A couple of weeks ago, a new novel for young readers, May the Best Player Win was released for sale, and I also published my book review. My TL;DR summary:
This lovely short novel is easy to enjoy and easy to read for chess players young and old. Chess ideas and descriptions are sprinkled like delightful crumbs in the narrative (“I recognised that reference!”), and yet the story remains accessible to readers who aren’t players. Zhao weaves into the narrative serious themes of the impact on young people from cultural norms, and internalising behaviours and thoughts, in the context of performance, gender, and expectations. This is an easy book to recommend. I give it a solid 7 ½ out of 10! 🤩👍
Today, Kyla Zhao gave an interview, we had a conversation about her book, chess, some of the themes in the story, and more. Check it out!
Adventures of a Chess Noob 