Checkmate
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From the bestselling author of The Accidental Billionaires and Bringing Down the House comes the cinematic true story about the biggest scandal in modern chess.
In September 2022, the unthinkable happened: nineteen-year-old American chess prodigy Hans Niemann defeated world...
Published By Grand Central Publishing
Format Hardback
Number Of Pages 304
Publication Date 06/02/2026
ISBN 9781538773031
Dimensions 6.35 inches x 9.45 inches
"It’s the best black and white drama this side of Chess on Broadway."—Vanity Fair
"An epic, swirling melodrama of hubris, money, and tech."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Mezrich pieces together interviews and extensive research with cinematic flair to create an enticing and entertaining story of burgeoning egos fighting for supremacy and legitimacy in a game that has fascinated players and enthusiasts for over 1,500 years.”
—Booklist
“Mr. Mezrich…knows how to write a scene, build character and construct a zippy read. His extensive reporting for Checkmate, including the cooperation of its principals, gives the book a page-turning intimacy.”
—The Wall Street Journal
“Deft and compelling.”
—The New York Times
“The game of chess requires both intellectual acuity and a distinctive psychological makeup to succeed at its highest level. As well as anyone could ask, Mezrich illuminates those aspects of the human mind and heart and the drama of expert competition in this propulsive story."
—Bookreporter.com
Previous praise for Ben Mezrich
"The reigning cowboy of creative nonfiction."
—The Oregonian
Praise for Dumb Money
"Mezrich can conjure a scene so vivid that you not only feel like you know the people on the page, but feel as if you’re in the room with them."
—Porchlight
"Undoubtedly one of the most entertaining stories of the year, and Mezrich brings new life to the whole thing in this look at the outrageous personalities and corporate drama that fueled it."
—New York Post
Praise for Bitcoin Billionaires
"(Bitcoin Billionaires) has all the trappings of a classic adventure: wronged underdogs, party scenes, partners who flip, and, of course, a few villains."
—Vanity Fair
"The book is written with a slick beauty...as an introduction to the rise of cryptocurrencies and the modern tech world generally, it is as painless and novelistic as could be imagined."
—The Guardian
"Uproarious...Stimulation enough to keep even an unmedicated narcoleptic awake."
—Washington Post
Praise for The Accidental Billionaires
"High-octane page-turners, replete with sex, skullduggery, and plot twists worthy of James Patterson."
—New York Times