About the Author

Lauren Goodkind is currently rated as a class A player, rated between 1800-2000. She has been ranked on and off the top 100 ranking list of females in the USA for over ten years. Here are her chess highlights: -Gained about 450 USCF rating points in less than four months, from 1117 to approximately 1550, after winning and doing well in local tournaments. -Defeated Vivian Smith, the New Zealand women's chess champion in a 2004 tournament game. The second tournament game was a draw. Both games were played in beautiful New Zealand. -Defeated and drawn various expert and master players (rated 2000-2300) -Drew (a tie) against Peter Thiel, a billionaire and master chess player in a 2003 tournament game -Getting 2nd place in the 2016 California's Women's Championship Lauren's former and current chess students have won many chess tournaments, including the Susan Polgar All-Girls tournament. In April 2017, she helped coached the Weibel Elementary school chess team at All-Girls nationals in Chicago. The team got 1st place! Check out Lauren's unique chess puzzle website at www.ChessByLauren.com