The Last Checkmate

Readers of Heather Morris’s The Tattooist of Auschwitz and watchers of The Queen’s Gambit won’t want to miss this amazing debut set during World War II. A young Polish resistance worker,imprisoned in Auschwitz as a political prisonerplays chess in exchange for her lifeand in doing so fights to bring the man who destroyed her family to justice. Maria is many things: daughteravid chess playerand member of the Polish underground resistance in Nazi-occupied Warsaw. Captured by the Gestapo she is imprisoned in Auschwitzwhile her family is sent to their deaths. Realizing her ability to play chessthe sadistic camp deputyFritzschintends to use her as a chess opponent to entertain the camp guards. Howeveronce he tires of utilizing her skillshe has every intention of killing her. Befriended by a Catholic priestMaria attempts to overcome her grief and see the value in survival. Literally playing for her life through four grueling yearsher strategy is simple: Live. Fight. Survive. By cleverly provoking Fritzsch’s volatile nature in front of his superiorsMaria intends to orchestrate his downfall. Only then will she have a chance to evade the fate awaiting her and see him brought to justice. As she carries out her plan and the war nears its endshe discovers Fritzsch has survived. And so Mariavowing still to avenge the murder of her familychallenges her former nemesis to one final gamecertain to end in life or deathin failure or justice. If Maria can bear to face Fritzsch–and her past–one last time.