Spy's Mate
A Novel
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Thinkers Publishing
Publishing:14th Oct '25
£19.99
This title is due to be published on 14th October, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
FOR FANS OF THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT
Set in the late Cold War-era Soviet Union, SPY’S MATE: A NOVEL follows the coming of age of Yasha Basmajian, a young chess prodigy of Armenian origin who rises through the ranks of the Soviet chess establishment with dizzying rapidity. Along the way, however, he must contend with many pitfalls, including operatives who manipulate him, jealous rivals who try to humiliate him, and high officials who threaten him when he asserts his independence, or takes a principled stance.
With help from a renegade coach and a team of anti-establishment grandmasters, Yasha manages to run the gauntlet of two Candidates Tournaments until eventually he faces the sinister, predatory World Chess Champion, Evgeny Volosin, in a match where the stakes are nothing less than life and death.
The life-and-death thrills—and absurdist spills—of world-class chess in the last days of the Soviet Union come roaring to life in Brad Buchanan’s Spy’s Mate , the spellbinding story of a personal quest that will bend your mind and enchant your heart.
—Mary Mackey, author of the New York Times bestseller A Grand Passion
A gripping journey into the high-stakes world of Cold War espionage, woven deftly through the world of chess. Skillfully paced and elegantly crafted, Buchanan's storytelling compels you to keep turning pages as easily as tapping your foot to your favorite tune. The novel brilliantly captures the subtle tensions and tactical drama of both spycraft and chess, featuring vivid, three-dimensional characters whose complexities enrich every twist and turn of the narrative. A deeply absorbing read, Spy's Mate is a literary triumph.
—Dr Chris Tilling, Head of Research and Senior Lecturer in New Testament, St Mellitus College, UK
A sublime blend of chess during the Cold War between East and West, nasty intrigues, back-room politics and espionage. Brad Buchanan's book is simply irresistible.
—Gert Devreese, Journalist De Standaard & author of My Most Memorable Interviews, Belgium
As a chess professional, this book resonated on a deep technical and cultural level. I found myself immersed in the persona of Yasha and captivated by each twist and turn of his life story, empathizing with him as a brother in arms.
—Daniel Fernandez, Chess Grandmaster & author, London, UK.
It unfolds like a game of chess — so many fronts to watch, yet in the end, the opponent always falls. Truly captivating!
—Tom Piceu, International Chess Master & Coach, Bruges, Belgium.
ISBN: 9789083488233
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
425 pages
New edition