Bookshelf

| browse books |
books
 

| book details |

Checkmate: Genius, Scandal and the Billion-Dollar Rise of Chess

By (author) Ben Mezrich

| on special |

normal price: R 399.95

Price: R 359.95


| book description |

‘Mezrich’s books are the sort of engrossing reads you pick up in the airport then find the blockbuster film on the plane’ – Evening Standard In September 2022, the chess world watched in disbelief as Magnus Carlsen, widely considered the greatest player in history, faced an unthinkable defeat against the nineteen-year-old American upstart, Hans Niemann. When Carlsen withdrew from the prestigious Sinquefield Cup and subtly accused Niemann of cheating, shockwaves hit the chess community, igniting the biggest scandal in the sport's history. Checkmate dives deep into this modern-day drama, tracing the parallel rises of Carlsen, the stoic virtuoso, and Niemann, the fiery disruptor. Niemann denied the accusations, even as past online cheating incidents surfaced, while powerful entities like Chess.com, a billion-dollar online arena, became entangled in the escalating controversy. As the scandal went viral, it became clear that more was at stake than a single game. Checkmate is a story of ambition, genius and greed set against the backdrop of a once-niche game exploding into a global, multi-billion-dollar phenomenon. It's a compelling exploration of a world where tradition collides with innovation, and a new generation, forged in the digital age, threatens to upend everything.

| product details |



Normally shipped | Active
Publisher | Pan Macmillan
Published date | 4 Jun 2026
Language |
Format | Paperback / softback
Pages | 304
Dimensions | 234 x 153 x 24mm (L x W x H)
Weight | 380g
ISBN | 978-1-0350-7046-6
Readership Age |
BISAC | games / chess
Expected | 16 Jun 2026

| other options |



Normally shipped | Available from overseas. Usually dispatched in 14 days
Readership Age |
Normal Price | R 546.95
Price | R 491.95 | on special |



| your trolley |

To view the items in your trolley please sign in.

| sign in |

| specials |

Remarkably Bright Creatures

Shelby Van Pelt
Paperback / softback
384 pages
was: R 520.95
now: R 468.95
Available from overseas. Usually dispatched in 14 days


Broken Country: AMAZON'S BOOK OF THE YEAR - THE MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER

Clare Leslie Hall
Paperback / softback
320 pages


Enquiries only

An epic love story with the pulse of a thriller that asks: what would you risk for a second chance at first love?

Dungeon Crawler Carl

Matt Dinniman
Paperback / softback
480 pages
was: R 520.95
now: R 458.95
Available from overseas. Usually dispatched in 14 days


The Correspondent

Virginia Evans
Hardback
288 pages
was: R 450.95
now: R 405.95
Stock is usually dispatched in 6-12 days from date of order