The Last Checkmate: A Novel

by Gabriella Saab

Overview

A young Polish woman imprisoned in Auschwitz plays chess in exchange for her life in this "smart and haunting" WWII novel (New York Times–bestselling author Patti Callahan).
A PopSugar Best Book of the Year!
Maria Florkowska is many things: daughter, avid chess player, and, as a member of the Polish resistance in Nazi-occupied Warsaw, a young woman brave beyond her years. When she is captured with her family by the Gestapo, she also becomes a prisoner of Auschwitz.
While Maria's parents are sent to their deaths, the sadistic camp deputy Karl Fritzsch is intrigued by her chess skills and spares her life. But only for so long as he cares to play against her.
Overcome with grief, Maria vows to avenge her parents—a vow that makes her fight for her own survival. For four grueling years, Maria uses chess to get inside Fritzsch's head and orchestrate his downfall. It's a game of the highest stakes. And there can be only one winner.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063141940
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	04/16/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	416
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Gabriella Saab graduated from Mississippi State University with a bachelor of business administration in marketing and now lives in her hometown of Mobile, Alabama, where she works as a barre instructor. While researching The Last Checkmate, she traveled to Warsaw and Auschwitz to dig deeper into the setting and the experiences of those who lived there. The Last Checkmate is her first novel.

Editorial Reviews

"From the strategic opening move of The Last Checkmate, I was in the grip of an unforgettable story. Vivid prose and heart-stopping scenes, Saab unfolds the story like her protagonist plays chess, with cunning wit and brilliant strategy. Gabriella Saab’s debut is immersive, smart, and haunting—a do-not-miss WWII historical novel.” — Patti Callahan, New York Times bestselling author of Surviving Savannah 

"What's the best strategy to survive in a place as evil as Auschwitz? For Maria, a young member of the Polish resistance in Gabriella Saab's debut The Last Checkmate, chess is a lifeline... The Last Checkmate kept me turning pages long into the night. A fantastic debut!" — Anika Scott, international bestselling author of The German Heiress

“Just wow! I was speechless when I finished reading this book. Raw and powerful in its humanity, The Last Checkmate will break your heart and stitch it back together again. Gabriella Saab has given us a rare and wondrous gift. A must-read for all historical fiction lovers.” — Sara Ackerman, USA Today bestselling author of The Radar Girls

"The Last Checkmate is a winner. Gabriella Saab’s debut kept me turning the pages and I was rooting for our young, brave, and resourceful chess prodigy every step of the way." — Elise Hooper, acclaimed author of Sisters of the Pacific

“A compelling and raw journey through the mind of a young Polish woman who comes of age in Auschwitz and lives only for revenge against her family’s killer.”  — Sara Dahmen, author of Tinsmith 1865

"Still thinking about The Queen's Gambit? Then The Last Checkmate by Gabrielle Saab is the book for you." — Popsugar

"Saab’s capable debut features a revenge plot set amidst the horrors of the Holocaust... Readers who love WWII fiction with strong female leads should check this out." — Publishers Weekly

“Fans of World War II fiction with strong female leads, such as Sarah McCoy’s The Baker’s Daughter and Heather Morris’s The Tattooist of Auschwitz, will enjoy this story. The recurring theme of chess is also reminiscent of Walter Tevis’s The Queen’s Gambit.” — Library Journal

“The dramatic tale of valiant teen chess player Maria offer YAs a portal into the WWII Polish Resistance movement” — Booklist

From the Publisher

"From the strategic opening move of The Last Checkmate, I was in the grip of an unforgettable story. Vivid prose and heart-stopping scenes, Saab unfolds the story like her protagonist plays chess, with cunning wit and brilliant strategy. Gabriella Saab’s debut is immersive, smart, and haunting—a do-not-miss WWII historical novel.

Patti Callahan

"The Last Checkmate is a winner. Gabriella Saab’s debut kept me turning the pages and I was rooting for our young, brave, and resourceful chess prodigy every step of the way."

Elise Hooper

Just wow! I was speechless when I finished reading this book. Raw and powerful in its humanity, The Last Checkmate will break your heart and stitch it back together again. Gabriella Saab has given us a rare and wondrous gift. A must-read for all historical fiction lovers.

Sara Ackerman

"What's the best strategy to survive in a place as evil as Auschwitz? For Maria, a young member of the Polish resistance in Gabriella Saab's debut The Last Checkmate, chess is a lifeline... The Last Checkmate kept me turning pages long into the night. A fantastic debut!"

Anika Scott

A compelling and raw journey through the mind of a young Polish woman who comes of age in Auschwitz and lives only for revenge against her family’s killer.” 

Sara Dahmen

"Still thinking about The Queen's Gambit? Then The Last Checkmate by Gabrielle Saab is the book for you."

Popsugar

The dramatic tale of valiant teen chess player Maria offer YAs a portal into the WWII Polish Resistance movement

Booklist

The dramatic tale of valiant teen chess player Maria offer YAs a portal into the WWII Polish Resistance movement

Booklist