Review of “Perpetual Check,” by Rich Wallace

“Perpetual Check,” by Rich Wallace is a riveting story about two brothers who are both chess whizzes.  The only problem is that their shared skill lands them in the same championship, where they must play against each other.

Zeke Mansfield is a high school senior.  He is a bit of a jock, and plays sports most of the time.  But his time in athletics doesn’t stop him from enjoying chess.  Zeke checkmated his father when he was just six years old.  The only problem is that Zeke usually doesn’t bother to concentrate, and when he lets his overconfidence limit him he usually ends up loosing the game.

Randy Mansfield is Zeke’s younger brother.  Although he is just a freshman, he is much better at chess than his older brother Zeke.  He is usually able to beat Zeke nine times out of ten.  Randy is also better than his brother in a few other ways.  Randy has a more caring personality, and has a girlfriend already.  Zeke tends to adopt a tough attitude, but underneath he is really jealous of his younger brother Randy.

Both boys, Randy and Zeke, are driven on by their father, who wants the best for both his sons, or at least, he wants the glory of having winners as sons.  But when both Zeke and Randy qualify for the Northeast Regional of the Pennsylvania High School Chess Championship the pressure begins to mount.  Right from the start it is fairly obvious that the boys may very well end up playing against each other.  With their father’s competitive spirit driving them forward both Randy and Zeke will find it hard to concentrate on the game.

Unbelievably, however, this high stakes game will help both Randy and Zeke to learn more about each other, and it will actually strengthen their relationship.

“Perpetual Check” is full of exciting depictions of chess games.  In a way it is a sports story, but goals and touchdowns are replaced by captured bishops and queens.  The strategic maneuvers on the chess board are reflected in the real life interactions of Zeke, Randy, and the other lifelike characters that Rich Wallace has stocked his story with.

The theme of “Perpetual Check” focuses on two separate relationships: the relationships between Zeke and Randy, and the relationship of both boys with their father.  In the story Zeke and Randy feel like pawns being pushed on by their competitive father, while his attitude and big personality keeps the boys in a state of perpetual check.

The theme of competition between Randy and Zeke is reflected in the cover art of “Perpetual Check.”  The cover is an optical illusion that can be seen either as a red pawn chess piece, or as two boys looking at each other.

I feel that “Perpetual Check” is a very well written book.  Rich Wallace has done a great job of depicting the charged atmosphere of chess competition on and off the chess board.

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