Check & Mate

In a chess match’s endgame, after which this section is named, minor decisions take on more importance and the king takes on a larger role. Similarly, Mallory’s decisions during Part 3 take on greater importance as she faces the consequences of her previous actions and learns how to pursue what she wants rather than sacrificing too much for her family. Even the way she portrays herself and her relationship to Nolan in their interview makes an impact on the “game” of her life. In relation to the king’s role, as referenced in Part 1, the king represents the feelings and vulnerability Mallory has been hiding to attempt to keep them and herself safe from the world. In Part 3, however, now that Mallory has confronted her past, she finds herself living more vulnerably. She experiences more moments of near-tears whenever she feels something particularly important, revealing how strong and relevant those feelings have been.

Part 3 encompasses the resolution of some of Mallory’s internal conflict and the rising tension leading up to her final confrontation with Nolan. The resolution of the novel focuses on Mallory and Nolan’s reconciliation; although the epilogue reveals that Mallory wins the tournament, Hazelwood puts little focus on the tournament and its outcome. Mallory’s relational and emotional conflicts take a primary role, and since both she and Nolan have learned to love the game for itself rather than for the outcome in their games together, the outcome of the game also matters little in the overarching narrative.

The novel explores Sexuality and Relationships further through Nolan and Mallory’s reconciliation. Mallory cannot stop thinking about Nolan, and she realizes that they know one another on a deep level, one that she wants to pursue. She gives into these feelings and tells Nolan that she wants to have a real relationship with him, abandoning her past of pursuing only superficial sexual relationships.

Gender Discrimination and its Effects plays a role in Part 3 through Mallory’s role as the first woman to play in the World Championship. Mallory has overcome the gendered barriers and misogynistic comments from others and now must cope with the pressures that often accompany such achievements. As the first woman, she worries that she now must represent women as a whole: “I heard the words First woman at the World Chess Championship once, and have been trying to expel them from my head ever since. Does it mean that if I lose, it’ll be a failure for all women? Does it mean that I’m suddenly more than just myself?” (191). Such pressures can be debilitating, as movements can suffer from putting individuals on a pedestal only to have their flaws or mistakes unfairly used against the movement later. This threatens to overwhelm Mallory, but she pushes them aside to focus on her own desires while valuing helping women more broadly.

Vulnerability, Pain, and Love play the largest role in Part 3. Mallory, having faced her emotions and unburdened herself to her family, now lives more vulnerably. She realizes that she needs her family just as much as they needed her during her years as caretaker, and they offer support and comfort in Italy for the Championship. Easton’s arrival enforces another reckoning of Mallory’s feelings and ability to be vulnerable: She is angry with Easton for abandoning her while at college, but Easton points out that she struggled equally with the same emotion. Easton points out that Mallory tends to run away from others in anticipation of them leaving her, and Mallory accepts the truth, allowing the two to reconcile and lean on one another as they used to.

Finally, Mallory leans into vulnerability and love with Nolan. She practices asking for what she wants, including a relationship with him, and she is more honest with him about the pain she has experienced in her past. Their reconciliation reveals how far she has come in her inner journey and the work she is willing to do to continue facing her emotions.