The Queen's Gambit: A Novel - Softcover

Tevis, Walter

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1400030609 ISBN 13: 9781400030606

Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2003

Synopsis

Engaging and fast-paced, this gripping coming-of-age novel of chess, feminism, and addiction speeds to a conclusion as elegant and satisfying as a mate in four. 

Eight year-old orphan Beth Harmon is quiet, sullen, and by all appearances unremarkable. That is, until she plays her first game of chess. Her senses grow sharper, her thinking clearer, and for the first time in her life she feels herself fully in control. By the age of sixteen, she’s competing for the U.S. Open championship. But as Beth hones her skills on the professional circuit, the stakes get higher, her isolation grows more frightening, and the thought of escape becomes all the more tempting.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

“The Queen's Gambit is sheer entertainment. It is a book I reread
every few years--for the pure pleasure and skill of it.” -Michael Ondaatje

“Tevis traps us in the breathless drama of the moment and makes us feel the same intense involvement his characters feel.” –The Cleveland Plain Dealer

“Ultimately, this is not really a novel about chess. . . . It can be read with intense enjoyment by those who know nothing about the game, as long as they are interested in what it means to be human at the deepest levels.” –The Washington Post

“It’s advisable to tape your fingers before opening The Queen’s Gambit. Otherwise, the suspense may bring on nail-chewing right to the elbow.” –Houston Chronicle

“There’s more excitement in Beth than in the collected works of Robert Ludlum.” –Forth Worth Star-Telegram

“One of the most satisfying novels of the year.” –St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“Compelling . . . A magnificent obsession.” –Los Angeles Times

From the Inside Flap:

Eight year-old orphan Beth Harmon is quiet, sullen, and by all appearances unremarkable. That is until she plays her first game of chess. Her senses grow sharper, her thinking clearer, and for the first time in her life she feels herself fully in control. By the age of sixteen, she's competing for the U.S. Open championship. But as she hones her skills on the professional circuit, the stakes get higher, her isolation grows more frightening, and the thought of escape becomes all the more tempting. Engaging and fast-paced, The Queen's Gambit speeds to a conclusion as elegant and satisfying as a mate in four.

About this edition

• Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 1400030609
• ISBN 13: 9781400030606
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256