Imagine an athlete at the top of his game, winning almost every single competition and making enemies along the way. Imagine him collecting millions of dollars in winnings yearly while maintaining a private social life and a secret history.
Now, imagine an up-and-coming athlete who used to dominate the competition as a child. Imagine her making headlines for her young talent and then disappearing without a trace one day. Imagine her reemerging ten years later only to beat the reigning champion in an amateur tournament. Imagine her reluctance to rejoin the sport, and imagine his obsession with the athlete that ousted him. Imagine the politics at play, the travel competitions, and all that is in between. Imagine the romance that brews and the drama it brings.
Now, Castilleja students, faculty, and the very few people who read this column and belong to neither of those categories, you no longer have to imagine. Because, this is the plot of “Check & Mate” by Ali Hazelwood, and yes, these athletes are chess players.
Now some may argue that chess isn’t a sport, but I wholeheartedly disagree. I have very strict guidelines for what I consider ‘sport,’ and strategy is 70 percent of the rubric. In fact, some traditional ‘sports’ don’t even meet my criteria, but that’s beside the point.
Chess is strategic, chess is amazing and chess is one of the hardest sports out there. You may disagree with my opinions, but just like the bowls outside of the library after the sixth graders have visited campus, your attempts to change my mind are fruitless.
Chess is a sport, and I should know, as I grew up in a chess family: My dad plays chess, my sister plays chess, all of my cousins play chess and even I play chess. In fact, when I was in second grade, I participated in a tournament at school and even won a trophy. Granted, it was a participation trophy, but if you visit my house you will still see it sitting on my dresser along with my other accolades—it’s by itself.
However, for the love interest in this story, Nolan Sawyer, this wouldn’t be the case. He wouldn’t have any trophies at all. Not because he’s bad at chess, but because he’s too rich to care. In fact, Nolan Sawyer is the opposite of bad. He’s the reigning world champion, a top-ranked player and so utterly obsessed with the unknown girl who just beat him that he can’t even function.
The main character of the story—this “unknown girl,” Mallory Greenleaf‚—could not care less. She’s indifferent to the world of chess, if not a bit dismissive due to a history I couldn’t dare spoil, but that does not mean she’s untalented. What I will tell you, however, is that Mallory was a champion player as a child, beating players twice her age with ease. But then, suddenly, before she joined the professional ranks, she left the sport.
Flash forward to the summer after high school, and Mallory reluctantly signs up for an amateur tournament at the request of her best friend Easton. Without realizing it, she wins match after match, beating players of all skill levels until she is the last woman standing, or more aptly sitting, as she sits down to play the last match of the day against the famous Nolan Sawyer.
When I reached this point, I had a few questions. The first of which was, why was a professional player competing in an amateur tournament? And the second of which was, how famous could Nolan Sawyer really be?
The obvious comparison would be Magnus Carlsen, as he is pretty much the only major chess player in the mainstream consciousness. But I promise you that Nolan Sawyer surpasses his level of fame, skill, and, dare I say it, attractiveness.
Nolan Sawyer would be most accurately described as a mix between Timothee Chalamet, Harry Styles, and Magnus Carlsen (for the skill). Nolan Sawyer, and yes, the full name is intentional, is the epitome of nerdy attractiveness. He is stoic, he is reserved, he is somber and he, unlike me, would not use three synonyms to describe a person (can you blame me, Thesaurus.com was already open).
Nolan Sawyer is an A-list celebrity, at least in this fictional world, which is why when he gets beaten by Mallory—an unknown player with no ranking, no status, and no record—the chess world is up in arms. Mallory is immediately offered a fellowship to play chess for a year and despite her hesitations, she eventually accepts, with a caveat: Her family, especially her mother, who despises the world of chess, can never know. And thus begins the story of “Check & Mate” by Ali Hazelwood.
This novel is a story of chess, in more ways than one. Obviously, the character plays chess, but the romance itself is a game of chess. You have two characters, Mallory Greenleaf and Nolan Sawyer, who are rivals in the chess world. As one player moves a pawn, the other reacts. As one player captures a rook, the other attacks.
Ali Hazelwood’s writing is lyrical, truly embodying the beauty of chess. She weaves storylines, context, and dialogues together that make you feel for each character on a personal level.
On her own, Mallory is a masterpiece of a character. She is the embodiment of the eldest daughter, as she has two younger sisters who rely on her—financially, emotionally, and physically, as their mother is chronically ill—and holds that burden with a skewed sense of pride. Mallory is stressed and burnt out, and she uses chess as an escape. And as you will find out later in the novel, so does Nolan (finally dropped the last name).
Over the course of the competition session, Mallory and Nolan get closer until they eventually become friends and then finally fall in love. It’s predictable but exciting at the same time, and that is thanks to Hazelwood’s writing. Throughout the novel, Hazelwood also sprinkles in an assortment of ‘sidekicks’ who add much-needed humor, drama, and context to the developing story.
Overall, I would describe “Check & Mate” as a quirky quintessential quick read. You have the typical “who did this to you” variation of “taking care of the sick,” the much-needed delirious love confession, and all of the side tropes that come with rivals to lovers. Additionally, you have the added layer of “living a double life” as Mallory must maintain complete secrecy when it comes to chess and her family.
All these plots, sub-plots, and tropes come together to create a fantastic novel that is by far my favorite Ali Hazelwood novel and trust me, that’s a high bar. Additionally, Check & Mate is officially a YA novel, so for the first time in Reece Reads history, I recommend this story for Middle Schoolers (keep in mind, it’s alluded to, but not described).
So I hope it comes as no surprise when I rate “Check & Mate” by Ali Hazelwood five out of five C’s: All five stand for chess.
—
Reece Reads is published biweekly on Fridays. To access more reviews, click the “Reece Reads” tag below.
