'May the best player win' captures chess like never before

Knight-mare before Nationals

It's 16th September 2040, a usual Sunday at the Temple of Chess. Sagar Shah is conducting a session on ‘Knight Endgames’. 12-year-old Sara is one of the listeners in the room. She is paying more attention than usual because her National Tournament is just around the corner. She is very tense because this time, her opponents would be tough, games would be tougher, and winning would be toughest. She wants to learn all the chess lessons that exist in the world because she does not want to take any risks. When her opponent tries to create some tricky situation on the board, she wants to face it confidently. For that, she wants to know all the chess tactics.

After the session, Sara rushes to Sagar to discuss her doubts. She also asks him to recommend some books which could help her for the Nationals. After having a detailed conversation, Sagar has only one book to recommend to her – May the Best Player Win!

‘This book is all you need for your Nationals.’

She was confused. She was disappointed. Only one book? She expected more. She asks again,

‘Only one book? Does this have all the opening, middle, and end games? Does it have tactics? What about the best games to study? Oh or is it like a compilation of all these things?’

‘No. But it will teach you something that the other books won’t.' Sagar’s response seemed to leave her with even more questions.

Her plan was to solve as many puzzles as possible. But this book changed her plan. She was just wondering what this book is exactly about - Something which other books won’t teach. It has to be something unique. Is it some En passant gambit? Nah, sounds weird. Could it be some secret checkmating patterns that no one talked about before? Maybe very few people can crack it – that’s why the title! She observed the cover page. Chess books do not really have such attractive cover pages.

As Sara starts reading, she is introduced to a 12-year-old girl named May. May has just won her State-level tournament and is qualified for the Nationals, just like Sara. The school is set to form its national team with each player fighting to find their best place in the team. May’s wish is to grab the captain’s place. She is navigating through a path of tough competition, huge expectations, and inner conflicts. Sara and May have one thing in common – both would struggle on and off the board.

Sara quickly notices how each chapter is crafted around a chess term. As she moves ahead with each chapter, she finds herself completely immersed in May’s world. While there might be some books in which chess made a small ‘cameo’, it’s very rare to see chess given the ‘main role’ in the book. In this book, chess is not limited to a particular scene of characters playing the game, instead, the characters just ‘dive’ into chess. Chess is literally in the skin of this book.

Photo: Kyla Zhao

As Sara delves deeper into the book, let me pause for a moment and take you through some of the most interesting reasons why you should read this book too.

1) She's just a girl, right?

The book highlights a commonly seen but rarely talked about issue in chess: Sexism.

“Bro, come on, she is a girl. How can you lose against her?”

This book is for the girls who have heard such comments, the boys who make them, and those who believe them. Some might argue that times have changed and this kind of talk doesn’t happen anymore. True, we ‘hear’ it less, but we still ‘sense’ it all too often. Still, there are people who think boys are inherently better than girls at chess. One such incident happens with May when her friend Ralph makes a sexist comment. The book talks about how being good at chess or anything in life depends on skills, not gender. If you have encountered such incidents, you should read this book.

2) Check your anxiety, mate!

Many chess players regardless of their age face anxiety issues. You started playing chess as a hobby but with time, you start worrying about the results. A delightful hobby quickly turns into a cause of stress. You never realized when your curiosity about how the pieces move turned into a fear of making blunders. You never realized when your fascination with the clock ticking turned into a fear of getting flagged. You never realized when your happiness of playing against your friend turned into a fierce rivalry. And you never realized when your casual attitude of playing turned into an intense hunger for winning. If you have ever been worried about your performance in chess, you should read this book.

3) d4...doubt?

Unfortunately, many people experience self-doubt after achieving something significant. For instance, when May’s team wins the State Championship and she wins the best female player award, certain incidents make her feel like she does not deserve it. When she is capable of winning, she tries to find some escapes. Young players often struggle with moments of low self-esteem. If you are a person who is struggling to find a healthy relationship with yourself, you should read this book.

4) Meet your younger version

If you are someone who has quit chess for some reason, then this book will be a nostalgic treat for you. It will make you fall in love with the game all over again. Compare your current passion for chess with when you started playing chess, do you feel something has changed? No, I am not talking about your Elo, I am talking about your feelings. If you don’t feel the same passion that you used to feel earlier, then this book will reignite that fire. Maybe it will make you realize what made you lose that passion. This book will heal those wounds. As the author says, ‘This book is an apology but also a love letter to my younger self’. If you want to connect with that younger version of yourself, you should read this book.

5) Cookies with pookies

Although I relate to May’s character a lot, I could not help but fall in love with Becca as well. Whenever May loses her confidence, her best friend Becca steps in! Be it her joyous energy or her motivating words, Becca will make you smile. Plus, the fact that she always bakes some special cookies for May - it’s just so cute! If you want to experience the warmth and charm of these pookie’s friendship, you should read this book.

6) You-May connect with the character

This book will captivate both those who play chess and those who don’t. For the latter, they would get some insights into what goes on in a chess player’s mind. The author made the game relatable by comparing it to football so that non-chess readers can understand it better. Honestly, I feel everyone of all ages will find some connection with May. Some might relate to her anxiety issues, and some might relate to her experiences. Some might relate to her hunger for win, and some might relate to her fear of losing. Personally, I discovered that May and I share a love for Chess960! If you want to find out what connects You with May, you should read this book.

7) The Art of Storytelling

Last but definitely not least, the author has crafted this book so beautifully! She addressed serious topics with so much ease. You can feel the grace and sensitivity of the author throughout the book. The language is so easy to understand and the story touches you deeply. Although the book is specially aimed at the younger readers, it speaks to the inner child in everyone. There is something in this book that everyone can relate to. I am genuinely thrilled that such an exceptional chess novel exists! This book possesses timeless qualities that will resonate with readers for years to come. Whether it’s you reading it today or Sara discovering it years down the line, May the Best Player Win will continue to inspire and uplift everyone.

May's story in a nutshell | Photo: Kyla Zhao

Anyway, this was my perspective. Each reader will have a different takeaway after finishing it. Now, back to Sara. After finishing the book, she was all set for her National Tournament. This time, she seemed more prepared than her teammates. They were so amazed to see her confidence and wanted to know what chess lessons she had learned that made her feel so ready. Everyone gathered in the hall, the clock started, opponents shook hands, and Sara wished: “May the best player win!”

About the Author

Kyla Zhao is a talented Singaporean author who has penned three novels to date: The Fraud Squad, Valley Verified, and May the Best Player Win. She completed her MA in Communications from Stanford University in 2021 and is currently working at a tech company in Silicon Valley, California. Kyla’s writing focuses on tackling gender stereotypes, presenting them in fun, vibrant, and joyful stories. She started playing chess at the age of six and was a former national junior player. After taking a break from the game during her college years, she reconnected with chess during the pandemic. She got inspired by the surge in chess popularity after the release of 'The Queen's Gambit' and decided to write a book based on her own chess experiences. This is when May’s character was born, whose personality is quite different from the author's, as Kyla herself has noted. After a dedicated four-year writing process, May the Best Player Win was finally released on September 17, 2024.