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Grandmaster
Freshman Daniel Pratzer gets a chance to prove himself when the chess team invites him and his father to a weekend-long parent-child tournament. Daniel, thinking that his father is a novice, can't understand why his teammates want so badly for them to participate. Then he finds out the as a teen, his father was one of the most promising young players in America, but the pressures of the game pushed him too far, and he had to give up chess to save his own life and sanity. Now, thirty years later, Mr. Pratzer returns to the game to face down an old competitor and the same dark demons that lurk in the corners of a mind stretched by the demands of the game. Daniel was looking for acceptance—but the secrets he uncovers about his father will force him to make some surprising moves himself, in Grandmaster by David Klass.
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 25, 2014
25 people are currently reading
861 people want to read
About the author
David Klass
37 books170 followersDavid Klass is the author of many young adult novels, including You Don’t Know Me, Dark Angel, and Firestorm (The Caretaker Trilogy). He is also a Hollywood screenwriter, having written more than twenty-five action screenplays, including Kiss the Girls, starring Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd, Walking Tall, starring The Rock, and Desperate Measures, starring Michael Keaton and Andy Garcia. Klass grew up in a family that loved literature and theater—his parents were both college professors and writers—but he was a reluctant reader, preferring sports to books. But he started loving the adventure stories his parents would bring home from the library—particularly Jack London, Robert Louis Stevenson and Alexandre Dumas. After his sister twice won a story contest in Seventeen magazine, Klass decided he would win it too, and when he was a senior in high school, he did, publishing his first story, “Ringtoss,” in the magazine. He studied at Yale University, where he won the Veech Award for Best Imaginative Writing. He taught English in Japan, and wrote his first novel, The Atami Dragons, about that experience. He now lives in New York with his wife and two children.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/davidk...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews
February 17, 2016
This book reminded me the reasons why I fell in love with YA genre (which also coincidentally due to one of David Klass' books).
YA genre has been saturated with so many books and sometimes I felt like I read the same plots over and over again.
Grandmaster is a book that stands out among them. The story setting is unusual (How do you make chess interesting? David Klass managed it). It was thoughtfully well written. It portrays well-rounded believable characters (main or minor characters). It really shows how great of a writer you are when you can depict even the minor and seemingly unimportant characters so well that they become real.
I like how it describes about family as something simple and altogether complex. Our parents are not perfect. We are not perfect. As a family, we may not understand each other but one truth underlying it all, our parents love us and we love them.
Ultimately, this is a story of triumph over your own darkness.
YA genre has been saturated with so many books and sometimes I felt like I read the same plots over and over again.
Grandmaster is a book that stands out among them. The story setting is unusual (How do you make chess interesting? David Klass managed it). It was thoughtfully well written. It portrays well-rounded believable characters (main or minor characters). It really shows how great of a writer you are when you can depict even the minor and seemingly unimportant characters so well that they become real.
I like how it describes about family as something simple and altogether complex. Our parents are not perfect. We are not perfect. As a family, we may not understand each other but one truth underlying it all, our parents love us and we love them.
Ultimately, this is a story of triumph over your own darkness.
February 1, 2014
Starting with a confession. I was in the chess club, for one year -- in sixth grade. Okay, so I joined because I knew fully well that I would be the only girl in the room, and sixth grade is right about the time to start seeing a room full of boys as a tremendous asset. I did know how to play chess, on a very basic level, but I didn't know enough to ever win. Plus, the boys in chess club didn't turn out to be the type of boys who appealed to my sixth grade self anyways, so I ended up quitting chess club.
When I had the opportunity to review GRANDMASTER by David Klass, I wasn't sure how much I could really relate to a novel about really serious chess players. I mean, a Grandmaster, from what Google taught me, is a hardcore chess player of the ultimate caliber -- and it's a title that is set for life. So, I imagined that this little gem would be full of semi-tutorial descriptions on obscure chess moves that may not necessarily catch my fancy.
Luckily, I was wrong, and GRANDMASTER ended up being not only a coming-of-age story for a young, awkward teenage boy, but also a story of realization for his frail father, who turned out to be a closet Grandmaster who was hiding his skills from his family for mysterious reasons. So, when freshman Daniel Pratzer is given the opportunity to finally be somebody at school, through entering an intense parent-child chess tournament, he begs his father to reconsider his abandonment of the game. Will terrifying secrets from his past prevent Mr. Pratzer from facing his ultimate competition with his son?
I think for those who enjoy fairly quick reads with wholesome storylines, excellent character development, and a quieter focus on the characters themselves than on thrilling plot twists, GRANDMASTER may be a pretty good choice for your next read! I'm glad I had the opportunity to preview this novel for review purposes and thank the publisher for this consideration. :)
When I had the opportunity to review GRANDMASTER by David Klass, I wasn't sure how much I could really relate to a novel about really serious chess players. I mean, a Grandmaster, from what Google taught me, is a hardcore chess player of the ultimate caliber -- and it's a title that is set for life. So, I imagined that this little gem would be full of semi-tutorial descriptions on obscure chess moves that may not necessarily catch my fancy.
Luckily, I was wrong, and GRANDMASTER ended up being not only a coming-of-age story for a young, awkward teenage boy, but also a story of realization for his frail father, who turned out to be a closet Grandmaster who was hiding his skills from his family for mysterious reasons. So, when freshman Daniel Pratzer is given the opportunity to finally be somebody at school, through entering an intense parent-child chess tournament, he begs his father to reconsider his abandonment of the game. Will terrifying secrets from his past prevent Mr. Pratzer from facing his ultimate competition with his son?
I think for those who enjoy fairly quick reads with wholesome storylines, excellent character development, and a quieter focus on the characters themselves than on thrilling plot twists, GRANDMASTER may be a pretty good choice for your next read! I'm glad I had the opportunity to preview this novel for review purposes and thank the publisher for this consideration. :)
June 27, 2020
Daniel Pratzer has just taught himself chess six months ago but decided to join his school’s chess club for want of any other extra-curricular sports activity to do. He is of small built like his father, average in all aspects of life, and seemed predestined to accomplish nothing extraordinary.
In contrast, the co-captains of the school chess team, Eric Chisolm and Brad Kinney, seem to have everything going for them. They are both tall, athletic, good-looking and belong to rich families. They call Daniel “patzer-face” and they can bully him that way because they are both expert level in the game.
One day, however, to Daniel’s surprise, Brad and Eric invited him to join the school’s chess team which will compete in a team tournament which will be held in New York. Asked why they are inviting him, a newbie, to join the team Daniel was even more shocked when told that since the tournament is one where the student-player must tag along a chess playing parent also as member of the team, then he must come and bring with him his father whom they’ve discovered to be a chess grandmaster.
Daniel didn’t know, as he was never told, that his dad, a low profile but hardworking accountant in a small firm, is a chess grandmaster. He had never seen him play or even show any interest in the game. But apparently his dad became a grandmaster in hs teens and was then considered one of the most promising ones, admired for the tenacity of his play and his tactical wizardry. But he suddenly decided to completely abandon the game. He hasn’t played for 30 long years.
Mainly for his son’s sake, however, Mr. (GM) Pratzer decided to come to New York and play. What happened there, where the mystery was revealed, is where this book review won’t go. Suffice it to say that of all the chess-themed fiction that I’ve read, I think this is the best. It’s almost like it’s an invitation to make it a hollywood movie (not surprising, since the author writes screenplays). The dialogues are certainly cinematic and, more importantly, it is obvious that the author knows chess and how it is in chess tournaments.
In contrast, the co-captains of the school chess team, Eric Chisolm and Brad Kinney, seem to have everything going for them. They are both tall, athletic, good-looking and belong to rich families. They call Daniel “patzer-face” and they can bully him that way because they are both expert level in the game.
One day, however, to Daniel’s surprise, Brad and Eric invited him to join the school’s chess team which will compete in a team tournament which will be held in New York. Asked why they are inviting him, a newbie, to join the team Daniel was even more shocked when told that since the tournament is one where the student-player must tag along a chess playing parent also as member of the team, then he must come and bring with him his father whom they’ve discovered to be a chess grandmaster.
Daniel didn’t know, as he was never told, that his dad, a low profile but hardworking accountant in a small firm, is a chess grandmaster. He had never seen him play or even show any interest in the game. But apparently his dad became a grandmaster in hs teens and was then considered one of the most promising ones, admired for the tenacity of his play and his tactical wizardry. But he suddenly decided to completely abandon the game. He hasn’t played for 30 long years.
Mainly for his son’s sake, however, Mr. (GM) Pratzer decided to come to New York and play. What happened there, where the mystery was revealed, is where this book review won’t go. Suffice it to say that of all the chess-themed fiction that I’ve read, I think this is the best. It’s almost like it’s an invitation to make it a hollywood movie (not surprising, since the author writes screenplays). The dialogues are certainly cinematic and, more importantly, it is obvious that the author knows chess and how it is in chess tournaments.
December 8, 2013
OK, I had my doubts…a novel about chess players? But I gave it a whirl – HOLY SMOKES! – this reads like a thriller – I couldn’t put it down (OK, I went to the bathroom and I also got a snack)) – this is the most absorbing, page turner that I have read since Moses was a pup.
This has it all – a kid bullied at school who learns about integrity, the love of a once distant dad, and self-confidence under excruciating pressure.
Grab this page turner – you’ll want to finish it before you do anything else!
This has it all – a kid bullied at school who learns about integrity, the love of a once distant dad, and self-confidence under excruciating pressure.
Grab this page turner – you’ll want to finish it before you do anything else!
November 19, 2014
More like 3.5 stars.
Won't blow your mind, but it's a good story.
Go, chess!
Won't blow your mind, but it's a good story.
Go, chess!
December 9, 2019
Daniel Pratzer, murid SMA tahun pertama, baru saja bergabung dengan tim catur SMA-nya yang terkenal kuat. Suatu hari dia diajak untuk mengikuti sebuah turnamen orang tua dan anak di New York oleh kedua seniornya. Kedua seniornya itu juga meminta ayah Daniel untuk turut serta. Daniel, yang mengira kalau ayahnya tidak tahu cara bermain catur, dikejutkan oleh fakta kalau ayahnya adalah seorang Grandmaster yang dulunya memiliki prospek cerah. Sampai suatu kejadian membuatnya mundur dari dunia catur.
Salah satu buku yang saya beli di Big Bad Wolf 2019. Saya beli karena temanya tentang dunia catur. Blurb-nya tampak menjanjikan dan saya mengira kalau ini akan menjadi semacam novel thriller, tapi ternyata salah besar.
Novel ini menyebalkan. Mulai dari karakter, set up, sampai ke cara bercerita. Karakter-karakternya sangat satu dimensi. Daniel di sini tidak lebih dari pengamat. Mungkin dia sejenis Nick Carraway begitulah. Tokoh yang berdiri di samping dan menjadi pengamat untuk tokoh lain yang lebih penting, tapi keseluruhan novel dilihat dari sudut pandangnya. Daniel juga hanya punya satu karakteristik: dia pemula di dunia catur. Itu doang.
Si tokoh ayah, yang saya lupa namanya dan tidak mau repot-repot saya cari, si Jay Gatsby novel ini, juga hanya punya satu karakteristik: seorang pecatur dengan masalah amarah. Tidak ada penokohan lain. Tidak ada pertumbuhan karakter.
Sebenarnya novel ini berusaha untuk menjadi lebih dari hasil akhirnya. Ada beberapa bagian yang dibangun dan seharusnya bisa dimanfaatkan lebih baik lagi. Masalahnya adalah: novel ini terlalu singkat, sehingga tidak punya cukup waktu untuk menelusuri lebih dalam tentang masa lalu si Grandmaster. Pembaca juga tidak mendapatkan kesempatan untuk melihat ke dalam pikiran dan jiwa si Grandmaster karena cerita hanya diambil dari sudut pandang Daniel.
Secara keseluruhan, Grandmaster adalah novel yang mengecewakan. Para tokohnya satu dimensi dan hanya sebatas pion bagi penulisnya untuk sampai ke akhir cerita dengan tergesa-gesa.
Salah satu buku yang saya beli di Big Bad Wolf 2019. Saya beli karena temanya tentang dunia catur. Blurb-nya tampak menjanjikan dan saya mengira kalau ini akan menjadi semacam novel thriller, tapi ternyata salah besar.
Novel ini menyebalkan. Mulai dari karakter, set up, sampai ke cara bercerita. Karakter-karakternya sangat satu dimensi. Daniel di sini tidak lebih dari pengamat. Mungkin dia sejenis Nick Carraway begitulah. Tokoh yang berdiri di samping dan menjadi pengamat untuk tokoh lain yang lebih penting, tapi keseluruhan novel dilihat dari sudut pandangnya. Daniel juga hanya punya satu karakteristik: dia pemula di dunia catur. Itu doang.
Si tokoh ayah, yang saya lupa namanya dan tidak mau repot-repot saya cari, si Jay Gatsby novel ini, juga hanya punya satu karakteristik: seorang pecatur dengan masalah amarah. Tidak ada penokohan lain. Tidak ada pertumbuhan karakter.
Sebenarnya novel ini berusaha untuk menjadi lebih dari hasil akhirnya. Ada beberapa bagian yang dibangun dan seharusnya bisa dimanfaatkan lebih baik lagi. Masalahnya adalah: novel ini terlalu singkat, sehingga tidak punya cukup waktu untuk menelusuri lebih dalam tentang masa lalu si Grandmaster. Pembaca juga tidak mendapatkan kesempatan untuk melihat ke dalam pikiran dan jiwa si Grandmaster karena cerita hanya diambil dari sudut pandang Daniel.
Secara keseluruhan, Grandmaster adalah novel yang mengecewakan. Para tokohnya satu dimensi dan hanya sebatas pion bagi penulisnya untuk sampai ke akhir cerita dengan tergesa-gesa.
March 14, 2014
When freshman Daniel Pratzer is unexpectedly included in the school chess team's roster for an upcoming tournament in New York, he quickly learns the team's motivation for including him. As he watches his accountant father, once a promising young grandmaster, rise to the occasion, he also sees a side of his father that is frightening. The author does an excellent job of capturing the emotions of chess players during intense competition as well as describing the obsession with which many of them approach the game. The author makes chess sound every bit as exciting as a college football championship game. Chess fans will especially enjoy this book since it has references to some of the greats of the game, including Bobby Fischer and Paul Morphy.
December 10, 2022
I quite loved this. An amazingly crafted story, mysterious with intense sports drama vibes... family focused! I don't even consider myself a chess player anymore, although I continue to hope I can find someone respectable to play with (meaning won't become mentally unhinged at winning or losing). The world of tournaments and competition is an intense, horrible place. This book delved into the pressures on chess players and the pressure they put on themselves, and what it means to give up the game for better things or run away from game because you're intimidated.
I personally don't think the Dad's past decision was running away, but that last game, with someone clearly trying to intimidate you just because they think they're better than you... It was an intense book that didn't step past the line into cheesy.
I appreciate the balance of loving a game or sport, but not letting it be the focus of your life, or something you'd kill to be the best in.
This was good. Entertaining. Made me slightly emotional.
I personally don't think the Dad's past decision was running away, but that last game, with someone clearly trying to intimidate you just because they think they're better than you... It was an intense book that didn't step past the line into cheesy.
I appreciate the balance of loving a game or sport, but not letting it be the focus of your life, or something you'd kill to be the best in.
This was good. Entertaining. Made me slightly emotional.
October 11, 2018
This is a story about that moment in growing up when you realize that your parents are real people who have real life stories from before you were around, and also about the choices you make that affect your life's direction. It was a solid story that tugged on my emotions a few times, and I liked the setting of the chess tournament, but it didn't suck me in enough to be a new favorite.
As far as content, nothing bad happens 'on screen' but there are themes of suicide/mental health, bullying to borderline abusive boyfriends, and there is some flirting between a married person and someone that's not their spouse .
As far as content, nothing bad happens 'on screen' but there are themes of suicide/mental health, bullying to borderline abusive boyfriends, and there is some flirting between a married person and someone that's not their spouse .
November 27, 2013
I started this book right after I finished A. S. King's "Reality Boy." It was a coincidence that "Grandmaster" also deals with repairing a father-son relationship, but in quite a different way. It doesn’t seem fair to compare the two books as "Grandmaster" is written for a younger audience (i'd say grades 6-8/9), but I do like the focus on father-son relationships, and if you’re a dad, you might read this book and share it with your pre-teen son. There are also a few female characters who represent a variety of roles. It’s a book that you can feel comfortable putting in your school library or classroom shelf, and I look forward to giving this book to a middle school teacher I know.
"Grandmaster" is the story of freshman Daniel Pratzer. He has just begun attending an expensive private high school and joins the chess team after being unable to find another sports team to join. Daniel, who is the worst player on the team, is surprised one day when the two captains invite him and his dad to join their team which is set to compete at a weekend father-son chess tournament (which a large cash prize for the winners). The captains inform Daniel that his father is a chess grandmaster—a fact Daniel’s father has kept from his family.
The structure of the novel is straightforward and the plot moves quickly and is captivating (I read it in a few hours). I was worried that there would be long complicated descriptions of chess moves, but there aren’t. The descriptions of chess are actually interesting with historical facts thrown in as well as what I imagine are real names for chess strategies. And, although I suspected what the ending might be, it was still a little suspenseful at times. My favorite bits were the moments when the father realizes how important it is for his son to see him excel at something and Klass writes as if he has experienced moments like the ones in the book when Daniel is proud of his father.
"Grandmaster" is the story of freshman Daniel Pratzer. He has just begun attending an expensive private high school and joins the chess team after being unable to find another sports team to join. Daniel, who is the worst player on the team, is surprised one day when the two captains invite him and his dad to join their team which is set to compete at a weekend father-son chess tournament (which a large cash prize for the winners). The captains inform Daniel that his father is a chess grandmaster—a fact Daniel’s father has kept from his family.
The structure of the novel is straightforward and the plot moves quickly and is captivating (I read it in a few hours). I was worried that there would be long complicated descriptions of chess moves, but there aren’t. The descriptions of chess are actually interesting with historical facts thrown in as well as what I imagine are real names for chess strategies. And, although I suspected what the ending might be, it was still a little suspenseful at times. My favorite bits were the moments when the father realizes how important it is for his son to see him excel at something and Klass writes as if he has experienced moments like the ones in the book when Daniel is proud of his father.
December 16, 2014
Loved it! Great YA book about an unusual subject. It reminded me of Louis Sachar 'The Cardturner' but that was about Bridge and this is about Chess. I don't know anything about either but love a book that draws me into a world that I know nothing about especially a sport.
Daniel is the kind of guy I root for--not mainstream but not a bad boy either. I loved the contrasts between three different types of fathers and the influence they have on the sons they are each raising. The book makes Daniel's family very ordinary with a house that is a bit shabby and a dad that is bald with a potbelly and a rather boring sounding job. I could just imagine it. We see the nonathletic Daniel struggling away at a private school that his parents can't really afford trying to fit in somewhere. He feels he didn't inherit the right genes for success.
Along comes the opportunity to participate in a Chess competition and it turns out his Dad has a secret past as a Chess Grandmaster. The author really explores what happens to a person under the stress of competition. Winning can be addictive and it can mean you have to sacrifice too much of yourself to always be on top of your game. Is it worth it? You feel by the end that you know what is important in life. I loved the family dynamics and the sweet romance that is budding by the end of the story. It is a truly satisfying book.
Daniel is the kind of guy I root for--not mainstream but not a bad boy either. I loved the contrasts between three different types of fathers and the influence they have on the sons they are each raising. The book makes Daniel's family very ordinary with a house that is a bit shabby and a dad that is bald with a potbelly and a rather boring sounding job. I could just imagine it. We see the nonathletic Daniel struggling away at a private school that his parents can't really afford trying to fit in somewhere. He feels he didn't inherit the right genes for success.
Along comes the opportunity to participate in a Chess competition and it turns out his Dad has a secret past as a Chess Grandmaster. The author really explores what happens to a person under the stress of competition. Winning can be addictive and it can mean you have to sacrifice too much of yourself to always be on top of your game. Is it worth it? You feel by the end that you know what is important in life. I loved the family dynamics and the sweet romance that is budding by the end of the story. It is a truly satisfying book.
September 28, 2017
I debated about giving this 2.5 stars or 3. The book itself is kind of meh, but it did surprise me by avoiding a lot of cliches and it does have a good message ("face your fears" and "mental health is important"). A lot of characters wind up subverting your expectations and that was very refreshing after many of them seemed to be stereotypes. I also think people will be surprised to see how hardcore chess tournaments are.
October 8, 2016
I don't often say this, but this is an outstanding book and I thoroughly lived it. The author tells a wonderful tale of a father and son who don't know each other very well and shows how one weekend can change everything. Chess is used as both a background and the main setting, but even those who don't know the game will be able to relate to its presence on the story.
April 17, 2015
David Klass writes great YA stories, and Grandmaster is no exception. This one tells the story of a shy high-school freshman who attends a chess tournament with his father. It delves deeply into relationships between children and their parents, and the mental strain of stress and obsession.
June 11, 2015
Jeg kan grunnreglene i sjakk og ser alle sjakkturneringer som er på TV. Men man trenger ikke å kunne det eller å forstå det spillet, for man blir underholdt av denne boka likevel. Innholdet styres av et fargerikt persongalleri.
September 5, 2014
Great alternative sports title and has some great father and son connections as well.
September 12, 2017
It was an okay book. The story line wasn't great and it wasn't written great, but there isn't many chess novels out there. I like the way they show what it feels like to be in a tournament.
April 20, 2022
This is a book that can remind me to love those random occasions when I find a book sitting on the shelf at a library, and decide to read it. It is unplanned, not on any sort of list, nor anything else. It is just one that I saw, was interested in, and loved all the more because of it.
Grandmaster by David Klass is a book about our main character Daniel. He finds that he isn’t very good at life. He has few friends, no girlfriend, and is not very popular. He even isn’t very good on his school’s chess team, which sucks, because this is one of the few chess teams where they are known for winning at tournaments. So, when the Captain and co-captain of the chess team sit him down and tell him that he and his father have been selected to go to a parent-offspring chess tournament in New York City with some of his classmates, he is confused. It is then revealed that his father was once a Grandmaster (aka someone who is the best at the game of chess), and they are hoping that Daniel’s father can be their ace in the hole when winning the tournament. Daniel is now even more confused. His father has not played chess in 30 years and never made it seem like he wanted Daniel to either, not even so much as teaching him about how the pieces work. Why did he not tell Daniel about this? Why did he give up chess in the first place? All these questions are swirling around in Daniel’s head as he manages to convince his father to compete. But soon, Daniel finds out that there is more to chess than moving around some fancy pieces, as he sees his dad seemingly crack under the pressure. Can his father make it to the end of the tournament? Will Daniel be able to live with the consequences if he doesn’t?
This book is one that, like the Netflix movie The Queen’s Gambit, I could see making people want to learn about Chess. You can tell that the author was a chess player when he was younger because he shows a reverence for the game that few authors manage to get across to the reader. This means that for any of this books’ faults (of which I can spot very few) this may make readers want to learn chess or take up chess again, which I applaud.
This is a book that manages to show not only the combat that takes place among chess enthusiasts, but also about the larger themes of dealing with your past selves, and understanding that you cannot run from your decisions. When it came to chess, there was just enough to let the uninformed reader understand what is going on, but for the informed reader to see how much Daniel’s father truly knows about the game.
What is a real benefit here are the characters. We see that Klass does not give each person on the team a stereotype. The author manages to make them unique in some way, which I appreciate. The major relationship that gets the most focus is between Daniel and his father. The reader can understand both of their perspectives: Daniel wants to develop his sense of self, and he cannot understand why his father would deny such a large part of his young life. His father sees this tournament as a way to come to terms with what he was and who he is now. He gave up chess, went to college, met and married Daniel’s mother, and started a family. But there always is the question of the road less traveled. What would have happened if he had stuck with chess? Or, perhaps a better question would be, does he still have what it takes to win, after all these years of having it set aside? I can understand and enjoy reading about all of these different perspectives and ideas, which Klass writes about very well.
If there is one issue with this book it would be...say it with me… the YA romance. This is something that comes into play Daniel, as he finds both a girl at his school, named Britney, who seems to like him, but she already has a crappy boyfriend, and a girl who Daniel meets at the Chess tournament. I do like that Klass does not go the typical route and aim for a love triangle, and I like how the romance between Daniel and the girl he met at the tournament has an impact on the story and his character. Not only does this relationship affect Britney by the end of the story, but it also displays a happy medium for Daniel: he can not only improve at chess, but he can also balance having a girlfriend too.
The only downside with this romance is that I do not remember anything about the girls that Daniel is supposed to be attracted to. Truth be told, this includes their names as well. Perhaps it was because of the fast pace that the author adopted, but I felt like these characters were not given enough time to develop them as I would have liked.
Still, this was a nice fast-paced novel about not only chess but also the feelings we have as teens and adults about the road not taken. I greatly enjoyed this book, and I think you will too. I give it a four out of five.
Grandmaster by David Klass is a book about our main character Daniel. He finds that he isn’t very good at life. He has few friends, no girlfriend, and is not very popular. He even isn’t very good on his school’s chess team, which sucks, because this is one of the few chess teams where they are known for winning at tournaments. So, when the Captain and co-captain of the chess team sit him down and tell him that he and his father have been selected to go to a parent-offspring chess tournament in New York City with some of his classmates, he is confused. It is then revealed that his father was once a Grandmaster (aka someone who is the best at the game of chess), and they are hoping that Daniel’s father can be their ace in the hole when winning the tournament. Daniel is now even more confused. His father has not played chess in 30 years and never made it seem like he wanted Daniel to either, not even so much as teaching him about how the pieces work. Why did he not tell Daniel about this? Why did he give up chess in the first place? All these questions are swirling around in Daniel’s head as he manages to convince his father to compete. But soon, Daniel finds out that there is more to chess than moving around some fancy pieces, as he sees his dad seemingly crack under the pressure. Can his father make it to the end of the tournament? Will Daniel be able to live with the consequences if he doesn’t?
This book is one that, like the Netflix movie The Queen’s Gambit, I could see making people want to learn about Chess. You can tell that the author was a chess player when he was younger because he shows a reverence for the game that few authors manage to get across to the reader. This means that for any of this books’ faults (of which I can spot very few) this may make readers want to learn chess or take up chess again, which I applaud.
This is a book that manages to show not only the combat that takes place among chess enthusiasts, but also about the larger themes of dealing with your past selves, and understanding that you cannot run from your decisions. When it came to chess, there was just enough to let the uninformed reader understand what is going on, but for the informed reader to see how much Daniel’s father truly knows about the game.
What is a real benefit here are the characters. We see that Klass does not give each person on the team a stereotype. The author manages to make them unique in some way, which I appreciate. The major relationship that gets the most focus is between Daniel and his father. The reader can understand both of their perspectives: Daniel wants to develop his sense of self, and he cannot understand why his father would deny such a large part of his young life. His father sees this tournament as a way to come to terms with what he was and who he is now. He gave up chess, went to college, met and married Daniel’s mother, and started a family. But there always is the question of the road less traveled. What would have happened if he had stuck with chess? Or, perhaps a better question would be, does he still have what it takes to win, after all these years of having it set aside? I can understand and enjoy reading about all of these different perspectives and ideas, which Klass writes about very well.
If there is one issue with this book it would be...say it with me… the YA romance. This is something that comes into play Daniel, as he finds both a girl at his school, named Britney, who seems to like him, but she already has a crappy boyfriend, and a girl who Daniel meets at the Chess tournament. I do like that Klass does not go the typical route and aim for a love triangle, and I like how the romance between Daniel and the girl he met at the tournament has an impact on the story and his character. Not only does this relationship affect Britney by the end of the story, but it also displays a happy medium for Daniel: he can not only improve at chess, but he can also balance having a girlfriend too.
The only downside with this romance is that I do not remember anything about the girls that Daniel is supposed to be attracted to. Truth be told, this includes their names as well. Perhaps it was because of the fast pace that the author adopted, but I felt like these characters were not given enough time to develop them as I would have liked.
Still, this was a nice fast-paced novel about not only chess but also the feelings we have as teens and adults about the road not taken. I greatly enjoyed this book, and I think you will too. I give it a four out of five.
October 4, 2021
"What could go wrong at a chess tournament?"
Apparently, everything.
I was not expecting this to be a YA novel, and it turns out to be a great one. Maybe this won't be the kind of book that appeal to everyone, but somehow I got a feeling that even if you don't like chess, this would still be something interesting to pick up.
The book starts by introducing us to Daniel Pratzer, a patzer-that's what you call someone who plays chess badly. Can we take a moment to appreciate how interesting that is already? Because when the seniors in his chess club call him patzer-face, this Daniel was like: Oh, um, actually my name is Pratzer.
So, that's something.
Then, he finds out that his father, who he doesn't really get along with, who he only knows as a boring accountant, and appears to have next to nothing interest in chess is a freaking grandmaster. That's crazy, and that's actually really cool. So yes, I was hooked by then.
The fact that Morris Pratzer hides his secret for 30 years from his family is beyond my imagination. But of course, that happens for a reason. Chess drives him crazy. And as he said, the same thing happened to Bobby Fischer and Paul Morphy too, and probably so many other amazing players, because everything can turns hectic when it comes to putting your full concentration on a 64 squares board, trying to determine the next move as the time keeps ticking on your side.
"And just so you know--one reason I quit chess was that I couldn't control my temper, and that included nearly killing a rude asshole with my bare hands."
I like how the Grandmaster, Morris is very keen when he talks about chess, despite knowing how bad the consequences that could follow. He is really passionate, even after decades of not playing, but then his son, Daniel is just so nonchalant..?? I swear this boy appears calm throughout the book, like he is trapped in his own world. It actually makes sense because the book title itself says it all, the main story is not about him, it's about his father. But I also like how Daniel is just playing along with everything, and suddenly turns out to be so much better in chess than he thought, and he also gets a girl?? Cool, cool.
Another thing that I adore is the emphasize on how chess is not always about winning. The 3 days chess tournament bring the father and son together, and though it seems quite unfair for Daniel to truly see his dad only after learning and seeing his incredible skills, I guess maybe it's just because Morris can't get away from the past, and in attempt to build a new life, he still can't keep running from who he was. And that conjures a distance between him and his son until the chess comes to life again, tightening their bond as fathers and sons should.
I feel like I'm ranting so much already, but really, this book sparks an interest for chess in me. I mean, I've always admire the whole mind sport thing, but never really occur to read about it. Although the mentions of the openings and defenses are quite brief--you can't expect to learn in detail about them from the book--but still it was interesting to read. Like you can tell that the author really knows what he's talking about.
I love how the plot escalates, and it even ends in an almost, um, how should I say, perfect? Lovely? Yeah, whatever that is. Not giving this a 5 because it's not the best, but it's still something I don't regret reading. So yay! Let me quote Morris Pratzer for this,
"Ours is not to reason why; ours is just to do and die."
A bit dramatic, but yes.
Apparently, everything.
I was not expecting this to be a YA novel, and it turns out to be a great one. Maybe this won't be the kind of book that appeal to everyone, but somehow I got a feeling that even if you don't like chess, this would still be something interesting to pick up.
The book starts by introducing us to Daniel Pratzer, a patzer-that's what you call someone who plays chess badly. Can we take a moment to appreciate how interesting that is already? Because when the seniors in his chess club call him patzer-face, this Daniel was like: Oh, um, actually my name is Pratzer.
So, that's something.
Then, he finds out that his father, who he doesn't really get along with, who he only knows as a boring accountant, and appears to have next to nothing interest in chess is a freaking grandmaster. That's crazy, and that's actually really cool. So yes, I was hooked by then.
The fact that Morris Pratzer hides his secret for 30 years from his family is beyond my imagination. But of course, that happens for a reason. Chess drives him crazy. And as he said, the same thing happened to Bobby Fischer and Paul Morphy too, and probably so many other amazing players, because everything can turns hectic when it comes to putting your full concentration on a 64 squares board, trying to determine the next move as the time keeps ticking on your side.
"And just so you know--one reason I quit chess was that I couldn't control my temper, and that included nearly killing a rude asshole with my bare hands."
I like how the Grandmaster, Morris is very keen when he talks about chess, despite knowing how bad the consequences that could follow. He is really passionate, even after decades of not playing, but then his son, Daniel is just so nonchalant..?? I swear this boy appears calm throughout the book, like he is trapped in his own world. It actually makes sense because the book title itself says it all, the main story is not about him, it's about his father. But I also like how Daniel is just playing along with everything, and suddenly turns out to be so much better in chess than he thought, and he also gets a girl?? Cool, cool.
Another thing that I adore is the emphasize on how chess is not always about winning. The 3 days chess tournament bring the father and son together, and though it seems quite unfair for Daniel to truly see his dad only after learning and seeing his incredible skills, I guess maybe it's just because Morris can't get away from the past, and in attempt to build a new life, he still can't keep running from who he was. And that conjures a distance between him and his son until the chess comes to life again, tightening their bond as fathers and sons should.
I feel like I'm ranting so much already, but really, this book sparks an interest for chess in me. I mean, I've always admire the whole mind sport thing, but never really occur to read about it. Although the mentions of the openings and defenses are quite brief--you can't expect to learn in detail about them from the book--but still it was interesting to read. Like you can tell that the author really knows what he's talking about.
I love how the plot escalates, and it even ends in an almost, um, how should I say, perfect? Lovely? Yeah, whatever that is. Not giving this a 5 because it's not the best, but it's still something I don't regret reading. So yay! Let me quote Morris Pratzer for this,
"Ours is not to reason why; ours is just to do and die."
A bit dramatic, but yes.
March 3, 2025
This is a very good book, I think this because I really like chess and all this book basically talks about is Chess. I have a lot I want to talk about in this review but the book is about, this boy that goes to school, and one day some of the chess club seniors go to his house when his parents are at work and basically tells him that his dad Jay Pritzker was a very strong chess player, a grandmaster, and invites him and his dad to a hotel where there is a a chess tournament. It took Daniel Prater's dad a long time to agree, and when he finally did, they went to a hotel and found out that the senior's dad's already paid for their rooms, so they went up to their rooms, and then the next day they were at the first game of the tournament and Daniel's Dad was very good, he was the top 3 of the grandmaster's and he had to go against other Grandmaster that were as strong as him. Daniel was almost at the very bottom because he literally just started playing chess not long before the senior's invited them. So Daniel played and I think he lost his first game, won the next, lost again, and won the last 2 games. Jay won very single match and took the championship. But, Jay was not sleeping, eating, all he was doing at night was studying chess and it was making him so ill that his final match vs. a stronger chess player than he was, Jay was very irritated because his opponent was basically making fun of him, because of that Jay lost his temper at about mid-game and went to the roof, and was about to jump off, and I'm betting that he would of if Daniel didn't get up there in time, and what made Jay not jump off was because Daniel grabbed his arm and said, "If your going down, I'm coming with, and I'm not letting go either, so unless you want your son to die too then I would back off the edge of the roof." So he did, and he eventually calmed down and went back down to the room and finished the last game with about 4 minutes. The time was really close between them both, and Jay won the game by checkmate with only 1 second remaining. They all celebrated and it was a very happy ending, they stayed up almost all night celebrating. I almost forgot the part that one of the family's had to go home, because there was a fight and a girl got bit on the shoulder, so that's why they had to go home. I'm almost done with this review but this was my favorite part in the whole entire book. The first game that Daniel played was with a girl and they ended up being in a relationship at the end, and the best part about it was when Daniel and another girl was talking and the girl goes "We got into a fight because of you Daniel, you are a very good person and you get along so well with that other girl, so I just couldn't stand it anymore and so we got into a fight." That was a very good thing to say to someone in my opinion. Then, they all went home and like I said it was a very good book, wish there was a second one, I would be reading it without hesitation. Hope you all enjoy my review!
July 26, 2018
The story tries to improve parent-child relationships but it was written to make a fascinating movie out of it. Tournament's description is completely opposite of a real tournament for parents and children. The issues that may be a little relevant in tournaments with big prizes for world's best players definitely do not apply to the story's tournament. If you don't believe me, you can visit US Amateur Team Championships held every year on Presidents Day weekend in 4 places around the US. 4 winners play Final 4 later. The largest tournament is in NJ. Over 200 teams with over 1,000 people participate. Quite a few teams have parents and children. If teams want grandmasters (GMs) to play for them, teammates pay GMs to join. So, it's just 3 days in the office for GMs. No huge emotions but having fun, enjoying the game and finding new clients. Since 98% of players are real amateurs, pleasant experience matters far more than the end result. Nobody tries to jump off the roof and, then, comes back and checkmates another GM with 1 second left on the clock.
When the grandmaster tells his son how Bobby Fischer turned out to be a real a-hole after winning world championship, he doesn't mention Cold War. Bobby was an American man who defeated entire Soviet chess system. If he had been provided real support as the Cold War warrior, his behavior would've been very different. His Soviet opponents received free trips to resorts even after losing and dated beautiful women. In USSR, chess was treated as a major league sport. National championships usually took place in huge clubs within walking distance from Red Square. Every round's results were reported on sports news along with soccer and hockey scores. Soviets treated chess very differently than Americans do. The problem wasn't the game itself but how success in the game was treated in different environments.
In the last round the boy plays and beats a very wealthy man who has a Russian coach. The man picks wrong strategy. He is very wealthy and can certainly afford a very good coach. I can 100% guarantee that the Russian coach would advise completely different strategy against an amateur child opponent. His advice before the game would be: "Instead of opening up your king and attacking the boy with all your pieces, play defense and wait until the boy gets bored, starts looking around and spends less time looking at the board. Then, he'll make enough mistakes to lose on his own without you having to take chances".
To summarize, the story would make sense and teach a lesson if descriptions of events were realistic.
When the grandmaster tells his son how Bobby Fischer turned out to be a real a-hole after winning world championship, he doesn't mention Cold War. Bobby was an American man who defeated entire Soviet chess system. If he had been provided real support as the Cold War warrior, his behavior would've been very different. His Soviet opponents received free trips to resorts even after losing and dated beautiful women. In USSR, chess was treated as a major league sport. National championships usually took place in huge clubs within walking distance from Red Square. Every round's results were reported on sports news along with soccer and hockey scores. Soviets treated chess very differently than Americans do. The problem wasn't the game itself but how success in the game was treated in different environments.
In the last round the boy plays and beats a very wealthy man who has a Russian coach. The man picks wrong strategy. He is very wealthy and can certainly afford a very good coach. I can 100% guarantee that the Russian coach would advise completely different strategy against an amateur child opponent. His advice before the game would be: "Instead of opening up your king and attacking the boy with all your pieces, play defense and wait until the boy gets bored, starts looking around and spends less time looking at the board. Then, he'll make enough mistakes to lose on his own without you having to take chances".
To summarize, the story would make sense and teach a lesson if descriptions of events were realistic.
October 24, 2018
This is a fictional book about a father-son chess tournament that Daniel and his GM (grandmaster) father go to over a weekend. Daniel the son, finds out his father's connection to chess and he bonds with his father better than before. I found it interesting the fathers relationship to chess and how he reacts when the pressure gets to him. However, I also think the story could be improved as Brittney and Brad didn't really seem to make an impact on the story. Some ways that the author shows how this fictional character reacts to chess tournaments is showing him vomitting before the very first round (see page 52 and top of page 53) and when his foe Grandmaster Listz tells a story about a severe incident that happened at one of Daniel's father's tournaments when he was invested in chess. (see pages 117-118) Also the father talks about how chess affected Fischer. (see last paragraph of page 93 and first two of 94) This book sheds light on the fact that chess can have both a good and bad side to it, and that you have to watch out that it does take you down to a bad place. It also shows the importance of honesty between parents and kids. However, I feel like Brittney and Brad did not really contribute to this lesson and that the book would have been just as impactful. They had a relationship but it didn't relate to parent-child relationships or the fact that things usually are good in some ways and bad in others. It just kind of seemed there and the message could have gotten across just as well without them in the book. Also I thought the team prayers got to the point that having some times where parents and children bond is valuable. This was a smart, clever choice by David Klass. To sum it, the author did a pretty good job in writing this book but there are some tweaks I would make to make it more concise. My suggestion for readers would be to anyone who wants to learn an intriguing lesson about family bonding and that things might not be as they seem that they should try this book. I wouldn't recommend this if you want a fantasy book or one that teaches you a lot about chess or a chess figure, or for laughs as this is not the goal of this book.
March 24, 2021
Grandmaster is a realistic fiction novel written by author David Klass. It’s a story that doesn’t completely revolve around the idea of playing chess, but instead, the punishment that comes with playing the game at such a high competitive level. This intense story does a great job of throwing surprises at the reader. It keeps the reader engaged by developing a plot through action-driven chess matches and romance rather than boring the reader with a poorly developed plot. With a predictable ending, this novel will appeal to readers looking to read an engaging yet heartwarming story. I definitely give this book a thumbs up for its excellent plot development as well as having the makes of a Disney movie. Daniel Pratzer is a high school who has recently moved to a new private school. Daniel joins the school’s chess team to hopefully make new friends. Instead, Daniel is constantly bullied on the team for his lack of ability to play chess at a decent level. Out of nowhere, Daniel is invited to play at an elite New York chess tournament that requires both a father and a son to play in the tournament. Oblivious to why he was invited, Daniel goes on to find out that his father, a short and geeky accountant, used to be a chess grandmaster in his teens.
Stress, anger, and a broken past will lead both Daniel and Morris to learn valuable lessons that go beyond the chessboard. The book does not require the reader to know anything about chess. Terminology is explained when needed in the book and does an excellent job of appealing to audiences beyond chess players.
I would definitely recommend this book to a young adult audience as its romance and drama would appeal to them the most. I love how the author builds tension in the story as well as the unexpected romance in the novel. Although, I would like to know more details of the chess matches in the games rather than just minor details in the matches.
Stress, anger, and a broken past will lead both Daniel and Morris to learn valuable lessons that go beyond the chessboard. The book does not require the reader to know anything about chess. Terminology is explained when needed in the book and does an excellent job of appealing to audiences beyond chess players.
I would definitely recommend this book to a young adult audience as its romance and drama would appeal to them the most. I love how the author builds tension in the story as well as the unexpected romance in the novel. Although, I would like to know more details of the chess matches in the games rather than just minor details in the matches.
July 20, 2017
Reading GRANDMASTER took me back to when I was a child, when I loved to play chess daily. You don't have to play chess to find this book relatable. The lessons the book teaches -- about not giving up when the going gets tough, finding yourself through adversity and confronting your inner demons -- applies to every challenge.. GRANDMASTER is about talent lost and found, about nurture and growth, about breaking out of the cages our minds impose on us. It is as readable as any coming-of-age novel, as captivating as any far-flung fantasy novel.
This book reminded me of everything I love about reading. Relatable characters that have their own motives that evolve and change. What struck a chord with me when reading this novel was the portrayal of the chess scene. It is strikingly accurate. I've experienced firsthand the feeling of betrayal and disappointment that comes when I lose a match. One false move, one moment of carelessness, one second on the clock is enough to decide a game. The air is always heated till the game ends. Your mental state plays a big part in the game too: opponents may attempt to throw you off balance by playing quickly or an unexpected move. GRANDMASTER takes it a step further; something as subtle as teeth gritting can cause even the best of us to crack. I especially love the liking of chess to war in this book. To paraphrase Grandmaster Morris, it is when a king is captured that his army is put to the sword.
I can't recommend this highly enough, especially to chess players out there.
This book reminded me of everything I love about reading. Relatable characters that have their own motives that evolve and change. What struck a chord with me when reading this novel was the portrayal of the chess scene. It is strikingly accurate. I've experienced firsthand the feeling of betrayal and disappointment that comes when I lose a match. One false move, one moment of carelessness, one second on the clock is enough to decide a game. The air is always heated till the game ends. Your mental state plays a big part in the game too: opponents may attempt to throw you off balance by playing quickly or an unexpected move. GRANDMASTER takes it a step further; something as subtle as teeth gritting can cause even the best of us to crack. I especially love the liking of chess to war in this book. To paraphrase Grandmaster Morris, it is when a king is captured that his army is put to the sword.
I can't recommend this highly enough, especially to chess players out there.
September 29, 2021
This book was written by a competitive tournament chess player so I have to wonder if it's a true depiction of what it's like to compete at that high level....if so....wow! The stress gets to chess players and the competition is fierce and very serious. Daniel doesn't have a clue that his father is a grandmaster, a very high level of chess player. He finds out when he and his father are invited to a tournament. Daniel is at the bottom level so why would he be asked to join his high school teammates?... because they want his father there to get points for the team. Morris does not want to get back into the chess world....he has bed memories, a past that his family doesn't know about and he'd like to keep it that way. But without telling his family his story his wife is able to talk him into going to spend time with his son....so off to the NYC tournament they go. What happens while they're in the city is definitely father/son bonding but much more. Daniel learns about his father's lurid past as Morris learns about his son's compassion. Chess brings them together but maybe it will also tear Morris apart. The other team members have there own bonding or more like unbonding going on. Family, father, son dynamics are revealed. Even though the story is about chess it's not really about chess. The author does a good job of bringing the game in while making family the focus.
May 28, 2023
This is my favorite book that I have read in a while and what I loved lost about it was that I wasn’t expecting it to be that good. But, it absolutely blew me away, as someone who thinks chess is boring this book hasn’t convinced me to play it, but it has made it interesting for me and has given me a lot of respect for the game and those who played it. I also never realized how stressful or high stakes chess was and how much it means to some people, until it meant that much for me in this book and the stress for me was unreal when I was transported to the world of chess while reading this book. This book which follows a son who convinces his father, who he just shockingly found out was a grandmaster, to go to a chess tournament with him so he can make a good impression on his chess club. The father-son bond that was developed over this game as well as the romantic relationship was so satisfying to read about. I learned a lot about chess and the greats who have played it as well, whose stories I found both sad and fascinating. This book reminded me what I truly loved about the ya genre and I will definitely be recommending this book to others.
October 19, 2021
This story showcases a freshman at a new highschool who has just joined the high school's chess team named Daniel Pratzer. He has never fully learned how to play chess but has always been interested in it. Though he is not good at chess at all, the rest of the students want him to participate in a father-son tournament in New York. In the book he says “why would you want my dad? He can’t play at all.”(Klass 13) but he is about to find out that this is not the not truth. This story goes through a lot of plot points and character developments. From new rivals to old rivals this story goes through a bunch of tests of wit but will it also cause Daniel's father to lose his sanity as he did once before. I would recommend this book to people who love a good character development and a good bit of rivalry fun type of book. I would also recommend this book to people who enjoyed the book and now Netflix adaptation of Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis as both of these books deal with the life of high ranked competitive chess players. I give this book a good 4 out of 5.
May 6, 2018
I was immediately attracted to the book the moment I spotted its cover out from the rest at the library. The book was labeled with only one word "Grandmaster". What could be more intriguing than that? So, I've read and read, the more I explore the world inside, the more I was hooked. The tension and the stress a chess game can do to a person is unimaginable. Behind every move of the game is calculations, strategies and human manipulations that we've could never foreseen. At the ending, the book made my heart skipped a beat (spoiler) when the father of the main character sat on the edge of a building, and just sat there with a big wind rushing through his every cells. Klass gave me and anyone that read "Grandmaster" a happy ending but it also informed me of the potential "danger" of chess it has to anyone willing to master the game.
March 23, 2017
A 2016-2017 Missouri Truman Readers Award nominee (grades 6-8).
3.5 stars rounded up.
Daniel Pratzer is shocked when a couple of the most popular seniors at his high school approach him and ask if he and his dad would play in a chess tournament with them that weekend. As far as he knows his dad doesn't even know how to play chess. Nope. His dad used to be a chess grandmaster, and he reluctantly agrees to enter the tournament with Daniel.
This was much better than I thought it would be despite a fair amount of chess speak. It is a nice family story with a healthy dose of competitive action thrown in.
3.5 stars rounded up.
Daniel Pratzer is shocked when a couple of the most popular seniors at his high school approach him and ask if he and his dad would play in a chess tournament with them that weekend. As far as he knows his dad doesn't even know how to play chess. Nope. His dad used to be a chess grandmaster, and he reluctantly agrees to enter the tournament with Daniel.
This was much better than I thought it would be despite a fair amount of chess speak. It is a nice family story with a healthy dose of competitive action thrown in.
May 1, 2021
I really enjoyed the scenes where they were playing chess, building tension with rook sacrifices, gambits, and forced checkmated. However, the author tried to introduce a dozen minor characters in a 200 page novel which leaves them extremely flat.
1. Type A athletic jock who is great at chess but abusive to women
2. Type A parent of jock who runs a bank and loves expensive food
3. Type A chess rival who plays dirty mind tricks
This continues for almost every named person
5 stars for the chess + 1 star for the underdevelopment = 3 star average
1. Type A athletic jock who is great at chess but abusive to women
2. Type A parent of jock who runs a bank and loves expensive food
3. Type A chess rival who plays dirty mind tricks
This continues for almost every named person
5 stars for the chess + 1 star for the underdevelopment = 3 star average
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