6.36k reviews for:

Damin Gambit

Walter Tevis

4.09 AVERAGE


love it!!!!
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

This book wasn’t for me. Maybe I shouldn’t have read a book about chess but it was interesting to see the main character develop. 
dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
emotional hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I don’t mean to be dramatic, but this is one of the best books I’ve ever read. And I don’t even like chess!! 

I have no idea how, but this author has managed to write a book that appeals to even poor slobs like me who aren’t even a little interested nor knowledgeable about chess. I actually got physical goosebumps at two different points near the end. 

Beth is such a flawed yet likable character; the book really touches on some deep topics including sexism and substance abuse (yes, in a book about chess). And, shockingly to me, it also somehow manages to keep the stakes high and kept me emotionally invested, even though the stakes were mainly… chess. 

The writing style was almost poetic but in a very practical way, if I can put it that way. Absolutely great reading experience. I had trouble putting it down. 

Beth and Benny all day every day. 

Quick disclaimer that I thought long and hard about giving this a full five stars, but I legitimately am having trouble thinking of anything I didn’t like. This book has me captivated. Five stars and into the favorites shelf it goes. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

3.75
This book was amazing, for the most part. I loved it in the beginning. The writing was really good and captivating. I was a little bit worried that I wouldn’t like it because I don’t know much about chess beside how to move each piece. But the chess scenes were still extremely suspenseful and tense. I really liked it but I cannot understand why certain scenes were put into the book. F.e. the sexual assault. It happened without there being any consequences to it and it is never mentioned again, which makes me wonder why someone, especially a grown man would include it into a story. This weirded me out a lot and definitely influenced the reading experience.

i wanna be her
dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

it was a little slow to start but I really enjoyed it overall and it made chess an exciting battle of life and death

Favourite quotes from this:

- “Her mind was luminous, and her soul sang to her in the sweet moves of chess”

- “ I believe I can learn to be a mother”

- “Something hot exploded in her belly and her face was drenched with tears”


This was very good. Excellent tension held up all the way through the book, up until the last page. Made me want to play chess after so many years! The Netflix adaptation was loyal to the book and very good, but there is nothing quite like reading the book and getting to peer into Beth's mind.