
I just launched the website of a non profit I co-founded, 9 queens. Check it out at
www.9queens.org
My partner, Jean Hoffman and I decided on the name 9queens because nine is the maximum number of queens each side can achieve in chess. Of course, no chessplayer I asked has ever really achieved nine queens. In most games, pawns are traded and lost before ten moves are played. Every pawn that is traded means one less potential queen. Trading pawns also open the position and allow tactics. Since I'm an aggressive player, I prefer trading at least one pair of pawns off as quickly as possible.
But I still smile at the metaphor of 9 queens, which represents the ideal that every pawn can become a queen, and every kid can achieve his or her dreams. On the 9queens blog, in addition to writing about 9queens events, I'm going to post a lot of great games and tactics from top women players.