425: The Intermezzo Effect: Chess Champion Jennifer Shahade Teaches How to Win at Life

Chess. At first, the idea of thinking like a chess champion may sound like an impossible feat if we do not know how to play the game, but as winner of two U.S. Women's Chess Championships and the first woman to win the U.S. Junior Chess Open, Jennifer Shahade shares in her new book, it all comes down to thinking well. Or to put it more precisely, thinking sideways. In my conversation with Jennifer, who is also a two-time Global Poker Award winner and silver Olympic medalist, she will share what she means by her chosen title, and then we will dive into specific decision-making strategies that champion chess players like herself use and how they also translate into creating a life we love living. Be sure to tune in to the audio version of our conversation as we will talk about the power of embracing intermezzos, why presence is crucial to seeing and then seizing opportunity, why focusing on our strengths is far more valuable than zeroing in on our weaknesses, and many more worthwhile pieces of life advice as witnessed through the lens of the game of chess. I do hope you enjoy the episode as Jennifer was a great guest and shared freely. And her Petit Plaisir offers a new perspective on a word we may have unfairly defined negatively. Find the Show Notes for the episode on The Simply Luxurious Life blog -

You can listen to 425: The Intermezzo Effect: Chess Champion Jennifer Shahade Teaches How to Win at Life online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

425: The Intermezzo Effect: Chess Champion Jennifer Shahade Teaches How to Win at Life is an episode from The Simple Sophisticate - Intelligent Living Paired with Signature Style by Shannon Ables.

This episode is 37:19 long.

This episode was published on May 6, 2026.

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