Checkmate
- Author Ben Mezrich
- Narrator Adam Verner
- Publisher Hachette Audio
- Publish Date 2 June 2026
- Run Time 8 hours and 22 minutes
- Format Audio
- Genre Biography: sport, Board games: Chess, Sociology: sport and leisure.
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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
—Booklist
"The reigning cowboy of creative nonfiction."
—The Oregonian
"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
—New York Post
"(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 Guardian
—Washington Post
"High-octane page-turners, replete with sex, skullduggery, and plot twists worthy of James Patterson."
—New York Times
| Author | Ben Mezrich |
|---|---|
| Narrator | Adam Verner |
| Duration | 8 hours and 22 minutes |
| Release Date | |
| ISBN | 9781668655597 |
| Format | Audiobook |
| Publisher | Hachette Audio |
| Genre | Biography: sport, Board games: Chess, Sociology: sport and leisure |
| Availability | US |
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