I personally love chess, even though my father played he was never a grandmaster. But two years ago I got my usual obsessed with it and studied openings, played the computer and won once on medium (which is extremely impressive if you have ever played the computer in chess.)The book starts out well, gets bullied, says some things to his family that would have gotten me spanked when I was that young. Turns out to be an average kid.Ending seemed weird though. When students at Daniel's high school chess club tell him that his father was once a chess grandmaster and invite he and his father to a father-son chess match in New York City, Daniel doesn't know what to think. After all, he's never known his dad to play chess, or really to do anything except work a lot as an accountant and do embarrassing tricks at the dinner table (like wiggle his ears). At the tournament, which Daniel's father reluctantly agrees to go to, Daniel begins to realize why he's never seen his father play chess. Will Daniel be able to save his father from becoming too involved with the game? Fast-paced, action-packed read about chess.
It was a pretty good book, but not exactly what I expected, didn't speak much on chess the chess.
—trooper145
Probably 3 and a half stars. Terrific chess game descriptions--you can tell Klass played.
—vijaya
Review by C.S.: "I liked the surprises. People who like suspense would like this book."
—harolddoe
More like 3.5 stars.Won't blow your mind, but it's a good story. Go, chess!
—Juan
Great story about relationships, set inside the world of chess. Very cool.
—leslie
