the recent show 32 Pieces in Iceland. Susan Barrett was the mastermind behind getting the event together, and we’re planning some more spectacular art chess events for the Fall. I can only hope that Duchamp would be pleased.
Some stills from the shoot:
Nashville Talk April 1, 2009
Posted by Jennifer in : art, chess , 1 comment so far
I’m off to Nashville tomorrow for SuperNationals IV. I’ll be reporting for Chess Life Online and hosting a seminar, video showing and Q+A on Saturday, April 4th at 11 AM. Hope to see you there!
Princeton Photo Gallery March 18, 2009
Posted by Jennifer in : chess , 5 commentsI had a great time at the Princeton Library last weekend, where I gave a talk, showed an excerpt of hulachess and played a 25-board simultaneous exhibition. Check out the photo gallery and keep your eyes out for a report on uschess.org, which will include a video from the event.
Simul and Talk at Princeton March 7, 2009
Posted by Jennifer in : art, chess , 4 commentsIf you’re in the area, check out my talk and simul at the Princeton Library on March 14 at 2 PM EST. I love the poster below that the organizers made for the event, but there are a couple errors: chess expert is a specific term for someone rated between 2000 and 2200 (I am 2300) and I created hulachess with DimMak Films. I will also be giving a talk, Writing, Chess and Art at the SuperNationals in Nashville, TN, on Saturday, April 4, 11 AM, I hope you can make one of the two. If not, come back for more event announcements for spring and the summer of 09.
I wish I was in Iceland March 6, 2009
Posted by Jennifer in : art, chess, travel , 8 commentsI have been to Iceland two times, and on the second visit, I was floored by both the beauty of the landscape—and how expensive everything was ($40 pizza anyone?). So, the bright side of the economic crisis in Iceland is that it would now be reasonable to eat, drink and shop there. When I even think about visiting Iceland, I hear the music of Bjork and Sigur Ros in my head, and I calm down. My new relaxation therapy is to just say Iceland over and over again until any anger and stress melts away. I’ll let you know how it goes.
I’d also love to visit right now to see the exhibit at the Reykjavik Art Museum, 32 Pieces: The Art of Chess in person. My friend Larry List is a co-curator of the show, and the sets look amazing. I probably won’t make it to Iceland in time to see the show live, but this has me thinking about what kind of chess set I’d create if given the task.
I am totally in love with the first set by the Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama. It’s my fantasy of form and function and I actually believe that I would use it. Kusama broke the record for the highest sale for a female artist in history: 5.1 million dollars, so I guess I won’t be affording the Pumpkin set anytime soon. Check out a close up of the pieces:
This brings out some hidden phobias in me. How about Fear Factor Chess?
This set by Paul McCarthy was in Moscow for a while, and Garry Kasparov played with it!
This is my least favorite in some ways, and my favorite in another way. Most of the other sets in the exhibit make me smile, while this makes me feel sort of sick and angry, like I just lost a chess game.
Can you figure out which piece is which in the set above? I will post the answer as a comment to this blog.
Read more about the show on CLO and the Reykjavik Art Museum website.
Chess Lessons for Artists February 17, 2009
Posted by Jennifer in : art, books, chess , 7 comments
I was inspired to update you on this project when reading a recent New Yorker article about Scrabble, "Spreading the Word" by Judith Thurman. The article touches on a lot of interesting points, including the lawsuit over Scrabulous (now renamed Lexulous on facebook.) There is also a section on online gaming addiction, in which New York Times columnist, Deborah Solomon is quoted: "I used to be a productive individual who read serious fiction in the hours before I went to sleep. But that was in the innocent Un-Scrabbled past." Thurman continues: "She plays every night on ISC(Internet Scrabble Club) under the screen name Duchamp- a nod to the French Dadaist, who claimed to have renounced art for chess, and who Solomon says, ‘in that sense, deserves to be seen as a pioneer of the ruined-by-games-online present.’"
After reading a fascinating article about fact checking at The New Yorker, I’m surprised this sentence went through. Duchamp never “claimed to have renounced art for chess,” as Thurman stated. He never said this or anything like it, although, admittedly, countless others have, as the present case demonstrates. I also object to the idea that chess stole Duchamp away, as if it was a useless pastime that didn’t inspire him or add anything to his oeuvre. In fact, Duchamp’s artistic output related to chess is prodigious: He collaborated on a book on pawn endgames, created a pocket chess set and co-organized with Julian Levy the exhibition, "The Imagery of Chess." Many of Duchamp’s works refer to or represent chess, from his early Cézanne-inspired painting, The Chess Game (1910) to the Cubist King and Queen Surrounded by Swift Nudes (1912.) When you read Marcel Duchamp: The Art of Chess, you will see that this is just the beginning. In this book, gallery owner and the mastermind behind the publication, Francis M. Naumann, writes an essay that examines Duchamp’s career arc as if it were a chess game. Professor Bradley Bailey adapted his thesis on Duchamp, chess and The Large Glass for the book. All the aforementioned things come even before Duchamp’s games themselves, which include many brilliancies. I was particularly impressed by Duchamp’s handling of an opening close to my heart, the Dragon, which showed that in some ways, Duchamp was ahead of his time in chess.
I am involved more and more in art through writing, and various video and photo projects, and I’ve noticed some ways that my background in chess helped me as an artist.
1. Relentless Self-Criticism: From chess, I know that some ideas that seem good at first do not pass the "bullshit" meter. I try to be self- critical about any major projects I undertake, so I don’t waste a lot of time on something that is inherently flawed.
2. Focus: Chess helps me recognize flow moments, where you lose a sense of time and are lost in the moment, which is crucial in any creative endeavor.
3. The importance of confidence: In chess, without confidence, you can’t improve. I’m also realizing how important confidence is in art and writing. In an interview with February 09 Chess Life cover girl Rusudan Goletiani said it again and again — she never would have won medals at the 2008 Dresden Chess Olympiad if she wasn’t confident. In chess, it’s obvious to me if I spend too much time on a move, it may be cause me to lose on time. If a month passes me by without progress on any projects that are important to me, due to some combination of a lack of confidence and distraction, it’s not as obvious that this may signify a missed opportunity, a project stalled, a chapter unwritten. Check out one embarrassing excerpt from the aforementioned interview:
Rusudan Goletiani (RG)- Our motto at (my chess academy in Westchester) is the 3 C’s. 1. Concentrate, 2. Calculate and 3.
Jennifer Shahade (JS): Hold up; let me guess the third one… Checkmate?
RG: No
JS: Control? Capture? Check?
RG: No, no, no.
JS: OK fine you can tell me. Why can’t I get this?
RG: No, you can get it…
JS: Oh, confidence, duh!
RG: Yeah, I guess if it took you so long to get that, it may be something you need to work on it…. (Laughs)
On May 6, the Saint Louis University Museum of Art will host a book signing and panel discussion for Duchamp, the Art of Chess. This is just a day before the 2009 U.S. Championships will kick off at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis. Look for more details on the book and related events here or on uschess.org.
Chess on the Screen January 16, 2009
Posted by Jennifer in : art, chess , 4 commentsHow awesome was the Checkmates trailer? Please make the whole movie, this is not a joke to me! I need to be cheered up by a full-length tale of star-crossed gamesplayers. It’s nine degrees in Philly and last night my father knocked me and my boyfriend out with Aces against King Jack (two different hands and he slowplayed both times.) I’m also bummed about Universal’s cancellation of the Fischer biopic based on Bobby Fischer Goes to War. I was very curious to see whether they’d stop the film after Fischer beat Spassky, or take it all the way through the nasty bits.
On the subject of chess and film, look for the chess/9queens cameo in this clip from my friends’ production company.
Watch dim mak reel in Entertainment Videos | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
I’m also working with DimMak on a chess video art that I’m pretty excited about… check out some still photos from the shoot and look for more details soon.
Obama Plays Chess Against McCain September 23, 2008
Posted by Jennifer in : chess, politics , 65 comments.jpg)
Four years ago, GM Pascal Charbonneau, John Fernandez and I created a fictional chess game between John Kerry and George W. Bush. Here we go again…
September Surprise! Instead of tonight’s scheduled debate, Barack Obama and John McCain will face off in a chess game. And what a match up it will be! Barack Obama just defeated an overly aggressive World Women’s Champion. McCain lost his last World Championship Candidates match to a two-time champ consumed by fears of exploding rooks, but just made his comeback against a bishop-obsessed candidate. McCain’s greatest strength is fighting spirit: No one can stop talking about how he defended a pawn down rook endgame for seven years straight. Critics of Obama site his lack of experience on the international circuit, but his talent is indisputable. We have over 225 million opinions on the relative strengths of Obama and McCain, but tonight, chess seems a more appropriate decider than democrazy.
Barack Obama- John McCain
1.e4
I am Barack Obama and I am the future winner of this game. I stand on the shoulders of my great American Chess predecessors who favored 1.e4. Who would have thought that a young boy from Brooklyn, without any ties to the Russian chess elite, brought up by a single Jewish mother would one day stand in front of the American public as World Champion? And that 150 years before the levees broke, a self-taught New Orleans genius would claim the first unofficial World Championship? But on the other side of American triumph is American tragedy. Paul Morphy went crazy and died alone in his bathtub while Bobby Fischer was exiled from America for tax evasion and became a raving Anti-American and Anti-Semite. Too many on the fringes of our society, the sick and mentally ill as well as the brilliant are promoted as strong pawns on the top of their game but discarded as isolanis when past their prime. Under my presidency, no pawn will be left behind, and in contrast to my not so great predecessor, I am not talking about more standardized tests, underpaid teachers and uninsured children. I want to help pawns before they even arrive at the board. We’re not talking under-promotion, we’re talking pre-promotion. With 1.e4, I promise you I will not let America down.
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1…. c6
I am John McCain, and I am the future winner of this game. I will restore economic vitality to this country so that all pawns will have a merry Christmas. Meanwhile, my opponent has made one move, but said 100 words. Typical of a man who owns all of Dvoretsky’s books but hasn’t solved any problems. For my first move, can you expect me to play any other opening than the Maverick Variation of the Sicilian? Oops, I played the Caro. My eyesight is not what it used to be. (McCain excuses himself and returns) Gata Kamsky plays the Caro Kann, so with 1…c6 I profess my undying support for America’s troops. If you currently support Obama, I urge you to consider the Iranian Attack. Unlike my passive opponent, I have an immediate tactical refutation.
2.d4
Obama: I don’t need to play with a queen. This may be the most important decision of the game, but I’m going to replace the most powerful piece on the board- with another rook, a talkative straight shooter who won’t try any sneaky moves on me after we win the game. (Barack takes his queen away, and replaces it with a rook on d1.)
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2…Qa5+
McCain: The difference between pushing pawns and moving your queen is that a queen has actual responsibilities.
3. c3
McCain: Under a McCain presidency, every pawn will be powered at the rate of $2.22 a square. And not only that, the standing on a square tax will be reduced for all Americans.
3…e5
Obama: Pawns should pay no more than $2.21 to push a square, and only the king and queen should pay more for square rental. The people of America can’t afford more expenses at this time of crisis, but we do need to rollback some of the cuts that allow the top 1% gold encrusted borders.
4.f4
McCain: Did you hear what he just said? Obama wants to raise taxes on hard-working Americans!
4….exf4
Obama: I think you need to work on your hearing as well as your eyesight, Senator McCain.
5.Bxf4 Ke7 6.Bd6+
McCain: After abandoning your bishops and Jeremiahs, what will you do next? Pray five times a day that you’ll beat me?
6…Kxd6
Obama: This is a tight race and I think it’s high time I follow the textbook advice, "invite everyone to the party", including my g1 knight. We once had disagreements, in fact, some said that the king’s knight and I were dividing the party. But now, we must pull together. KNO McCain, KNO How.
7.Nf3 Na6 8.Bc4 Ne7 9.0-0 b5 10.Bb3 Nc7
Obama: I’d like to thank my opponent for a tough fight. Moreover, I’d like to recognize all 305 million pawns including those who are too young to vote, incarcerated or even voted against me. Without you, I’d never be able to say this: Checkmate, John McCain.
11.e5#
Also see my Chess Life Online post where I solicit more fictional games, and Jonathan Rowson’s take on Elizabeth Vicary’s blog.
Chocolate Chess Boxing September 4, 2008
Posted by Jennifer in : art, chess , 3 comments
As a present for my brother Greg for his work on chessvideos.com, an artist from Denmark, Carina Jørgensen created this web illustration of a game between my brother and me. Some of the details from the photo come from a match that I played against Greg three years ago, in a psycho-geography event organized by an artist I met in Brooklyn, Sharilyn Neidhardt. Greg and I played a normal game (a draw), while our moves were transmitted via cell-phone to 32 adults and children who stood on a grid of street corners, waiting to be told where to move.
Check out Carina’s website: In addition to chess and art, she also trains in martial arts, and is pictured in boxing gloves on her bio page.
Many of my hybrid chess and promotional ideas like chess-spinning (integrated chess/music competitions), chess gambling and marathon chess, have yet to happen. Meanwhile, the chessboxing people truly have their act together- there is a World Chess Boxing Organization based in Berlin and a chessboxing newswire. I’m shocked they haven’t contacted me yet- I am from Philly like Rocky, I wrote Chess Bitch, and the only reason I ever won two U.S. women’s titles is because my fighting spirit trumped my poor calculating skills. Isn’t it obvious that I’d be a great chess-boxer with practice on quick mates and how to protect myself from blows to the brain? I’m going to start training soon– I’ll see you on the steps.
