I'm an avid Master-level chess player, and I recently finished an
excellent novel which included chess as a major theme in it by Arturo
Perez-Reverte, "The Flanders Panel". Last year, I also read a good one
by Walter Tevis, "The Queens Gambit". I've heard "The Royal Game" by
Zwieg is good, but haven't read it yet.

What I'm looking for are other fiction books out there with chess as a
major or underlying theme as part of the story. Make the list a good
one, and give me a mini-review of the book if possible.

Thanks!

Hi! Thanks for the question. I love playing chess too but only for
recreation purposes and never had formal training. I have here a list
of chess themed fiction books and their corresponding reviews.

The Royal Game by Zwieg is available in compilation form along with
the authors other works. A short review from Amazon.com says “The
quintet of fictions in ''The Royal Game'' are brilliant, unusual and
haunting enough to ensure that Stefan Zweig's time of oblivion is over
for good.”

The Royal Game Book Description and Review
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0841914060/qid=1024039868/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/104-9801853-4168760

Other Chess Fiction Books and reviews from Amazon.com

The Eight by Katherine Neville
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0345366239/qid=1024040190/sr=2-3/ref=sr_2_3/104-9801853-4168760

The Defense by Vladimir Nabokov
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0679727221/qid=1024040599/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_3/104-9801853-4168760

The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1874061149/qid=1024040746/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_3/104-9801853-4168760

Kingkill: A Novel by Thomas Gavin 

“You don't have to love chess to follow this tale through the chess
world; you have to love a good story about what makes people (not to
mention Automatons) tick. The characters are reminiscient of Crime and
Punishment (and I mean that as a compliment) with their murky
motivations. What makes this even more outstanding is that it is based
on a real chess caper nearly pulled off but foiled by Poe...”

The Amazon.com product page for Kingkill: A Novel
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0394498275/qid%3D1024035683/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F0%5F1/104-9801853-4168760

The Defense by Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0679727221/qid=1024036100/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-9801853-4168760

Gambit: A Nero Wolf Novel by Rex Stout
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/9997405749/qid=1024036365/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-9801853-4168760

----------
The Chess Café Website features a list of books and corresponding
reviews. I am listing here only fiction books about chess.

Alekhine's Anguish, by Charles Yaffe (Review by Taylor Kingston)
(historical fiction)
http://www.chesscafe.com/text/alekang.txt

The Four Chess Men by Mark Bennet (Review by Paul J. Ragonnet)
Endgame Ennui 
http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review291.pdf

Search terms used:
Chess books novels reviews

I hope that this would help you in your research. Please do not
hesitate to ask clarification if you would require one. Have fun
reading and good luck on your game.
 
Regards,
Easterangel-ga

Nice list, thanks!

I read "The Eight" when it was first published, I want to say early
90's. It is an excellent book, and a 'keeper'. I highly recommend it.

Enjoy!

Presumably you already know about "Alice Through the Looking Glass" by
Lewis Carroll!

Coincidentally, I ran into the Arturo Perez Reverte's novel doing
research on another Google question.  Wasn't sure if you knew this
novel had been film adapted by director Jim McBride.  Title: 
"Uncovered" (aka "The Flanders Board).
https://answers.google.com/answers/main?cmd=threadview&id=14170

I'll add to this fiction list should I run across any.

Enjoy,
V

Hello checkmater,

If your literature tastes extend to science-fiction, I have a treat
for you: "Squares of the City" (1965) by John Brunner, a Hugo
award-winning author. This Hugo-nominated novel is set in South
America, where unexpected events mar the construction of a planned
city (set on a grid system, of course).

Eric Brown has a review at:
http://homepage.cs.latrobe.edu.au/agapow/Postviews/past_bi-bu.html#squarescity">Squares
of the City

This book is out-of-print, but available through Amazon's used book
section:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0020175116/qid=1024342323/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/104-0430481-2326318

Checkmater,

A short story worth reading is "The Queen's Square," (1930s), by the
classic mystery author Dorothy L. Sayers. This "closed room" mystery
is set at a costume ball, where the red and white royalty fall under
the greatest suspicion, and a chess rule helps solve the murder. This
story is collected in "Lord Peter, the Complete Lord Peter Whimsey
Stories." http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0061043613/ref=ase_michaerawdonshom/104-0430481-2326318

As an added bonus, there is also an extremely challenging crossword
puzzle in this collection, "The Fascinating Problem of Uncle
Meleager's Will."

You could also try a very nice book called "Amphitryon" by Ignacio
Padilla, a very interesting identity thriller which evolves around a
series of chess games and name exchanges. It won the "Premio Primavera
de Novela 2000", a prestigious editorial prize in Spain, and has been
translated to English and German (the original is in spanish). The
author, mexican by birth, now lives in London.