Checkmate: Genius, Lies, Ambition, and the Biggest Scandal in Chess

by Ben Mezrich

From the bestselling author of The Accidental Billionaires and Bringing Down the House comes the cinematic true story about the biggest scandal in modern chess.

In September 2022, the unthinkable nineteen-year-old American chess prodigy Hans Niemann defeated world champion Magnus Carlsen in a stunning face-to-face match. Within days, Carlsen accused Niemann of cheating—a bombshell allegation that rocked the chess world. As the scandal spiraled, Chess.com—the dominant force in online chess—launched a high-stakes investigation igniting a global media firestorm.

But Checkmate is about more than a cheating scandal. It’s the story of a teenager willing to risk everything to rise to the top; a reclusive genius suddenly fighting to protect his legacy;  and a centuries-old game transforming into a billion-dollar industry fueled by streaming, sponsorships, and Silicon Valley power players.

With exclusive access to the central figures, Ben Mezrich takes readers deep inside the weird, wild, and cutthroat world of competitive chess—where genius meets ambition, and every move could be your last.

Genres: Nonfiction, Sports, History, Chess

304 pages, Hardcover

First published June 2, 2026

About the author

Ben Mezrich has created his own highly addictive genre of nonfiction, chronicling the amazing stories of young geniuses making tons of money on the edge of impossibility, ethics, and morality.

With his newest non-fiction book, Once Upon a Time in Russia, Mezrich tells his most incredible story yet: A true drama of obscene wealth, crime, rivalry, and betrayal from deep inside the world of billionaire Russian Oligarchs.

Mezrich has authored sixteen books, with a combined printing of over four million copies, including the wildly successful Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions, which spent sixty-three weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, and sold over 2 million copies in fifteen languages. His book, The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, a Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal – debuted at #4 on the New York Times list and spent 18 weeks in hardcover and paperback, as well as hit bestseller lists in over a dozen countries. The book was adapted into the movie The Social Network –written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by David Fincher – and was #1 at the box office for two weeks, won Golden Globes for best picture, best director, best adapted screenplay, best score, and was nominated for 8 Oscars, winning 3 including best Adapted Screenplay for Aaron Sorkin. Mezrich and Aaron Sorkin shared a prestigious Scripter Award for best adapted screenplay as well.

Reviews

[Elisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ben Mezrich’s books are always fun, fast-paced reads, and this one was no different.

This book is very entertaining and accessible even to those who are not familiar with the world of chess.

[MARK OLSON]

One of the hallmarks of any Ben Mezrich book is the quantity and quality of “inside baseball” he brings to any story. Checkmate is no exception. Mezrich uses a dual plotline surrounding a chess match in September 2022 between the reigning World Champion, Magnus Carlsen, and an up-and-coming teenager, Hans Niemann. The drama begins to flow with a startling upset of Carlsen by Nieman and is quickly followed by Carlsen’s public allegations that he believed that Nieman was guilty of additional instances of cheating at chess, including in-person chess, beyond the online cheating Nieman had previously admitted to.
Wrapped up in this intense drama is the story of the growth of Chess.com, an online website, led by Danny Rensch and Erik Allebest. Mezrich details the growth of Chess.com grew from a small Silicon Valley startup to what is now the largest online chess site. Chess.com becomes a player in the drama because of its investigation and release of an extensive report detailing Nieman’s history of online cheating. As you might imagine, it did not take long for a lawsuit to follow.
Just as he did in The Accidental Billionaires and Bringing Down the House, Mezrich combines both business-related information and history with more arcane topics like chess, blackjack, and social networks. The result is a compelling read.
There’s history (both of chess and Silicon Valley), drama (cheating accusations, lawsuits, high profile chess competitions), and development of the personalities of rather eccentric people from the chess world. In particular, in exploring the psyches of Carlsen and Nieman, Mezrich’s portrayal of these two characters reminds me of two classic books about one of the all-time greats (if not the greatest chess player ever) Bobby Fischer: Endgame: Bobby Fischer’s Remarkable Rise and Fall by Frank Brady, and Bobby Fischer Goes to War by David Edmonds and John Eidinow.
While I would have preferred more discussion and development from a technical point of view of the actual chess games involved, my sense is that Mezrich did not want to slow down the action and detract from the drama he was trying to build by focusing on the vagaries of the specific strategies and tactics employed by Carlsen and Nieman.
If you liked They Marched Into Sunlight by David Maranis or Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson and their multi-level stories, you’ll enjoy Mezrich’s treatment of a chess cheating scandal that rocked the quiet, somber chess world in 2022.
Thank You to Hachette Book Group and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for the ARC!

In September 2022, the chess world is rocked when World Champion Magnus Carlsen is defeated by nineteen year old Grandmaster Hans Niemann. Checkmate explores the cheating allegations, the digital transformation of the game itself, and those who will risk everything to rise to the top.

This book pulled me in from the first page and the momentum did not stop. Right away we're pulled into the moment that sparked the cheating scandal—a seemingly bored teenager defeats who is considered the greatest chess player of all time without so much as breaking a sweat. Ben Mezrich continues to keep this story entertaining, and at times even sobering, as we learn about these people, what drove them to where they are today as well as the events that followed this momentous tournament.

"A 2860 Elo against a 2650.
White pieces against black.
The number one player in the world against the fortieth.
It couldn't be real. Something else had to be going on."

So much is being threatened by the rise of technology and chess is no exception. A hub for all things online chess, with interest growing during the pandemic and the release of The Queen's Gambit, Chess.com has cemented itself as its own player in the chess community. The story gives a lot of insight into how Chess.com grew from a small startup to the largest online chess site, as well as the minds behind it. Touching on the dynamics of online chess compared to in person chess and the challenges being faced with new technologies and cheating strategies, and how we can combat that moving forward.

"For a company that was building the first real chess ecosystem, a community of chess players and chess influencers that revolved around an online game—cheating could one day represent an existential threat."

This story touches on so much—the drama, the history, eccentric characters—and while chess is at the heart of this story, Ben Mezrich has crafted something so compelling it can be enjoyed by anyone. While I think this story is a must for chess fans, you don't need to know how chess works to understand the stakes.

[Collyn Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

read if you like:
♟️ chess
🤦🏻‍♀️ competition scandals
📚BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE

summary:
I love a good scandal, and BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE is one of my favorite books about the MIT card counting era. Mezrich’s latest book, CHECKMATE, follows a similar genre, focused on the 2022 cheating scandal in chess between Magnus Carlsen and American chess phenom Hans Niemann. I admittedly knew nothing about this when it happened, but the book is an interesting story about the world of competitive chess and what someone will sacrifice to get to the top.

For those who aren’t familiar with the real life story, this scandal played out in the 2022 Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis, where Niemann, a wild underdog to World Chess Champion Carlsen, pulled ahead in a face to face game. Rather than losing, Carlsen withdrew from the tournament, raising suspicion about what had happened. In a subsequent match between the two, Carlsen walked away after his first move, and formally accused Niemann of cheating a week later. Chess.com, a booming startup out of COVID, led an investigation into Niemann, who admitted cheating as a child, but adamantly denied any actions against Carlsen.

If you like chess, you’ll love this book. The players are quirky and unique, which is a little harder to get into if you aren’t immersed in this world, but are still compelling to follow along with. Their ambition and drive is impressive (as someone who doesn’t play chess!) along with their willingness to be ruthless. The dynamic of online chess vs in person and the challenges associated with the rise in technology are interesting and relatable, and Mezrich does a good job of balancing the technical details with those a casual reader (or player) would understand. The debate around how to prove cheating in a game where it could be invisible is fascinating, and what a reputation means — or doesn’t mean — in the digital gaming era.

While the gaming lingo and environment is harder to understand if you aren’t in that world, it’s still a good book focused on ambition, fallout and the obsession over brilliance. Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and NEtGalley for the advanced copy, and check this out when it releases on June 2!

[Shari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating Chess Cheating Scandal at the Highest Level

Checkmate, by Ben Mezrich, is an action-filled book about the cheating controversy between scrappy, hot-headed up and coming Hans Niemann and the reigning world champion Magnus Carlsen. I ripped through this book in a weekend and enjoyed it immensely! It felt like I was reading all the modern chess tea while I was drinking a cup of tea. It's non-fiction, but reads like a novel and the story draws you in with all of its drama.

Hans Niemann was accused of cheating at the Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis in 2022. It was an over the board game in which he seemed bored, distracted, and took down Magnus Carlsen in the first game. This accusation spiraled in light of the fact that Hans had been caught cheating on Chess.com multiple times over the years.

Lawsuits begin swirling from Hans Niemann accusing Magnus, Chess.com, and even Hikaru Nakamura of colluding against him as a sort of “chess mafia” to block Hans from playing at the highest levels of chess. Chess.com released a report called “The Hans Niemann Report” that shows how he cheated multiple times on Chess.com over the years from as early as age 12, but they could not detect any hard evidence of having cheated over the board at Sinquefield.

Checkmate: Genius, Lies, Ambition, and the Biggest Scandal in Chess, delves into this Sinquefield Cup controversy in detail, with backgrounds and histories of all the players such as Magnus Carlsen, Hans Niemann, and Danny Rensch from Chess.com. It is a fast-paced read, and I was hooked because I remember having read the salacious rumors of how Hans had cheated, and watching those rumors blaze like a forest fire through the news media back in 2022. If you want to dive into some intriguing modern chess drama, this is absolutely the book for you.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for providing this ARC to review.

[Nick Babbitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this arc from Hachette and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I loved the show Queens Gambit and Ben Mezrich’s previous book Bringing Down the House so when I saw he had a new book coming out on a similar subject I couldn’t wait to read it.
I found this to be a super fun and entertaining book about a major cheating scandal involving Hans Niemann and also featuring Magnus Carlson.
I loved the detailed analysis and deep dives into all the characters involved. This is what Ben Mezrich does best. It’s not traditional non fiction or journalism. He embeds himself and tries to show all sides of a situation that there is not necessarily one truth.

If you enjoyed any of Ben’s previous books or want an engaging non fiction read, I highly recommend picking this one up.

[Dana Trevino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the eARC. All thought are my own.

I was excited to dive into this book. After reading Bringing Down the House and loving Ben Mezrich's storytelling style, I couldn't wait to see what he'd do with a story centered around chess.
This was such an engaging read. I loved the way he wrote it with the flow and energy of a novel rather than a dense, fact-heavy nonfiction book. The storytelling is vivid, fast-moving, and easy to get lost in. I read this within two days.
If you enjoy chess, this book will hit the mark. Mezrich weaves game into narrative in a way that feels exciting without slowing down the pace.
Overall, a compelling and entertaining read that kept me turning the pages. A strong four stars.

[Lydia Wagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the advanced copy of Checkmate. This book has a strong opening that really draws you in and feels like a fast-paced TV drama. The pacing is great throughout, making it a total page turner for a subject I previously didn’t have much interest in (chess).

You don’t need to be in the world of chess to understand and find this intriguing. I didn’t want to put it down and read it in 2 days, but would have finished it in one sitting if I had the time.

This is my first book by Mezrich but I’ve read many by Michael Lewis, and if you’re a fan of Lewis, you’ll find this even lighter to read and absorb.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

[Christine Craft · Rating 5 out of 5]

Checkmate is a fascinating and comprehensive investigation into the biggest controversial scandal in chess.

It’s well-written and a fast-paced read. The research itself is meticulous, and all sides are fairly examined before and after the scandal. It’s also accessible for everyone and easy to understand even if you’ve never played chess.

Overall, this is surprisingly an entertaining book about chess drama. I highly recommend it and am excited to hear it's going to be a movie!

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC(advanced reader copy) in return for an honest review

[Shauneen Hutchinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of Good Moves by Ben Mezrich

Even if you do not know or even like chess, Ben Mezrich’s account is a fascinating read. He does a masterful job (pun intended!) of bringing the players and the tournaments to life. His prose is thoughtful. His accounts are beautifully crafted and easy to follow. He describes not only the players and the tournament organizers but, even more importantly, the entrepreneurs behind the engines that move a complicated industry. There is human interest, a view into the machinery of a complicated organization, and a microscope on interactions among humans and perhaps computer competitors to come. Great job.

[Cari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never read Mezrich before, and I think this was a good one for me to start with. I'm fascinated by chess and LOVED Danny Rensch's memoir (he is one of the founders of Chess.com). This book goes into the intricacies of the cheating scandal/dustup between Hans Niemann and Magnus Carlsen. I had also heard about that from a podcast, so I was eager to find out more updates, and I found that I had been given some misinformation too. If you are interested in chess at all, I highly recommend this book.

[Joshua Evan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was familiar with the Hans Niemann/Magnus Carlsen chess controversy but this in-depth look at its beginnings, the machinations, and the human toll on all involved was very well done. Amazingly paced it reads like a novel and finished it in little more than a day. (Also made me want to play chess again.)

Random note: as a college administrator this is an excellent case study in development of a young adult mentally, ethically, and social-emotionally. Riveting.

[Firoze Cassim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ben presents a detailed account of the Hans-Magnus 'cheating' saga. While no conclusion is reached, I believe that Hans was unnecessarily vilified by Magnus and unfairly removed by chess.com from the site and competitions with no evidence being produced in Over The Board games. Chess playing has grown worldwide, and so has the power of chess.com. Let's hope that growing the game to a wider audience is more important than
Making a profit.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I admit to knowing nothing about chess but still found this book interesting. The book explores allegations of cheating made by reigning World Champion, Magnus Carlsen, against scrappy Hans Neiman who unexpectedly beat Carlsen in a tournament match. The book delves into the background of both men, who both appear to be on the spectrum. I found the story of how chess.com developed into multimillion dollar business even more compelling than the story of the 2 chess players.

[Korey · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the more boring stories from Ben Mezrich. Not sure why he inserted himself in it? Strange book overall.

[Paul Gelderloos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Top book

Great reality show. Computers taking over. Humans live a better life, but ultimately computers play better chess. Unfortunately, they do not enjoy.