The Last Checkmate

A young Polish woman imprisoned in Auschwitz plays chess in exchange for her life in this WWII novel.

Maria Florkowska is many things: daughter, avid chess player, and, as a member of the Polish resistance in Nazi-occupied Warsaw, a young woman brave beyond her years. When she is captured with her family by the Gestapo, she also becomes a prisoner of Auschwitz.

While Maria's parents are sent to their deaths, the sadistic camp deputy Karl Fritzsch is intrigued by her chess skills and spares her life. But only for so long as he cares to play against her.

Overcome with grief, Maria vows to avenge her parents—a vow that makes her fight for her own survival. For four grueling years, Maria uses chess to get inside Fritzsch's head and orchestrate his downfall. It's a game of the highest stakes. And there can be only one winner.