The Queen's Gambit: A Novel (Vintage Contemporaries) - Softcover

"The Queen's Gambit is sheer entertainment. It is a book I reread every few years--for the pure pleasure and skill of it." --Michael Ondaatje

"Compelling. . . . A magnificent obsession." --Los Angeles Times

"Beth Harmon is an unforgettable creation--and The Queen's Gambit is Walter Tevis's most consummate and heartbreaking work." --Jonathan Lethem

"Gripping reading. . . .Nabokov's The Defense and Zweig's The Royal Game are the classics: now joining them is The Queen's Gambit." --The Financial Times

"More exciting than any thriller I've seen lately; more than that, beautifully written. " --Martin Cruz Smith, author of GorkyPark

"It's advisable to tape your fingers before opening The Queen's Gambit. Otherwise, the suspense may bring on nail-chewing right to the elbow." --Houston Chronicle

"Tevis traps us in the breathless drama of the moment and makes us feel the same intense involvement his characters feel." --The Plain Dealer

"There's more excitement in Beth than in the collected works of Robert Ludlum." --Forth Worth Star-Telegram

Orphan Beth Harmon overcomes her fears and shyness by learning to play chess and, over the years, improves her game to become a national champion and to play the world grandmasters. Reprint. 12,500 first printing.