The Chess Book Collectors site on Facebook has 48,300 members. McFarland, a leading independent publisher of academic and general-interest nonfiction books, has 95 books on chess in print. With McFarland books at 35% off from November 15 to December 2, now is the perfect time to combine collecting chess books and chess autographs.
U.S. Women’s Champions
Edward Gonsalves of East Providence, Rhode Island, is a chess fan. For the last 15 years, he has attended U.S. Women’s Championships hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club. After McFarland published United States Women’s Chess Champions, 1937-2020 in 2022, Gonsalves posted on Facebook that he planned to ask each living U.S. Women’s Champion to sign her chapter. As of November 14, 2024, Gonsalves reported, “I got Krush, Zatonskih, Paikidze, Foişor, Yu, and Shahade. Carissa Yip has also signed a blank page.” Yip’s three championship titles came in 2021, 2023, and 2024.
I am the author of United States Women’s Chess Champions, 1937-2020. Each chapter of the book is about a different U.S. Women’s Champion. When I saw Gonsalves’ Facebook post, I decided to copy his idea. Thus far, like Gonsalves, I have collected autographs from GM Irina Krush, IM Anna Zatonskih, IM Nazi Paikidze, WGM Sabina Foişor, and WGM Jennifer Yu. I don’t have signatures yet from WGM Jennifer Shahade or from IM Carissa Yip, so Gonsalves is ahead of me there. I could sign my own chapter, since I was the 1989 U.S. Women’s Champion.
I collected a signature from WGM Anjelina Belakovskaia, a former U.S. Women’s Champion who won last year’s inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Championship. I also participated in that 2023 championship. Both of us return, along with 10 other invited players, for the 2024 U.S. Senior Women’s Championship, December 13–15, 2024. Look for my daily recaps from the playing site on Chess Life Online.
Both Gonsalves and I missed a recent chance to get WGM Irina Levitina’s signature, as she was inducted into the World Chess Hall of Fame just days after we attended the closing ceremonies for the U.S. Championship and U.S. Women’s Championship. At the closing ceremonies, I got autographs from IM Nazi Paikidze and IM Anna Zatonskih.
Living Champions
When I finished writing United States Women’s Chess Champions, 1937-2020, 20 of the 29 U.S. Women’s Champions were alive. Lisa Lane died February 28, 2024. After 2021, with the addition of Yip, there are 30 champions. 20 of the 30 are alive: Carissa Yip, Jennifer Yu, Irina Krush, Nazi Paikidze, Sabina Foişor, Anna Zatonskih, Rusudan Goletiani, Jennifer Shahade, Anna Hahn, Camilla Baginskaite, Elina Cotler, Anjelina Belakovskaia, Esther Epstein, Sharon Burtman, Alexey Root, Anna Akhsharumova, Inna Koren, Irina Levitina, Rachel Crotto, and Diane Savereide.
McFarland Sale
From November 15 through Cyber Monday, December 2, customers will get a full 35% off ALL of McFarland’s titles with coupon code HOLIDAY24. Once the early access period ends, the discount will drop to 20%. The landing page for the sale is https://mcfarlandbooks.com/gallery/holiday-sale-2024/
Chess Tactics
Chess Life Online featured chess tactics from 2024 U.S. Women’s Champion Carissa Yip and from the 2024 U.S. Championship and U.S. Women’s Championship.
One of the examples from Chess Life Online might seem ripe for a checkmate but a tactic that wins material is best.
