Checkmate - by Ben Mezrich (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

"The best black-and-white drama this side of Chess on Broadway." - Vanity Fair

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 champion Magnus Carlsen in a stunning face-to-face match. Within days, Carlsen accused Niemann of cheating--a bombshell allegation that rocked the chess world. As the scandal spiraled, Chess.com--the dominant force in online chess--launched a high-stakes investigation igniting a global media firestorm.

But Checkmate is about more than a cheating scandal. It's the story of a teenager willing to risk everything to rise to the top; a reclusive genius suddenly fighting to protect his legacy; and a centuries-old game transforming into a billion-dollar industry fueled by streaming, sponsorships, and Silicon Valley power players.

With exclusive access to the central figures, Ben Mezrich takes readers deep inside the weird, wild, and cutthroat world of competitive chess--where genius meets ambition, and every move could be your last.

Review Quotes

"Deft and compelling."--The New York Times

"It's pure genius."--N Magazine

"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

"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

"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

"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)

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

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

Praise for The Accidental Billionaires

"High-octane page-turners, replete with sex, skullduggery, and plot twists worthy of James Patterson."
--New York Times

Previous praise for Ben Mezrich

"The reigning cowboy of creative nonfiction."
--The Oregonian

"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

"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

"Uproarious...Stimulation enough to keep even an unmedicated narcoleptic awake."
--Washington Post

About the Author

Ben Mezrich is the New York Times bestselling author of The Accidental Billionaires (adapted by Aaron Sorkin into the David Fincher film The Social Network), Bringing Down the House (adapted into the #1 box office hit film 21), The Antisocial Network, and many other bestselling books. His books have sold over six million copies worldwide.