9 Queens
Encyclopedia
9 Queens is a Tucson
-based national chess
non-profit organization
. It is committed to the promotion of chess education for underserved and underrepresented populations, especially girls and at-risk youth. The mission is to provide all children with equal opportunities to realize their potential and enjoy the benefits of chess education. Through chess, 9 Queens motivates, empowers and engages underserved and underrepresented youth to achieve academic and personal success.
In addition to educational programming in Tucson, Belize
, Philadelphia and Charlotte
, 9 Queens is working to change the face of the game. Its chess promotional events in New York, Arizona and San Francisco have included partnerships with RZA
, WuChess and the Wu-Tang Clan
.
9 Queens was founded in 2007 by Jean L. Hoffman and Jennifer Shahade
. Hoffman (born October 3, 1980 in Tucson) is a social entrepreneur and educator dedicated to extending the benefits of chess. After earning her bachelor's degree from Yale University
and master's degree in education from Harvard University
, she moved back to her hometown of Tucson to found 9 Queens with Shahade. In addition to being the co-founder and executive of 9 Queens, Hoffman is the general manager of Chesspark and WuChess.com, an online chess and hip-hop community co-founded by RZA from the Wu-Tang Clan. She learned how to play chess in first grade. Shahade is a Woman Grandmaster of chess, two-time American Women's Champion, and author of the book Chess Bitch: Women in the Ultimate Intellectual Sport.
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
-based national chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
. It is committed to the promotion of chess education for underserved and underrepresented populations, especially girls and at-risk youth. The mission is to provide all children with equal opportunities to realize their potential and enjoy the benefits of chess education. Through chess, 9 Queens motivates, empowers and engages underserved and underrepresented youth to achieve academic and personal success.
In addition to educational programming in Tucson, Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
, Philadelphia and Charlotte
CHARLOTTE
- CHARLOTTE :CHARLOTTE is an American blues-based hard rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1986. Currently, they are signed to indie label, Eonian Records, under which they released their debut cd, Medusa Groove, in 2010. Notable Charlotte songs include 'Siren', 'Little Devils',...
, 9 Queens is working to change the face of the game. Its chess promotional events in New York, Arizona and San Francisco have included partnerships with RZA
RZA
Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA , is an American Grammy-winning music producer, multi-instrumentalist, author, emcee, and occasional actor, director, and screenwriter. A prominent figure in Hip Hop, RZA is the de facto leader of the Wu-Tang Clan. He has produced almost...
, WuChess and the Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
The Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group from Staten Island that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi member of the group...
.
9 Queens was founded in 2007 by Jean L. Hoffman and Jennifer Shahade
Jennifer Shahade
Jennifer Shahade is an American chess player and writer. She is a two-time American women's chess champion and, as of October 2007, has a FIDE rating of 2322. She has the FIDE title of Woman Grandmaster. Jennifer is the author of the book Chess Bitch...
. Hoffman (born October 3, 1980 in Tucson) is a social entrepreneur and educator dedicated to extending the benefits of chess. After earning her bachelor's degree from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
and master's degree in education from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, she moved back to her hometown of Tucson to found 9 Queens with Shahade. In addition to being the co-founder and executive of 9 Queens, Hoffman is the general manager of Chesspark and WuChess.com, an online chess and hip-hop community co-founded by RZA from the Wu-Tang Clan. She learned how to play chess in first grade. Shahade is a Woman Grandmaster of chess, two-time American Women's Champion, and author of the book Chess Bitch: Women in the Ultimate Intellectual Sport.