Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood is a contemporary young-adult romance that brings together competitive chess, family responsibilities, personal growth, and an unexpected love story. The novel follows Mallory Greenleaf, an eighteen-year-old who was once a talented chess player but has abandoned the game after it became connected to a painful period in her family’s life.
Instead of pursuing chess or college, Mallory focuses on helping support her family, including her mother and younger sisters. Her circumstances change when she reluctantly agrees to participate in a charity chess tournament. There, she unexpectedly defeats Nolan Sawyer, a highly successful young chess champion known as the “Kingkiller.”
Mallory’s surprising victory opens the possibility of earning money through competitive chess, giving her a reason to reconsider the game she had tried so hard to leave behind. As she begins competing again, she finds herself becoming increasingly involved in the world of professional chess.
Book Information
- Title: Check & Mate
- Author: Ali Hazelwood
- Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy
- Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Book Features
- Young-adult contemporary romance
- Competitive chess as a major part of the story
- Strong female protagonist
- Rivals-to-romance dynamic
- Intelligent and competitive main characters
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