Interregnum

Inside the Grueling and Glamorous Battle to Become the Next King of Chess

Jordan Himelfarb

A riveting chronicle of the battle for chess supremacy and the brilliant, eccentric, extremely online grandmasters changing an ancient game.

"What stands out is Himelfarb’s insights regarding the psychologies of people. The beauty of chess goes beyond logic; it includes desires, ideas, and feelings.”—The New Yorker

Every elite chess player dreams of becoming world champion, of wearing the wreath and going down in history. Yet for many of today's top grandmasters, that dream long seemed out of reach: Norwegian juggernaut Magnus Carlsen was just too good. So when Carlsen announced he wouldn't defend his world title for a fifth time, the rest of the best saw a chance finally to sit on the throne.

Interregnum follows these brilliant and often eccentric minds around the world as they vie to become world chess champion. It’s a story of millennial greats whose time is running out. Of teenaged prodigies who refuse to wait their turn. Of triumph and heartbreak, aspiration and anxiety. Of an ancient sport experiencing a remarkable resurgence and of the extremely online enfants terribles changing the game.

Part sports chronicle, part paean, part character study, Interregnum offers something for both the chess-obsessed and the chess-curious as well as anyone who enjoys a riveting tale of struggle in sport or triumph of the intellect.

Jordan Himelfarb is a managing editor of the Toronto Star, one of North America’s largest newspapers, where he oversees political, national, foreign and opinion coverage. He was previously the Star’s politics editor and, before that, deputy editorial page editor. Himelfarb has been nominated three times for a National Newspaper Award, the highest honour in Canadian journalism, twice for his writing and once for his editing. Before coming to the Star, he was co-editor of Said the Gramophone, one of Time Magazine’s top blogs of 2009, and co-editor of the book Tax is Not a Four-Letter Word. Once a competitive Scrabble player, he has in recent years turned his obsessive attention to chess and contract bridge.

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Endorsements & Reviews

“Chess can seem abstruse and forbidding to the uninitiated, but Himelfarb’s account of it is as readable and comprehensible as any more familiar sports story—or, for that matter, any narrative in which a bunch of ambitious people pursue a single goal. What stands out, in fact, is not Himelfarb’s illumination of the mechanics of chess but his insights regarding the psychologies of people. Stories like the one that Himelfarb tells are reminders that the thing we really care about is not the end result—a simple set of plays or sequence of words—but what happens in the hearts and minds of the people involved in them.” Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker

“Rollicking good sports writing. Where a player places a bishop or how they might maneuver a knight feels positively thrilling. The behind-the-scenes glimpses into the sacrifices necessary to play chess at the highest level only underscore the glory of a win—or, on the other side of the table, the pain of a loss.” The Globe and Mail

"Comprehensive historical precision and a flair for dramatic storytelling." Toronto Star

“Interregnum is a gripping story about the quest for dominance in the ‘game of kings,’ in which two players are engaged in a strategic battle of wits. Award-winning Canadian journalist Himelfarb’s well-composed narrative is brimming with eclectic characters and enough intrigue to imbue this sports book with more than a hint of high-stakes drama.” Booklist

"A chess book that’s not just for everyone, but for the ages."

The Hindustan Times

"A fascinating and deeply human look at the battle to reach the pinnacle of chess. Himelfarb masterfully captures the drama and the grueling ambition that drives the world's greatest players. An essential read for any fan of sport and competition." Stuart Stevens, author of It Was All a Lie: How the Republican Party Became Donald Trump and The Last Season: A Father, A Son and A Lifetime of College Football

"Interregnum is a beautifully written chronicle of the modern quest to become world chess champion. With rare access and deep empathy, Himelfarb captures the inner lives of today’s elite chess players, their diverse backstories, glamorous lifestyles and rigorous training methods. His honest, heartfelt reporting on the international chess tour can’t help but make readers feel more passionate about their own goals and ambitions in life." Jennifer Shahade, three-time national chess champion, author of Chess Queens and Thinking Sideways

“For chess fans, Interregnum is a gripping account of the lead-up and conclusion to the 2024 World Championship, one of the most exciting and consequential in the history of chess. For everybody else, it’s a portrait of how the forces reshaping the world—artificial intelligence, celebrity culture, geopolitical insanity—can throw even the oldest game in the world into turmoil." Stephen Marche, author of The Next Civil War