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Mind vs. Machine: The Chess Match That Changed the World
A middle grade nonfiction graphic novel about the legendary chess match between World Champion Garry Kasparov and IBM's Deep Blue computer.
The hopes of humanity rest on the shoulders of one chess player.
It’s May, 1997, in Manhattan, New York. World champion Garry Kasparov is about to begin a six-game match against Deep Blue, the cutting-edge super computer developed by IBM, led by Feng-Hsiung Hsu. No machine has ever defeated a chess champion in a multi-game match.
If it happens, it will be a major turning point in human history. This is, as Newsweek declares on its cover, “The Brain’s Last Stand.” Will the human mind prevail? Or is this checkmate for humankind?
The hopes of humanity rest on the shoulders of one chess player.
It’s May, 1997, in Manhattan, New York. World champion Garry Kasparov is about to begin a six-game match against Deep Blue, the cutting-edge super computer developed by IBM, led by Feng-Hsiung Hsu. No machine has ever defeated a chess champion in a multi-game match.
If it happens, it will be a major turning point in human history. This is, as Newsweek declares on its cover, “The Brain’s Last Stand.” Will the human mind prevail? Or is this checkmate for humankind?
240 pages, Paperback
Published September 8, 2026
About the author
Steve Sheinkin
49 books731 followersFrom: http://stevesheinkin.com/about/
I was born in Brooklyn, NY, and my family lived in Mississippi and Colorado before moving back to New York and settling in the suburbs north of New York City. As a kid my favorite books were action stories and outdoor adventures: sea stories, searches for buried treasure, sharks eating people… that kind of thing. Probably my all-time favorite was a book called Mutiny on the Bounty, a novel based on the true story of a famous mutiny aboard a British ship in the late 1700s.
I went to Syracuse University and studied communications and international relations. The highlight of those years was a summer I spent in Central America, where I worked on a documentary on the streets of Nicaragua.
After college I moved to Washington, D.C., and worked for an environmental group called the National Audubon Society. Then, when my brother Ari graduated from college a few years later, we decided to move to Austin, Texas, and make movies together. We lived like paupers in a house with a hole in the floor where bugs crawled in. We wrote some screenplays, and in 1995 made our own feature film, a comedy called A More Perfect Union (filing pictured below), about four young guys who decide to secede from the Union and declare their rented house to be an independent nation. We were sure it was going to be a huge hit; actually we ended up deep in debt.
After that I moved to Brooklyn and decided to find some way to make a living as a writer. I wrote short stories, screenplays, and worked on a comic called The Adventures of Rabbi Harvey. In 2006, after literally hundreds of rejections, my first Rabbi Harvey graphic novel was finally published.
Meanwhile, I started working for an educational publishing company, just for the money. We’d hire people to write history textbooks, and they’d send in their writing, and it was my job to check facts and make little edits to clarify the text. Once in a while I was given the chance to write little pieces of textbooks, like one-page biographies or skills lessons. “Understanding Bar Graphs” was one of my early works. The editors noticed that my writing was pretty good. They started giving me less editing to do, and more writing. Gradually, I began writing chapters for textbooks, and that turned into my full-time job. All the while, I kept working on my own writing projects.
In 2008 I wrote my last textbook. I walked away, and shall never return. My first non-textbook history book was King George: What Was His Problem? – full of all the stories about the American Revolution that I was never allowed to put into textbooks. But looking back, I actually feel pretty lucky to have spent all those years writing textbooks. It forced me to write every day, which is great practice. And I collected hundreds of stories that I can’t wait to tell.
These days, I live with my wife, Rachel, and our two young kids in Saratoga Springs, New York. We’re right down the road from the Saratoga National Historical Park, the site of Benedict Arnold’s greatest – and last – victory in an American uniform. But that’s not why I moved here. Honestly.
I was born in Brooklyn, NY, and my family lived in Mississippi and Colorado before moving back to New York and settling in the suburbs north of New York City. As a kid my favorite books were action stories and outdoor adventures: sea stories, searches for buried treasure, sharks eating people… that kind of thing. Probably my all-time favorite was a book called Mutiny on the Bounty, a novel based on the true story of a famous mutiny aboard a British ship in the late 1700s.
I went to Syracuse University and studied communications and international relations. The highlight of those years was a summer I spent in Central America, where I worked on a documentary on the streets of Nicaragua.
After college I moved to Washington, D.C., and worked for an environmental group called the National Audubon Society. Then, when my brother Ari graduated from college a few years later, we decided to move to Austin, Texas, and make movies together. We lived like paupers in a house with a hole in the floor where bugs crawled in. We wrote some screenplays, and in 1995 made our own feature film, a comedy called A More Perfect Union (filing pictured below), about four young guys who decide to secede from the Union and declare their rented house to be an independent nation. We were sure it was going to be a huge hit; actually we ended up deep in debt.
After that I moved to Brooklyn and decided to find some way to make a living as a writer. I wrote short stories, screenplays, and worked on a comic called The Adventures of Rabbi Harvey. In 2006, after literally hundreds of rejections, my first Rabbi Harvey graphic novel was finally published.
Meanwhile, I started working for an educational publishing company, just for the money. We’d hire people to write history textbooks, and they’d send in their writing, and it was my job to check facts and make little edits to clarify the text. Once in a while I was given the chance to write little pieces of textbooks, like one-page biographies or skills lessons. “Understanding Bar Graphs” was one of my early works. The editors noticed that my writing was pretty good. They started giving me less editing to do, and more writing. Gradually, I began writing chapters for textbooks, and that turned into my full-time job. All the while, I kept working on my own writing projects.
In 2008 I wrote my last textbook. I walked away, and shall never return. My first non-textbook history book was King George: What Was His Problem? – full of all the stories about the American Revolution that I was never allowed to put into textbooks. But looking back, I actually feel pretty lucky to have spent all those years writing textbooks. It forced me to write every day, which is great practice. And I collected hundreds of stories that I can’t wait to tell.
These days, I live with my wife, Rachel, and our two young kids in Saratoga Springs, New York. We’re right down the road from the Saratoga National Historical Park, the site of Benedict Arnold’s greatest – and last – victory in an American uniform. But that’s not why I moved here. Honestly.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
September 18, 2026
This is not a book about improving your chess moves. And it may stretch your emotional awareness as a player. It is about a chess match that stands out as uniquely important and “dates back further than you might think”, to quote the first line of the prologue.
Mind vs. Machine: The Chess Match That Changed the World (2026), a graphic novel by Steve Sheinkin, Chess Grandmaster Maurice Ashley, and illustrated by Thien Pham, is a story about “humanity being on the line,” according to Ashley, one of the book’s authors, as he announced the match back in 1997.
This is the true story of world chess champion Garry Kasparov in a six-game tournament against a specially developed IBM supercomputer named Deep Blue. No computer had ever beaten a world champion in a chess match.
Mind vs. Machine is thought-provoking, suspenseful, and invites readers into the dilemma of the human brain versus a computer that obeys code. Back in 1997, computers were rule-followers, with humans writing exacting code that the computers were taught to follow. Today, almost thirty years later, computers are pattern-recognizers that figure many things out on their own. Today, computers are not taught explicit rules; instead, they are fed trillions of words of text and use self-discovery of meaning based on the mathematical probabilities of what words might come next.
The New York Times calls it “a timely, edge-of-your-seat read that’s equally riveting for chess players and nonplayers alike.” It is a retelling of a compelling story of a classic chess showdown, with extremely well-written text and riveting illustrations.
I recommend this graphic novel to serious or casual chess fans. It is a gripping tale, thanks to the authors and illustrator.
Mind vs. Machine: The Chess Match That Changed the World (2026), a graphic novel by Steve Sheinkin, Chess Grandmaster Maurice Ashley, and illustrated by Thien Pham, is a story about “humanity being on the line,” according to Ashley, one of the book’s authors, as he announced the match back in 1997.
This is the true story of world chess champion Garry Kasparov in a six-game tournament against a specially developed IBM supercomputer named Deep Blue. No computer had ever beaten a world champion in a chess match.
Mind vs. Machine is thought-provoking, suspenseful, and invites readers into the dilemma of the human brain versus a computer that obeys code. Back in 1997, computers were rule-followers, with humans writing exacting code that the computers were taught to follow. Today, almost thirty years later, computers are pattern-recognizers that figure many things out on their own. Today, computers are not taught explicit rules; instead, they are fed trillions of words of text and use self-discovery of meaning based on the mathematical probabilities of what words might come next.
The New York Times calls it “a timely, edge-of-your-seat read that’s equally riveting for chess players and nonplayers alike.” It is a retelling of a compelling story of a classic chess showdown, with extremely well-written text and riveting illustrations.
I recommend this graphic novel to serious or casual chess fans. It is a gripping tale, thanks to the authors and illustrator.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Steve Sheinkin has written about many high interest non-fiction titles for younger readers, this time tackling the 1997 chess matchup between a human grandmaster, Garry Kasparov, and the machine Deep Blue. Illustrator Thien Pham assists in turning this cerebral matchup into a tense competitive display with close up illustrations and some creative liberties to symbolize the tactics that went on the chessboard. And Maurice Ashley provides the real person framing as a chess master and commentator of the match when it happened.
The strongest merits come from the realism of the situation. Readers will appreciate that Sheinkin and Pham don't feel the need to sensationalize it more than what was going on at the time. Having first person accounts and detailed records mean that Sheinkin can use verbatim dialogue from the players which makes them feel like real people. He takes time to go into the background of the two teams, Kasparov obviously more in depth, but also devotes some time to the members of the Deep Blue team and how they became interested in building a chess computer. Like his other non-fiction pursuits, Sheinkin provides context for those who aren't already big history buffs or chess fans. The prologue introduces the interest of a "learned machine" was imagined hundreds of years ago, referencing the 18th century Mechanical who beat Benjamin Franklin (except it wasn't really a machine but a man stuck in a box). And the epilogue, a somewhat weaker finale, asks the reader to think what a learning machine is capable of now or will be in the future.
Despite being about chess, this book feels like a scripted sports event. You have the two fighters in their matchup and see their strengths and weaknesses play out. Kasparov was the one with audience support and creative strategies, while Deep Blue did not get exhausted or show whether or not a strategy was making it defensive. This does result in greater sympathy for Kasparov but that's to be expected, as that's exactly what happened during the match itself. Secondary Maurice Ashley puts his own spin on it provides some perspective, not only as a good way to introduce readers to the rules of chess, but explain its intrigue from a devoted player. The information about the game is interspersed between matches that doesn't feel like information dumping or ruin the tension. In fact, the only downside could be from the reality of how the games played out.
Overall, this is a wonderful book to give for history buffs. Readers who don't know anything about chess will still be caught up in the man vs machine nature of this battle.
The strongest merits come from the realism of the situation. Readers will appreciate that Sheinkin and Pham don't feel the need to sensationalize it more than what was going on at the time. Having first person accounts and detailed records mean that Sheinkin can use verbatim dialogue from the players which makes them feel like real people. He takes time to go into the background of the two teams, Kasparov obviously more in depth, but also devotes some time to the members of the Deep Blue team and how they became interested in building a chess computer. Like his other non-fiction pursuits, Sheinkin provides context for those who aren't already big history buffs or chess fans. The prologue introduces the interest of a "learned machine" was imagined hundreds of years ago, referencing the 18th century Mechanical who beat Benjamin Franklin (except it wasn't really a machine but a man stuck in a box). And the epilogue, a somewhat weaker finale, asks the reader to think what a learning machine is capable of now or will be in the future.
Despite being about chess, this book feels like a scripted sports event. You have the two fighters in their matchup and see their strengths and weaknesses play out. Kasparov was the one with audience support and creative strategies, while Deep Blue did not get exhausted or show whether or not a strategy was making it defensive. This does result in greater sympathy for Kasparov but that's to be expected, as that's exactly what happened during the match itself. Secondary Maurice Ashley puts his own spin on it provides some perspective, not only as a good way to introduce readers to the rules of chess, but explain its intrigue from a devoted player. The information about the game is interspersed between matches that doesn't feel like information dumping or ruin the tension. In fact, the only downside could be from the reality of how the games played out.
Overall, this is a wonderful book to give for history buffs. Readers who don't know anything about chess will still be caught up in the man vs machine nature of this battle.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Any book by Steve Sheinkin is a must-buy for the school library, but this might be his best one yet. After reading about the famous 1997 chess match between world champion Garry Kasparov and Deep Blue as an early example of AI, I was eager to read this book as I’m on the lookout for books to share with my students on this topic. This book exceeded my expectations.
Even though I already knew the outcome of the match, the way the story was told, from multiple perspectives in graphic novel format, made it suspenseful and exciting. Maurice Ashley, chess grandmaster and co-author of the book, tells part of the story from his point of view as the commentator of the infamous match. We also get the story from the viewpoint of Garry Kasparov, as well as the creators of Deep Blue.
The illustrations add much to the story. At several points, the match is compared to a fight between boxers, a sporting event, and Garry going up against a dragon. In those moments, the reader feels the pressure of the situation, while also making the connection to the common humanity of the experience of such competitiveness. A whole page dedicated to Garry’s facial expressions as he’s losing one of the matches makes the moment really come alive.
We learn about chess and computers throughout the book, but the best part is the big questions the story poses. As one of the creators of Deep Blue explains, the match is not really about human vs. computer, but human as performer vs human as toolmaker, which is a really interesting way of getting students to think about using AI. What we are rooting for throughout the match, the story argues, is not so much the triumph of the human mind, but rather an attempt to hold off a future that feels uneasy. Deep Blue is forcing not only Garry Kasporov into a new world, but it’s ushering all of humanity into it. This is the place we have arrived at now, one which forces us to ask what our place in it will be.
A must-buy for any middle-grade library! Highly recommended.
Even though I already knew the outcome of the match, the way the story was told, from multiple perspectives in graphic novel format, made it suspenseful and exciting. Maurice Ashley, chess grandmaster and co-author of the book, tells part of the story from his point of view as the commentator of the infamous match. We also get the story from the viewpoint of Garry Kasparov, as well as the creators of Deep Blue.
The illustrations add much to the story. At several points, the match is compared to a fight between boxers, a sporting event, and Garry going up against a dragon. In those moments, the reader feels the pressure of the situation, while also making the connection to the common humanity of the experience of such competitiveness. A whole page dedicated to Garry’s facial expressions as he’s losing one of the matches makes the moment really come alive.
We learn about chess and computers throughout the book, but the best part is the big questions the story poses. As one of the creators of Deep Blue explains, the match is not really about human vs. computer, but human as performer vs human as toolmaker, which is a really interesting way of getting students to think about using AI. What we are rooting for throughout the match, the story argues, is not so much the triumph of the human mind, but rather an attempt to hold off a future that feels uneasy. Deep Blue is forcing not only Garry Kasporov into a new world, but it’s ushering all of humanity into it. This is the place we have arrived at now, one which forces us to ask what our place in it will be.
A must-buy for any middle-grade library! Highly recommended.
September 19, 2026
A somewhat amateur chess player, I knew nothing about this remarkable event in history, and I honestly was hoping for a different outcome since I had not known how the games ended.
Nevertheless, this book is readable whether you are a dabbler in chess or whether you are a chess expert. Those who are familiar with the basics of chess will have an advantage, but not enough that it would hinder the storyline.
What was most fascinating was that man is still on an endless pursuit to create technology to go above and beyond what the human mind can do, or may be able to do. This was a real victory for IBM, but was it? It proved something, but it also tore away a piece of humanity we thought we could always maintain, no matter how strong the technology.
And yet, we now see how AI is robbing not only intelligence, but also creativity. The threat to children and those in the fields of arts are facing the "machine" now. I surely hope creativity and the arts will always prevail and always produce product and heart that is way beyond AI. But, as the narrator tells the young chess players, "You guys have more control over the future than I have."
That being said, let me also offer here a plea- STOP USING CHAT GPT AND AI - using them are far more destructive to our society and well-being, hurting creators of all kinds- Harmless to you, but diminishing opportunities for those who have put their life's work into writing and creating. Every time you plug something into Chat GPT or any other AI bot, you're causing harm to our environment and harming people. You don't want to be that person. It may seem simple to you, but the technology is using what you input to destroy parts of society. Live life like you would in the days pre-AI. Before long, it may be too late, and a chess match may be the very least of our worries.
A gate to healthy discourse for readers of all ages.
Nevertheless, this book is readable whether you are a dabbler in chess or whether you are a chess expert. Those who are familiar with the basics of chess will have an advantage, but not enough that it would hinder the storyline.
What was most fascinating was that man is still on an endless pursuit to create technology to go above and beyond what the human mind can do, or may be able to do. This was a real victory for IBM, but was it? It proved something, but it also tore away a piece of humanity we thought we could always maintain, no matter how strong the technology.
And yet, we now see how AI is robbing not only intelligence, but also creativity. The threat to children and those in the fields of arts are facing the "machine" now. I surely hope creativity and the arts will always prevail and always produce product and heart that is way beyond AI. But, as the narrator tells the young chess players, "You guys have more control over the future than I have."
That being said, let me also offer here a plea- STOP USING CHAT GPT AND AI - using them are far more destructive to our society and well-being, hurting creators of all kinds- Harmless to you, but diminishing opportunities for those who have put their life's work into writing and creating. Every time you plug something into Chat GPT or any other AI bot, you're causing harm to our environment and harming people. You don't want to be that person. It may seem simple to you, but the technology is using what you input to destroy parts of society. Live life like you would in the days pre-AI. Before long, it may be too late, and a chess match may be the very least of our worries.
A gate to healthy discourse for readers of all ages.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Chess has been a coveted means of displaying mental skill and human ingenuity for hundreds of years. But with the advent of computers came the inevitable question: could a computer ever beat a human in a game of chess? Years of research and trial and error led to one fateful week in 1997 in which the then world champion human chess player Garry Kasparov was to play Deep Blue, IBM’s computerized chess player. In a dramatic series of games, the world turned its eye to not only chess but also to computers and ultimately to artificial intelligence, wondering just how much computers could truly be capable of.
This historical graphic novel invites readers to go back in time to observe the pivotal series of chess matches between Garry Kasparov and Deep Blue. Grand Master Maurice Ashley was commentating the series at the time, and he narrates this rendition for contemporary readers by way of an illustrated version of himself engaging with a group of youth at a park. The narrative is designed around the structure of a chess game, including section breaks that are appropriately labeled "Opening," “Middle Game,” and “Endgame.” Within these segments, the narrative travels back and forth in time, utilizing color and imagery to clearly demarcate temporal shifts. Thanks to the graphic novel-based design of the book, the urgency and intensity of this historical moment is palpable for a contemporary audience. Additionally, the book invites readers to consider the implications and possibilities of artificial intelligence and where the roles of humans and computers intersect and diverge. This engaging and informational book is a positive addition to nonfiction graphic novel collections for elementary school-aged readers, particularly those interested in computers, chess, or history.
This historical graphic novel invites readers to go back in time to observe the pivotal series of chess matches between Garry Kasparov and Deep Blue. Grand Master Maurice Ashley was commentating the series at the time, and he narrates this rendition for contemporary readers by way of an illustrated version of himself engaging with a group of youth at a park. The narrative is designed around the structure of a chess game, including section breaks that are appropriately labeled "Opening," “Middle Game,” and “Endgame.” Within these segments, the narrative travels back and forth in time, utilizing color and imagery to clearly demarcate temporal shifts. Thanks to the graphic novel-based design of the book, the urgency and intensity of this historical moment is palpable for a contemporary audience. Additionally, the book invites readers to consider the implications and possibilities of artificial intelligence and where the roles of humans and computers intersect and diverge. This engaging and informational book is a positive addition to nonfiction graphic novel collections for elementary school-aged readers, particularly those interested in computers, chess, or history.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
It's no surprise that this is awesome. The combination of Sheinkin's nonfiction research and Pham's art style coupled with the brainpower and knowledge that Maurice Ashley brought makes this a fascinating book to drop in 2026 when so much conversation centers around AI capabilities and the continued development and future of technology by bringing it back to when IBM created a super computer to challenge the chessmaster Kasparov to matches to see if a computer could be a human.
The graphic novel is superb. It focuses on all the right details including Kasparov's temperament and training and the men behind the computer they trained to make millions of decisions and who ultimately beat Kasparov in the series. And the fact that the book ties into a little bit of the current conversation is welcoming because it's a never ending battle to push the boundaries of the human mind. And having just sat through a 30-minute presentation by a PhD studying gene presentation in zebrafish to understand lens development (specifically related to finding a non surgical way to clear up cataracts) who was able to talk about machine power to help with data that couldn't be possible otherwise, it is an important element to the conversation.
That alongside the celebration of the great minds of chess including Ashley who was the commentator for the matches and teaches young people chess, this is a perfect nonfiction book that hopefully inspires new generations of chess players and computer programmers and thinkers. Pham's style is recognizable and awesome and Sheinkin's research and writing shine together impeccably.
The graphic novel is superb. It focuses on all the right details including Kasparov's temperament and training and the men behind the computer they trained to make millions of decisions and who ultimately beat Kasparov in the series. And the fact that the book ties into a little bit of the current conversation is welcoming because it's a never ending battle to push the boundaries of the human mind. And having just sat through a 30-minute presentation by a PhD studying gene presentation in zebrafish to understand lens development (specifically related to finding a non surgical way to clear up cataracts) who was able to talk about machine power to help with data that couldn't be possible otherwise, it is an important element to the conversation.
That alongside the celebration of the great minds of chess including Ashley who was the commentator for the matches and teaches young people chess, this is a perfect nonfiction book that hopefully inspires new generations of chess players and computer programmers and thinkers. Pham's style is recognizable and awesome and Sheinkin's research and writing shine together impeccably.
July 17, 2026
Any Steve Sheinkin book is a must buy for our household. I had never heard of this recent event in history-yes, I’m calling the ‘90s recent-and it is quite fascinating.
The graphic novel tells the story of a grandmaster chess player playing a 6-game match against a computer, Deep Blue. It brings up a lot of questions we are still pondering today: Can machines “think”? If they can, what does that mean for humans? It’s crazy to think that these same questions are being asked today… decades after this event took place.
I appreciate the way the story was told; light on text and heavy on graphics. The story is probably a very light retelling of the actual event but I love how graphic novels open up the opportunity to deep dive further into a topic if it peaks our interest. They are also a great way to introduce topics to kids. Even if they don’t think they like chess, maybe the computer will lure them in, or the pictures. And then the story keeps them flipping pages.
That said, for someone that doesn’t understand chess, I was able to follow the story fairly well.
Perfect for kids who love history, especially obscure history.
Publication date: Sep 08, 2026
4.75⭐️
** Thank you Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.**
The graphic novel tells the story of a grandmaster chess player playing a 6-game match against a computer, Deep Blue. It brings up a lot of questions we are still pondering today: Can machines “think”? If they can, what does that mean for humans? It’s crazy to think that these same questions are being asked today… decades after this event took place.
I appreciate the way the story was told; light on text and heavy on graphics. The story is probably a very light retelling of the actual event but I love how graphic novels open up the opportunity to deep dive further into a topic if it peaks our interest. They are also a great way to introduce topics to kids. Even if they don’t think they like chess, maybe the computer will lure them in, or the pictures. And then the story keeps them flipping pages.
That said, for someone that doesn’t understand chess, I was able to follow the story fairly well.
Perfect for kids who love history, especially obscure history.
Publication date: Sep 08, 2026
4.75⭐️
** Thank you Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.**
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Fourteen pages into Mind vs. Machine, one line jumped out at me that could have been the book’s title: KINDA LIKE NOW.
Because while this is a gripping graphic novel about the epic 1997 chess match between world champion Garry Kasparov and IBM supercomputer Deep Blue, it’s really about the question we’re all asking now: What are we going to do when AI gets smarter than us? Which might be next week, tbh.
One of the most fascinating parts is Kasparov’s ability to recognize moves he believed only a human would make—much like Beth Harmon’s intuitive play in The Queen’s Gambit. So when he sensed that kind of intuition coming from Deep Blue, he suspected the IBM team of cheating. Pretty fascinating stuff.
The match is recounted present day by the original match’s play-by-play announcer to a group of kids playing chess in a neighborhood park, which makes the whole thing a little meta and also remarkably accessible to middle-grade readers. That’s no small feat. Chess stories can get awfully cerebral if you’re not a player, but this never does.
Written with chess grandmaster Maurice Ashley, with fabulous artwork by Thien Pham, who also created the book Family Style a few years ago, which I loved. Fun, timely and genuinely entertaining even if you don’t know a rook from a bishop.
Because while this is a gripping graphic novel about the epic 1997 chess match between world champion Garry Kasparov and IBM supercomputer Deep Blue, it’s really about the question we’re all asking now: What are we going to do when AI gets smarter than us? Which might be next week, tbh.
One of the most fascinating parts is Kasparov’s ability to recognize moves he believed only a human would make—much like Beth Harmon’s intuitive play in The Queen’s Gambit. So when he sensed that kind of intuition coming from Deep Blue, he suspected the IBM team of cheating. Pretty fascinating stuff.
The match is recounted present day by the original match’s play-by-play announcer to a group of kids playing chess in a neighborhood park, which makes the whole thing a little meta and also remarkably accessible to middle-grade readers. That’s no small feat. Chess stories can get awfully cerebral if you’re not a player, but this never does.
Written with chess grandmaster Maurice Ashley, with fabulous artwork by Thien Pham, who also created the book Family Style a few years ago, which I loved. Fun, timely and genuinely entertaining even if you don’t know a rook from a bishop.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
An amazing graphic novel based on the true story of the chess match between Garry Kasparov and a supercomputer built by IBM (Deep Blue.) The book talks a lot about how it was a different era. Humans were superior to computers, if this computer won against a chess grandmaster it would prove that computers were superior. People were scared of that. It brings it back to this several times- what does this mean for humankind. (Which is a discussion our world is coming back to with the invention of AI.) It was very interesting to me to hear the play by play of the chess match. It was written almost as a sports commentary and kept the book moving forward. It was compelling to hear about reporters and photographers being at this famous chess match. I could see chess lovers really getting into this book. It had a lot of facts from the actual game, but was told in a way that held the readers attention. I appreciated how the author compared Garry’s match to a boxing match. The text was not overwhelming and there were frames of illustrations without text. The illustrations are bold and show the emotion that was happening. They really help you follow what’s going on. Garry’s mom is a prominent character in the illustrations.
Recommended for grades 3-7, for graphic novel or chess lovers.
Recommended for grades 3-7, for graphic novel or chess lovers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
In what seems to have become his superpower, Steve Sheinkin turns historic events and into page-turning narratives that also highlight issues we're grappling with today. This is not just a book about a chess match. It's about the early days of artificial intelligence, a turning point in AI development where computer "thought" has the potential to exceed human ability.
As with all his books, this is meticulously researched (the end note refers to him watching the 30-plus hours of the Kasparov-Deep Blue matches). Sheinkin collaborated with chess grandmaster Maurice Ashley, the first African American to achieve that title. Ashley was the actual commentator for the historic chess match in 1997, and the choice to structure this story with him as the narrator works particularly well -- moving from the present, where he plays chess with kids while recounting the matches, to the past where each game unfolds moment by moment.
Highly recommended. The sweet spot here is most likely 4th-8th grade.
As with all his books, this is meticulously researched (the end note refers to him watching the 30-plus hours of the Kasparov-Deep Blue matches). Sheinkin collaborated with chess grandmaster Maurice Ashley, the first African American to achieve that title. Ashley was the actual commentator for the historic chess match in 1997, and the choice to structure this story with him as the narrator works particularly well -- moving from the present, where he plays chess with kids while recounting the matches, to the past where each game unfolds moment by moment.
Highly recommended. The sweet spot here is most likely 4th-8th grade.
September 11, 2026
A graphic novel recounting of the 1997 showdown between chess grandmaster Kasparov and the Deep Blue computer in 6 games of chess battling man vs machine.
I know several avid chess fans at our school that will eat this historic match recounting up. It's also timely as it visits a time in the past when machines were overtaking humans in an area, and humanity was wondering what it all meant for the future. With AI leaps and bounds of late, I can see readers taking these past questions to heart and also finding a sense of reassurance that even though the machines can trounce us in chess, we haven't become overrun by robots.
Notes on content [based on the eARC]:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: None
Ethnic diversity: White Russian, one of the announcers was Black American, the other was white American, the Deep Blue team included one Taiwanese American and a couple other white Americans.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified.
Other: None
I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I know several avid chess fans at our school that will eat this historic match recounting up. It's also timely as it visits a time in the past when machines were overtaking humans in an area, and humanity was wondering what it all meant for the future. With AI leaps and bounds of late, I can see readers taking these past questions to heart and also finding a sense of reassurance that even though the machines can trounce us in chess, we haven't become overrun by robots.
Notes on content [based on the eARC]:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: None
Ethnic diversity: White Russian, one of the announcers was Black American, the other was white American, the Deep Blue team included one Taiwanese American and a couple other white Americans.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified.
Other: None
I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 20, 2026
For over a thousand years chess has been seen as the ultimate test of human intelligence, which is why the 1997 contest between Chess Grandmaster Gary Kasparov and the IBM computer Deep Blue drew worldwide attention. With the help of a contemporary commentator, Maurice Ashley, the first African-American Grandmaster, Sheinkin narrates the match, providing history and context while raising questions we face today:can machines think, and what happens if human-created machines surpass their human creators? Stylistically simple, the deeply colored digital-art cartoons contain loads of detail. Plenty of active sporting comparisons complement the cinematic pacing and exemplary research. The racial and ethnic diversity of the chess and artificial intelligence participants make clear the worldwide connection and impact. A thought-provoking history for those interested in artificial intelligence, chess, and big philosophical questions. Back matter includes both authors’ notes. Thanks to Roaring Brook and NetGalley for an advance reader's copy in return for an unbiased review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Steve Sheinkin provides a thought provoking graphic novel by using the historical event of chess against the deep blue machine to allow us to consider the impact that artificial intelligence will have on future generations. In this story, the human Garry Kasparov competes in six games against the super computer Deep Blue. Humanity, he argues, is typically favored by other humans against computers, but many people are intrigued by the power of technology and how advanced it can get. I enjoyed reading this quick story, and I think it will be a great one to use in middle grade classrooms for discussion and possibly persuasive writing regarding technology. The illustrations were fine in my opinion, but nothing notably remarkable. I would recommend this for libraries and classrooms in elementary and middle school. Thanks to Net Galley for an advance copy of this book. I would give it 3.5 stars and round up to 4.
April 6, 2026
Thank you Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Roaring Brook Press, and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this book. This is a story about the historic chess match between Garry Kasparov, a world champion chess grandmaster, as he played against the super computer Deep Blue to see if human intellect can overcome the machine at the rise of technology and electronic gaming. I remember when it happened in 1997 — the anticipation, the media coverage, as the world collectively held its breath to find out who will prevail. Steve Sheinkin was able to brilliantly relay the suspense and excitement of that point in history and I can’t recommend this book highly enough. Thien Pham’s illustrations beautifully bring the story to life. Thank you for bringing me back in time to re-experience this epic battle.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Sheinkin turns to graphic novel format to chronicle from start to finish the famous chess match between Garry Kasparov and the IBM computer Deep Blue. The title says it all.
Even if the reader is familiar with the game’s outcome, Sheinkin and Pham keep the action tight and intense as the world watches. A knowledge of chess is helpful but not necessary to enjoy this winner of a title.
Personally I didn’t think I’d enjoy this much, especially since it displays how AI can learn from and best humans. Choosing a graphic novel format was a wise move for an author who could probably make the dullest history interesting. Pham’s artwork creates the scene, helping readers put themselves in the audience and privy to Kasparov’s concerns.
Highly recommend.
Even if the reader is familiar with the game’s outcome, Sheinkin and Pham keep the action tight and intense as the world watches. A knowledge of chess is helpful but not necessary to enjoy this winner of a title.
Personally I didn’t think I’d enjoy this much, especially since it displays how AI can learn from and best humans. Choosing a graphic novel format was a wise move for an author who could probably make the dullest history interesting. Pham’s artwork creates the scene, helping readers put themselves in the audience and privy to Kasparov’s concerns.
Highly recommend.
October 8, 2026
Steve Sheinkin always has captured interesting and unique historical topics and presented them with a flair of suspense and this graphic novel is no different. It is the classic case of man vs. computer - this is course in a chess match. I found myself rooting for the man - Gary Kasperov the chess master - in the match-up (no spoilers here of course). The artwork fits the story very well - the main players personalities come through with their facial expressions that show the intensity of the competition. The format is also a good one for this topic as well. Of course, it is easy to see the foreshadowing correlation here with much of the news today trained on some of the scarier elements of AI and it's impact on the way humans live a behave, thus I found the book to have added relevance.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Amazing read!!! A story about man vs machine on chess game. The battle was intense seeing Garry wins some game and lose some games. The pressure was on him but he lose with his head held high. It was a very good storyline that shows back then the impact of technology for the future scares people. Technology is something unknown back then. Thinking they are much clever than humans is scary but nowadays it doesnt scares that much. We have so much technology we somehow adapts to it. Even with technology, todays people are still playing chess game face to face. Love the artstyle as well!!
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Thank You to the publisher and netgalley for giving me the chance to read this book in advance~
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Thank You to the publisher and netgalley for giving me the chance to read this book in advance~
June 24, 2026
As a Gen X reader, I well remember the Kasparov vs Deep Blue matches of the late 1990s. My students, however, think nothing of computers beating grandmasters since they regularly play chess online. Sheinkin makes the event accessible to middle schoolers by having Maurice Ashley, one of the announcers of the event narrate the story while playing chess against students. My students are always interested in nonfiction graphic novels — and as this one is authored by nonfiction favorite Sheinkin, it will be a must-read in my classroom library this fall.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.
September 28, 2026
This is not just for middle grade readers — adults will enjoy this one too. I faintly remember the news coverage of Kasparov vs Deep Blue many years ago and wondered how were they going to make this story into a graphic novel? I was enthralled with the whole set up of the book,with a narrator who was actually in the room where it happened and in the book could make present day connections to our relationship with AI as well as add historic notes on the quest to create an automated chess player. The illustrations were awesome— making chess board moves dynamic and illuminating the inner world of the player athlete. Fantastic all around.
October 5, 2026
What I know about the chess world comes from a friend who is really into chess. Thanks to his recounting of chess history, I stumbled across this graphic novel that was soon to be released. Even though I am an adult, and this is directed towards middle school-aged readers, I found this story fascinating. Although I was alive during the time this match occurred, I was too young to understand what it meant. I am glad that I was able to find out and learn about it. The story is scarily true to today's issues with AI and really puts what being human is into perspective. (I am for team human, of course.)
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley for my Advanced Reader's Copy of this book.
Full disclosure, I love Steve Sheinkin. I have had the pleasure of him doing more than one program in the library I work at and he is always willing to come along just for fun. This has to be one of his best yet. His depth of research, his invitation to someone that was there during the games that he was writing about, an excellent choice for an author, all of these come together for a resounding 5 stars. Oops, I forgot to mention the plot, but the cover gives you everything you need.
Full disclosure, I love Steve Sheinkin. I have had the pleasure of him doing more than one program in the library I work at and he is always willing to come along just for fun. This has to be one of his best yet. His depth of research, his invitation to someone that was there during the games that he was writing about, an excellent choice for an author, all of these come together for a resounding 5 stars. Oops, I forgot to mention the plot, but the cover gives you everything you need.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
This graphic novel is a gift for any chess beginner, enthusiast and life lover of the game. From the very beginning with automatons to complex, computers and AI, we thank chess for this. This story is about the battle of a chess grandmaster Gary K versus IBM's Deep Blue. A recollection of a big event that took place on the 35th floor of.a building, where the whole world witnessed by the edge of their seat.
Awesome book!
This graphic novel is a gift for any chess beginner, enthusiast and life lover of the game. From the very beginning with automatons to complex, computers and AI, we thank chess for this. This story is about the battle of a chess grandmaster Gary K versus IBM's Deep Blue. A recollection of a big event that took place on the 35th floor of.a building, where the whole world witnessed by the edge of their seat.
Awesome book!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I obtained an ARC while attending ALA. I was a bit young when this world event was happening (in 1997 I would have been 6), so it was interesting getting this account with input from Maurice Ashley who was an announcer for the event. I liked the illustration and story and it was interesting to see just how pivotal this was since I was too young to clock this. Also, shoutout to Thien Pham because at ALA you really were promoting this book well during the chess match.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I'm not a chess player, but a lot of kids I know in Jordan are, so I decided to preview this graphic nonfiction title. Kudos to Sheinkin and Ashley for making it interesting and raising questions that are more relevant than ever in this time of AI. Beyond audience appeal, I am not sure illustrations add much to the telling of the story, but Pham does a good job of capturing Kasparov's emotions. Recommended for ages 12 and up.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I'm never disappointed with a Steve Sheinkin title. This one feels especially timely as the computer beating the world chess champion feels analagous to the AI world we are now encountering. It stops short of examining the ethical questions we now face and instead focuses largely on the idea of human pride, but the historical story is still compelling. Even though I know that the computer wins, I still find myself rooting for the human being. The graphic novel format will be appealing to kids.
October 1, 2026
WOW! What an amazing and captivating story! Sheinkin, Ashley, and Pham did an amazing job! I was on the edge of my seat at the end, and the broader questions this book asks are so important in this time. They handled those questions extremely well both in their talk and when meeting them in person. So grateful for how my copy says, "To Morgan!" signed by Sheinkin and Ashley. They were so lovely and personable!
October 10, 2026
This was very well done. An incredibly interesting moment in time, perhaps the last time a human had a chance against a computer in chess. This was interesting, and well worth the read.
It landed a little hard on the pro-AI side of the conversation for me. I'm still not sure this is a wise or good avenue, but this moment in time was fascinating, and the book does a good job capturing that moment. I'm now convinced all Chess books should be written as graphic novels.
It landed a little hard on the pro-AI side of the conversation for me. I'm still not sure this is a wise or good avenue, but this moment in time was fascinating, and the book does a good job capturing that moment. I'm now convinced all Chess books should be written as graphic novels.
October 15, 2026
A very timely story, especially with AI playing such a huge role in the world today. I found the history of chess champions competing against computers particularly interesting, and the engaging illustrations helped keep my attention from beginning to end.
Find it in our SHARE Catalog today!
Jayme A. / Milton Public Library #CheckOutMPL
Find it in our SHARE Catalog today!
Jayme A. / Milton Public Library #CheckOutMPL
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you to Roaring Brook Press for the Advanced Reader Copy I received at the ALA conference.
OMG!!! This books is FANTASTIC!!!! I literally could not turn the pages fast enough - had to know what happened. Students are going to gobble this up!! Can't wait for the release in September. If my history teachers taught the way Steve conveys stories I would have LOVED history.
OMG!!! This books is FANTASTIC!!!! I literally could not turn the pages fast enough - had to know what happened. Students are going to gobble this up!! Can't wait for the release in September. If my history teachers taught the way Steve conveys stories I would have LOVED history.
July 26, 2026
I found this graphic novel exciting. But it also makes me wonder about the future of AI- which is partly the purpose. One does not need an understanding of chess to be able to follow the story. And the graphic novel format is perfect for the story. I think the book would be less engaging without the illustrations. I am excited to share this story with my students.
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