How to Think Like a Chess Player and Win at Life - an interactive ABSW event
A free in person event for ABSW members and Kings College London staff and students
Image Credit: Photo by sk on Unsplash
18:30 - 21:00 Tuesday, February 10, 2026, Strand Campus, King's College London
ABSW members, and staff and students of King's College London are invited to a unique opportunity to meet and play with chess champion Jennifer Shahade. This event promises to be both intellectually stimulating and enjoyable, perfect for chess fans and for anyone interested in the science and art of thinking differently.
Jennifer is a trailblazing figure in the world of chess, as well as a celebrated author and chess commentator.
This interactive evening will begin with a Q&A conversation between Jennifer and ABSW Vice-Chair Alex O'Brien, exploring how chess skills translate into real-world decision-making. Jennifer’s new book, Thinking Sideways – How to Think Like a Chess Player and Win at Life, delves deeply into these ideas.
After the discussion, attendees will have the chance to take part in a simul (playing 10+ games simultaneously) with Jennifer, or they can simply observe the action and enjoy the drinks and snacks available.
Whether you’re a seasoned player or simply curious, we believe this is a fantastic chance to test your skills against a chess champion and or gain insight into how a grand strategist uses chess thinking to navigate the world.
This event is generously supported by King’s College London.
Jennifer Shahade
Jennifer Shahade is a three-time National Chess Champion, PokerStars Ambassador and author.
A two-time Global Poker Award winner and chess Olympic medalist, Shahade was the first female to win the US Junior Open, and claimed two U.S. Women’s Championship titles.
She’s the author of many books, including Chess Bitch/Chess Queens, Play Like a Champion and Thinking Sideways: How to Think Like a Chess Player and Win at Life. Her writing has appeared in the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times.
She is the host of the award-winning podcast The GRID, and the “How to Beat Your Mom at Chess” series, where she hosts instructional videos with her chess-loving son.
She has won poker tournaments all over the World, from Prague to London to Las Vegas.
THINKING SIDEWAYS: How to Think Like a Chess Player and Win at Life
In Thinking Sideways, Jennifer Shahade shares essential life lessons and strategy hacks for success drawn from the world of chess.
Published 12 February 2026 by Hodder Press
In chess, there are more possible games than atoms in the universe. To deal with this multitude of possibilities, chess players develop skills and strategies that chess and poker champion Jennifer Shahade calls ‘thinking sideways’. This is a mindset that merges creative thinking with analysis to find more possibilities. Whether we are chess players or not, thinking sideways can help us all consider all our options as we move through the
game of life.
The book will be on sale at the event, and can also be pre-ordered online.
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
ISBN: 9781399701327
Number of pages: 272
Dimensions: 236 x 160 x 28 mm
Weight: 680 g
Language: English
