Checkmate among the stars

Printhouse: Samokat

Series: Best New Book

Age restrictions: 6+

Year of publication: 2026

ISBN: 9785001678434

Number of pages: 176

Size: 205х142х17 mm

Cover type: hard

Weight: 248 g

ID: 1746248

Tito is twelve years old, and while his parents study the mysteries of the Universe, he tries to grasp earthly truths. Sometimes it is not easy. After all, even his mathematical mind cannot always organize the chaos that reigns around him. Since Tito's mom flew away on the «New Voyager» to distant stars, Tito's dad sits for days on end, buried in a book, not noticing anything around him. Their world has plunged into a thick silence, interrupted only by the antics of Vika, Tito's friend, and Grandma Irma's lasagna.

To shake Tito's dad and draw his attention to the world around, Vika secretly signs him up for a chess tournament, even though he not only doesn't know how to play but also doesn't leave the house. To help Tito and Vika comes their eccentric neighbor Grandpa Mechanic – a jack-of-all-trades, resembling Einstein and able to fix anything «in 38 seconds». But as the tournament approaches, it becomes clear: no one is ready to tell Tito the truth about what really happened to his mom.

For the novel «Checkmate among the stars», Alessandro Barbaglia was awarded the National Strega Ragazze e Ragazzi Prize. This book is not about chess as a battle but about the ability to see life as a large chess game, where even after the heaviest loss, one can find the right move. Through the metaphor of the starry sky and the black-and-white squares, Alessandro Barbaglia tells a story about friendship, growing up, and the courage needed not to win but simply to keep living.

1. A story about the friendship of two opposites and cosmic-scale catastrophes.
2. An honest and tender conversation on the complex topic of experiencing the loss of a loved one.
3. Chess does not solve all problems, but it can help in some ways: it teaches decision-making, searching and developing a strategy, and making the hardest first move.
4. The main character is not like everyone else: he collects facial expressions and records emotions that help understand and accept the world. Being different and able to analyze is a superpower, not a peculiarity.
5. For those who feel that the stars do not shine for them, and the Universe is against them.