A humorous and heartfelt MG debut about chess, girl power, and performance anxiety in elite sports.
For fans of Kelly Yang and Celia C. Perez!
Tick, toc . . . Tick, toc . . . The clock is ticking for May Li, whose middle-school chess team just earned a victory at the state championship, kicking them into high gear in preparation for nationals. What’s more exciting for May is that her win came with a special award for being the top female player in the tournament. An award that earns her a spot on a splashy Lingard Middle School campaign celebrating student achievements. May should be thrilled. But some of her teammates, including her supposed-to-be-friend Ralph, aren’t too keen on the special attention she’s getting—and they're even questioning her skills. Backed into a corner, but not one to back down, May makes a move: She bets Ralph she can win Lingard’s internal chess tournament and become team captain for nationals. Under the pressure of her teammates and school’s expectations, May starts to crumble under pressure. Anxious feelings begin to take the fun out of chess and even affect her game. Now finding the joy in chess may be just what May needs to do in order to win the bet. The board is set. The game is on! The crown is May's for the taking.
Praise for May the Best Player Win
"A middle grade Queen’s Gambit, May The Best Player Win is a realistic story of one girl's love of chess and her journey to rediscovering the love of the game. It will resonate with any middle schooler navigating achievement, success, and the weight of expectations. Utterly believable and inspirational, May's story will have you on the edge of your seat and you itching to play a game of chess!" —Graci Kim, New York Times bestselling author of the Gifted Clans trilogy
"Girls deserve to just have fun! Full of puns and emotions that had me on the edge of my seat, May the Best Player Win is an all-too relatable tale about how girls have to prove themselves over and over in boy-dominated hobbies instead of getting to simply be there to enjoy themselves." —Xiran Jay Zhao, New York Times-bestselling author of Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor
"This book is a game-changer for readers of all ages, regardless of whether you play chess! May the Best Player Win captures the thrill of competition, the weight of expectations, and the sting of naysayers. May Li's story is a beautiful exploration of rediscovering the joy of the game itself, and from start to finish, this book will have you cheering for May from the edge of your seat and inspired to conquer your next match in life." —Carissa Yip, 2x US Women's Chess Champion & Women's Grandmaster
"Compassionate, empowering, and full of heart, May the Best Player Win reminds young readers that sometimes, the only limits on our potential are the ones we place on ourselves." —Rebecca Mix, New York Times bestselling author of The Mossheart's Promise
"May Li is the type of fierce, loveable, larger-than-life heroine who stays with you long after the story ends. Readers will root for May and her friends from start to finish in their epic journey to nationals!" —Katie Zhao, author of Last Gamer Standing and the Winnie Zeng series
Kyla Zhao had her first women’s magazine byline at the age of sixteen, writing about weddings for Harper’s Bazaar Singapore before she even had her first kiss. Since then, she has also written for the Singapore editions of Vogue and Tatler. A native Singaporean, Kyla now works in Silicon Valley after graduating from Stanford University in 2021. She’s still trying to understand why Californians adore hiking and Patagonia fleeces so much.
View titles by Kyla Zhao
A humorous and heartfelt MG debut about chess, girl power, and performance anxiety in elite sports.
For fans of Kelly Yang and Celia C. Perez!
Tick, toc . . . Tick, toc . . . The clock is ticking for May Li, whose middle-school chess team just earned a victory at the state championship, kicking them into high gear in preparation for nationals. What’s more exciting for May is that her win came with a special award for being the top female player in the tournament. An award that earns her a spot on a splashy Lingard Middle School campaign celebrating student achievements. May should be thrilled. But some of her teammates, including her supposed-to-be-friend Ralph, aren’t too keen on the special attention she’s getting—and they're even questioning her skills. Backed into a corner, but not one to back down, May makes a move: She bets Ralph she can win Lingard’s internal chess tournament and become team captain for nationals. Under the pressure of her teammates and school’s expectations, May starts to crumble under pressure. Anxious feelings begin to take the fun out of chess and even affect her game. Now finding the joy in chess may be just what May needs to do in order to win the bet. The board is set. The game is on! The crown is May's for the taking.
Praise
Praise for May the Best Player Win
"A middle grade Queen’s Gambit, May The Best Player Win is a realistic story of one girl's love of chess and her journey to rediscovering the love of the game. It will resonate with any middle schooler navigating achievement, success, and the weight of expectations. Utterly believable and inspirational, May's story will have you on the edge of your seat and you itching to play a game of chess!" —Graci Kim, New York Times bestselling author of the Gifted Clans trilogy
"Girls deserve to just have fun! Full of puns and emotions that had me on the edge of my seat, May the Best Player Win is an all-too relatable tale about how girls have to prove themselves over and over in boy-dominated hobbies instead of getting to simply be there to enjoy themselves." —Xiran Jay Zhao, New York Times-bestselling author of Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor
"This book is a game-changer for readers of all ages, regardless of whether you play chess! May the Best Player Win captures the thrill of competition, the weight of expectations, and the sting of naysayers. May Li's story is a beautiful exploration of rediscovering the joy of the game itself, and from start to finish, this book will have you cheering for May from the edge of your seat and inspired to conquer your next match in life." —Carissa Yip, 2x US Women's Chess Champion & Women's Grandmaster
"Compassionate, empowering, and full of heart, May the Best Player Win reminds young readers that sometimes, the only limits on our potential are the ones we place on ourselves." —Rebecca Mix, New York Times bestselling author of The Mossheart's Promise
"May Li is the type of fierce, loveable, larger-than-life heroine who stays with you long after the story ends. Readers will root for May and her friends from start to finish in their epic journey to nationals!" —Katie Zhao, author of Last Gamer Standing and the Winnie Zeng series
Kyla Zhao had her first women’s magazine byline at the age of sixteen, writing about weddings for Harper’s Bazaar Singapore before she even had her first kiss. Since then, she has also written for the Singapore editions of Vogue and Tatler. A native Singaporean, Kyla now works in Silicon Valley after graduating from Stanford University in 2021. She’s still trying to understand why Californians adore hiking and Patagonia fleeces so much.
View titles by Kyla Zhao
