Representation: Black and Asian characters
Trigger warnings: Death of a father in a car crash and cheating in the past, sexism mentioned, sexist slur
Score: Six out of ten.
I own this book. Find this review on The StoryGraph.

I wanted to read Check and Mate (the winner of the Best Young Adult book award in 2023,) hoping it would be an improvement over Ali Hazelwood's debut, The Love Hypothesis, but no library had it at the time so I resorted to buying it instead. I glanced at the blurb, which didn't seem up my alley, but I gave it a try anyway. When I closed the final page, it was okay.

It starts with a prologue spanning a few pages, with Mallory unexpectedly beating Nolan in a chess match, then the plot begins with those characters living separately at first, with Mallory not wanting to play chess because of some events that happened. The first few pages are slow until Mallory and Nolan meet and then start a relationship, all while Mallory plays the game she didn't want to play again, chess. I hoped Hazelwood would resolve the problems I had with The Love Hypothesis in Check and Mate, but I was wrong, since I couldn't connect or relate to Mallory, Nolan or any other character, but that was only the beginning of the issues I saw. Perhaps adding depth to them would've improved the reading experience, since Mallory and Nolan had no chemistry, and the romance felt shoehorned in (they only bonded together over chess and nothing else. Really?) I used to like Mallory until I read some irritating lines when she didn't speak about her family kindly, and even though that was a one off, that left a sour taste in my mouth.

The writing style and pacing are enough to keep the narrative going but the latter can be slow at times with nothing much happening. That kind of progression only works when there are well-written characters, but, unfortunately, there aren't any. At least the plot is easy enough to follow. Hazelwood's second latest creation (at the time of writing) has a narrow target audience of either chess enthusiasts or romance fanatics. I'm not particularly into either of them, which is why I didn't enjoy it as much as I could've. The climax is bittersweet as the couple break up, and an epilogue follows, abruptly finishing the fictional composition. Perhaps I'll give this author another shot by reading more of her stories, but my expectations are low. ( )

Mallory and Nolan each have their personal demons but they meet over chess and are both pushed to find resolution as their feelings grow. I had a lot of sympathy for Mallory, who feels responsible for her family's very real challenges. While I loved the romance part of this novel, I loved her growth and realizations even more. ( )

Two talented chess players challenge each other on and off the board in bestselling author Hazelwood’s YA debut.

Eighteen-year-old Mallory Greenleaf is no longer interested in chess, not since her hypercompetitive dad left—the game calls up painful memories. But she grudgingly agrees to play in a charity tournament as a favor to best friend Easton Peña. After she unexpectedly beats current world champion Nolan Sawyer, she’s offered a fellowship that will prepare her to play professionally. Even though Mallory doesn’t want to play anymore, she needs the money that winning would provide; she’s delayed college to support her family, since her mother is chronically ill with rheumatoid arthritis and is unable to work regularly. The more time she spends with Nolan, the more Mallory comes to like and respect him—and the more time she spends playing chess, the more she remembers how much she loved it. But when she learns that Nolan has been keeping a big secret from her, she isn’t sure if she’ll be able to move past it to build a relationship with him. Filled with the author’s signature humor, well-developed characters, and realistic conflicts, plus the fully realized setting of competitive chess, this captivating romance will delight teen readers as well as Hazelwood’s adult fans. Mallory and Nolan are both cued white; there is some racial diversity among the supporting cast. Mallory and Easton are queer.

Readers will devour this swoonworthy romance in one sitting. (author’s note) (Romance. 14-adult)

-Kirkus Review

Mallory’s life is full of taking care of her two younger sisters and her ill mother while working a minimum-wage job and worrying about the unpaid mortgage. So she has no time to spare for her former pastimes, such as chess, which she is very, *very* good at. Like, child prodigy kind of good. Then her best friend asks her to participate in a charity tournament and she just happens to play against the #1 ranked player in the world, and win. And everything changes.

An adorable sort-of-enemies-to-lovers story that’s also not quite a grumpy-sunshine trope as well. The romance is lovely and fun, and the parallel plot of being an outsider in the chess world is legit interesting as well. This one pleasantly surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. ( )

Whatever Ali Hazelwood fills her Female Main Characters with, I am addicted to it. ( )