Light-hearted, funny, serious: Kyla Zhao's "May the Best Player Win": a children's book for everyone

by Johannes Fischer
10/12/2024 – Sports psychology knows that you play best when you play relaxed, but sports psychology also knows that ease does not come easily when you absolutely want to win. As May Li, the young heroine in Kyla Zhao's entertaining new book "May the Best Player Win" has to learn. "May the Best Player Win" has just been published, but has already received a number of enthusiastic reviews. In a wide-ranging interview with ChessBase, Kyla Zhao talked about her book, her interest in chess, her career, writing books, gender equality in chess and much more.
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When the book begins, May Li is happy. She gets on well with her best friend Rebecca, her parents are supportive and give her a sense of security, she does well at school, and she celebrates successes at chess, May Li's hobby and passion. But these successes create envy, especially in Ralph, a member of her chess group.

To prove to Ralph, everyone else and herself that she deserves her success, May Li enters into a duel with Ralph - they fight to see who is the better player and who will be allowed to lead the school team at the National Championships in a few weeks' time. But with her challenge to Ralph, May puts herself under pressure and while she wants to force success with all her might, things suddenly go wrong in her life: she argues with her best friend, she thinks she is not training enough and she has misunderstandings with her parents. Most of all, she loses her enjoyment of chess by thinking only about winning and achieving her goals.

The book tells the story of how May Li deals with these difficulties, whether and how she rediscovers her love of chess, and whether and how she wins the bet with Ralph and ends up leading her school team. At first glance, "May the Best Player Win" appears to be a harmless children's book that carefully avoids "serious" and "dark" topics: drugs, addiction, violence, love, sex, bullying, serious conflicts with parents, teachers or the adult world are not mentioned in the book, or only in very subtle allusions.

But "May the Best Player Win" quickly draws you in because it deals with a subject that interests and affects many people: the pressure to perform. How do you balance a passion for something with school, work, family and friends, how do you balance dedication to a sport or hobby with the desire to be successful and good at that sport or passion?

For May Li, the protagonist of "May the Best Player Win", there are even more questions: What does it matter that she is a girl, how does she deal with people doubting her and her abilities because she is a girl, and can she allow herself to be as ambitious as her rival Ralph with the same matter-of-factness?

However, author Kyla Zhao handles these serious topics with humour and refreshing ease, writing pointedly, wittily and entertainingly. This makes the book, which is full of hidden allusions and in which even the chess terms are correct, a surprising pleasure. Especially, but not only, for chess players.

No wonder the first reviews of the book were extremely positive. A few examples:

Carissa Yip

2x US Women’s Chess Champion & Women’s Grandmaster

"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."

Publishers Weekly

“Digestible chess strategy breakdowns and terminology scattered throughout serve as an approachable introduction to the sport.”

Tatiana Flores

World Chess Champion for People with Disabilities & International chess journalist

"A fierce yet tender narrative [that is] rich in emotions and facts. It will enlighten the young audiences’ minds with the usage of a smart and educative language, sharp puns, easy-to-understand chess terminology and history. A top recommendation for young readers."

Kirkus Reviews

"The chess games are thrilling…and the book’s valuable life lessons will speak to anyone who’s lost their love for a pursuit. An emotionally intelligent work that explores socially relevant themes."

Dr. Alexey Root

1989 US Women's Chess Champion, author and lecturer at UT Dallas

"Kyla Zhao's novel convincingly portrays chess players and their emotions and makes the reader care about these characters. May the Best Player Win is a winner."

Jerry Nash

Chairman of the International Chess Federation's Education Commission

"May the Best Player Win is a great read for almost any age group! It offers the opportunity to discuss critical issues such as gender and culture. It also explores emotional challenges that are relevant and relatable for all ages, such as dealing with internal and external expectations. I like the way the story ended and look forward to more books like this by the author!"

ChessBase India

"The author was able to spin a very beautiful narrative around very important and pertinent themes, such as performance anxiety and sexism towards female chess players, without ever sounding very preachy. She has you rooting for the protagonist from the get-go and also packed in tense moments that leaves you flipping the pages to find out what happens."

Kyla Zhao, May the Best Player Win, G. P. Putnam's and Sons 2024, 237 pages

About Kyla Zhao

Kyla Zhao was born in Singapore and studied psychology and communication studies at Stanford University in the United States. She currently works for a technology company in Silicon Valley and writes novels in her free time.

Kyla Zhao and her books have been featured in media outlets such as NBC, Vogue and Buzzfeed, and she was included in Forbes' prestigious “30 Under 30” list.

Kyla Zhao started writing at an early age and had her first articles published at the age of 16. They appeared in renowned magazines such as "Vogue Singapore" and "Harper's Bazaar", among others.

An interview with ChessBase

Before the publication of "May the Best Player Win’" Johannes Fischer talked to Kyla Zhao about her book, chess, writing and gender stereotypes in chess.

Links

Topics: Interviews, Kyla Zhao, May the Best Player Win
Johannes Fischer was born in 1963 in Hamburg and studied English and German literature in Frankfurt. He now lives as a writer and translator in Nürnberg. He is a FIDE-Master and regularly writes for KARL, a German chess magazine focusing on the links between culture and chess. On his own blog he regularly publishes notes on "Film, Literature and Chess".