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In this clever and swoonworthy YA debut from theNew York Timesbestselling author ofThe Love Hypothesis, lifes moving pieces bring rival chess players together in a match for the heart.

Mallory Greenleaf isdonewith chess. Every move counts nowadays; after the sport led to the destruction of her family four years earlier, Mallorys focus is on her mom, her sisters, and the dead-end job that keeps the lights on. That is, until she begrudgingly agrees to play in one last charity tournament and inadvertently wipes the board with notorious Kingkiller Nolan Sawyer: current world champion and reigning Bad Boy of chess.

Nolans loss to an unknown rook-ie shocks everyone. Whats even more confusing? His desire to cross pawns again. What kind of gambit is Nolan playing? The smart move would be to walk away. Resign. Game over. But Mallorys victory opens the door to sorely needed cash-prizes and despite everything, she cant help feeling drawn to the enigmatic strategist….

As she rockets up the ranks, Mallory struggles to keep her family safely separated from the game that wrecked it in the first place. And as her love for the sport she so desperately wanted to hate begins to rekindle, Mallory quickly realizes that the games arent only on the board, the spotlight is brighter than she imagined, and the competition can be fierce (-ly attractive. And intelligentand infuriating)