The Grandmaster’s King

by · February 1, 2014

In 2009 I wrote a brief book review on Michael Weitz’ best selling ‘Even Dead Men Play Chess‘ a mystery novel with a strong chess thread.

Readers will be pleased to know that Michael has published a sequel “The Grandmaster’s King” which follows former cop turned chess teacher Ray Gordon as he tries to discover who is killing the players at the US Chess Championship. The book has already been awarded the 2014 Chess Book of the Year (Fiction) by Chess Club Live

”The US Chess Championship is underway in Seattle but someone is killing the players. Clues are scarce and rumors as to who could be next have everyone on edge. Ray Gordon dives in where the police can’t and finds he’s over his head in a savage game that becomes personal in more ways than one. They say when it rains, it pours. For Ray that unfortunate cliché couldn’t be more true.”

EXCERPT

‘’ As an arbiter for the most important chess tournament in the United States, Anna Krimpski came well qualified. Not only had she once been a world-class chess player with titles of Russian Women’s Champion, Women’s World Champion and Gold Medalist, she also had been an arbiter at the big annual tournaments in Hastings, England; Linnares, Spain; Wik an Zee, The Netherlands and twice at the Chess Olympiad.

As a person, Anna Krimpski had no business having a conversation with another human being.

I introduced myself to her outside the Rainier Room in the Seattle Center where play would begin in just under an hour. She wore a gray dress that hid the fact she was a woman. Her dull brown hair was pulled into a tight bun on the back of her head, counter levered by glasses with thick brown frames the size of Popsicle sticks. Her face, while oh so stern to me, had a kind of softness to it, like polished stone and looked like she may have enjoyed a touch of beauty once. Once. “I’m very busy, Mr. Gordon,” she said. “I’m sure if you played chess you’d understand.”

“Actually,” I said with a smile, “I’ve been rated a Master for the past two years.” Achieving Master status had been especially satisfying for me. It was one of those lifetime goals I had been able to obtain. The hard part was holding on to it.

She wasn’t impressed, though. “Well that’s fine,” she said. “Perhaps you can figure out on your own then how busy I am. I don’t have time to speak with you right now.” She turned on her heel and marched down the hall like a Nazi.

“Ms. Krimpski,” I said catching up to her. “I am not Joe Reporter from some newspaper. I am trying to solve the murder of a personal friend and one of the greatest chess players of our time.”

“Great? Charlie Roggenbuck?” she intoned, her nose in the air. “Maybe the amount of food he consumed was great, or the amount of money he seemed to owe, but as a chess player? Certainly not! His very name is ridiculous.”

She offended me. Charlie had taught me a lot. “Ms. Krimpski, I must…”

“Are you a police officer, Mr. Gordon?” she asked, cutting me off and accenting ‘Mr.’ in a tone that belonged on a women’s talk show.

“No, I am not,” I said.

“Then I am under no obligation to speak with you. Is that correct?”

“It is.”

“Goodbye, Mr. Gordon.”

She did it. I knew it. Her evil oozed like a stain. I could just imagine Charlie cowering under the witch as she socked him with her broomstick. If Anna Krimpski was the last person Charlie saw as he died, he had probably welcomed death with open arms. ‘’