Check & Mate
by Ali Hazelwood
REVIEW POSTED ONLINE: JUL 12, 2025
Mallory gave up chess when her family fell apart, but agrees to play in a charity tournament with her bestie and ends up beating the world champion before promptly running away. Now that's she's graduated high school, she has more important things to worry about like paying the mortgage, putting food on the table, and keeping her sisters happy while their mother suffers from RA to the point she can't work consistently. But, when she loses her job as a mechanic and a prestigious fellowship is offered for her to literally get paid for playing chess, she can't refuse.
AUTHOR: Ali Hazelwood
PUB DATE: NOV 07, 2023
GENRES: Romantic Comedy, Contemporary Romance, Young Adult
CATEGORIES: I Have a Secret, Virgin, Dysfunctional Families, Chess
REVIEW
What I Liked:
I'll be honest, I avoided reading this book for a couple of years simply because it was YA. After hearing really great things, I decided to give it a try even though YA tends not to be my thing and I'm glad I did. I'm not sure how Ali Hazelwood did it, but she made chess sexy. Also, the story was right on the line between YA and NA with Mallory the main character just graduating high school. There's still angst and poor teenage decisions but it's more about Mallory growing as a person and figuring out who she really wants to be.
Fair Warning:
There are multiple intimate scenes that are not overly graphic and the sex is technically off-the-page but there are quite a few references throughout the book.
Overall:
If you are a fan of nerdy, insanely talented characters and love interests that are nothing but supportive, you should read Check & Mate. It's perfect for fans of The Queen's Gambit.
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
Heat Index: 🔥🔥 (2/5)