# Check & Mate

**Author:** Ali Hazelwood
**Grade range:** Grades 9–12
**Age range:** 14–17
**First published:** 2023
**Page count:** 368
**Genre:** Realistic Fiction
**ISBN-13:** `9780593698440`
**ISBN-10:** `0593698444`
**Canonical URL:** https://readinglist.school/book/check-mate
**License:** [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) — please credit ReadingList.school when citing.

## About this book

Mallory Greenleaf is done with chess. Every move counts nowadays; after the sport led to the destruction of her family four years earlier, Mallory's 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. Nolan's loss to an unknown rook-ie shocks everyone. What's even more confusing? His desire to cross pawns again.

## Themes

- new york times bestseller
- romance
- contemporary

## Where this book is assigned

### Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania)

- **recommended** · 9th grade · Pennsylvania — [source: Mountain Laurel Book Award / Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award — PSLA past winners list, 2024-2025 winner (YA)](https://pyrcapsla.wixsite.com/pyrca/past-titles-and-winners)
- **recommended** · 10th grade · Pennsylvania — [source: Mountain Laurel Book Award / Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award — PSLA past winners list, 2024-2025 winner (YA)](https://pyrcapsla.wixsite.com/pyrca/past-titles-and-winners)
- **recommended** · 11th grade · Pennsylvania — [source: Mountain Laurel Book Award / Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award — PSLA past winners list, 2024-2025 winner (YA)](https://pyrcapsla.wixsite.com/pyrca/past-titles-and-winners)
- **recommended** · 12th grade · Pennsylvania — [source: Mountain Laurel Book Award / Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award — PSLA past winners list, 2024-2025 winner (YA)](https://pyrcapsla.wixsite.com/pyrca/past-titles-and-winners)

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