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Thirty short facts
One cheerful idea at a time, short enough for a single sitting and easy to remember at the board.
A book for ages 6 to 9
Checkmate Chronicles
30 Fun Facts
Thirty cheerful chess facts, sized for small hands and read-aloud evenings.
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About the book
Inside Checkmate Chronicles
A first chess book that feels like a story, not a rule sheet.
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Big, friendly type
Written for children aged 6 to 9, in plain UK English, with words a new reader can say out loud.
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Made to be shared
Lovely on the sofa, on a classroom carpet, or at the start of chess club.
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Written by a coach
From Max Garnero, who teaches this age every week. Not a dry textbook.
The cast
Meet the characters
A king, a queen, a rook in a red scarf, a bishop, a knight, a pawn, and two players ready for the next game.
Kai
He asks why about everything.
Kai is a curious nine-year-old in a teal hoodie with a gold crown. He asks why about everything, and he loves discovering amazing chess facts. If a piece does something surprising, Kai is the first to find out how.
Ruby
She never gives up on a puzzle.
Ruby is a playful nine-year-old with a ginger bob, freckles and a coral cardigan. She loves a challenge, and a tricky puzzle only makes her try again. She stays at the board until she has worked it out.
King Rex
One careful square at a time.
King Rex is kind and grandfatherly, with a cross on his crown. He only moves one square at a time, in any direction. That is why everyone works together to keep him safe.
Queen Belle
The most powerful piece.
Queen Belle is elegant and brave, in a teal gown with gold trim. She is the most powerful piece, and she can zoom any distance in a straight line or on a diagonal. When she sets off, the whole board pays attention.
Rook Rocky
Straight lines and strong corners.
Rook Rocky is strong and sturdy, and he is never without his coral scarf. He charges straight up, down and across, as far as the way is clear. He loves guarding the corners.
Bishop Benny
Always on his own colour.
Bishop Benny is gentle and clever, and a real bookworm. He glides along the diagonals and always stays on his own colour. Light squares or dark squares, he picks one and stays there.
Knight Niko
The only piece who can jump.
Knight Niko is adventurous, with a short teal cape. He jumps in an L-shape, two squares one way and then one to the side. He is the only piece who can leap over the others.
Pawn Dot
Small steps, then a queen.
Pawn Dot is small but brave, in a coral vest. Dot marches forward one step at a time. Reach the far side of the board, and Dot can become a queen!
Coming soon
Not on sale yet
30 Legends of the Chess Board
Knights, queens and the people who played them. Thirty more stories, now being written. Same series, same big type, a little more legend.