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Checkmate
- Author
- Ben Mezrich
- Narrator
- Adam Verner
- Publisher
- Hachette Audio
- Publish Date
- 2 June 2026
- Run Time
- 8 hours 22 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
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.
Critics Review
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"It’s the best black and white drama this side of Chess on Broadway."—Vanity Fair
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"An epic, swirling melodrama of hubris, money, and tech."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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“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 -
Previous praise for Ben Mezrich
"The reigning cowboy of creative nonfiction."
—The Oregonian
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Praise for The Accidental Billionaires
"High-octane page-turners, replete with sex, skullduggery, and plot twists worthy of James Patterson."
—New York Times
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Details
- Author
- Ben Mezrich
- Narrator
- Adam Verner
- Duration
- 8 hours 22 minutes
- Release Date
- 2 June 2026
- ISBN
- 9781668655597
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Hachette Audio
- Genre
- Biography: sport, Board games: Chess, Sociology: sport and leisure
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.
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