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Check Mates

Stewart Foster
Chapters (67)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. The Staring at the Wall Club
  4. The Pink Car
  5. Teatime in Germany
  6. Writing for Dummies
  7. I’ve Got Problems
  8. Up Our Tree
  9. No Way!
  10. I Hear Voices
  11. Ten Things
  12. Early Alarm
  13. The Grass Cutters
  14. Rebecca’s a Genius ☺
  15. Guilty ☹
  16. Jake’s a Genius
  17. SCUBAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!
  18. The Army in the Box
  19. Dad, Help!
  20. Our Square Is a Battlefield
  21. Weakness
  22. Me, the Knight and the Wardrobe
  23. X + Y = Spy!
  24. Pass the Sauce
  25. Astroboy2008
  26. We Spy
  27. What Have I Done?
  28. Tipping Point
  29. That Kid
  30. Loser!
  31. Desperation
  32. Gunfight
  33. No Chance
  34. Postmortem
  35. I Can Keep a Secret . . .
  36. The Mechanical Turk
  37. Beginner’s Luck?
  38. Panic!
  39. Revenge?
  40. Champion!
  41. Tug of War
  42. The City and the Wall
  43. I’m Sorry, Jake
  44. Why Did Dad Do That?
  45. Surprise!
  46. First Round
  47. Tick, Tick, Tick
  48. Blue Lights and Disinfectant
  49. Is It Okay to Pray Only When You Want Something?
  50. Stage Fright
  51. Hugs and Soppy Films
  52. Plan B
  53. Uh Oh!
  54. What Mr Keytes Said
  55. Teatime in Germany, Again . . .
  56. Worms in My Belly
  57. Final
  58. Down, But Not Out
  59. Knockout
  60. When We Are Famous
  61. Can’t Wait Till Morning
  62. Alerts!
  63. What Do I Do?
  64. Confrontation
  65. Final Curtain
  66. Zip Wire
  67. Acknowledgements

Cover

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image  Praise for CHECK MATES  image

‘A funny and heartfelt preteen drama with a cunning twist. Stewart Foster is a grandmaster’

Ross Welford, author of The 1,000-year-old Boy

‘So many children will relate to Felix in this marvellous story that crosses generations, deftly weaving history, modern life and chess. Check Mates is sure to warm your heart’

Vashti Hardy, author of Brightstorm

‘An inspirational underdog story and a chilling Cold War mystery! A winning combination’

David Solomons, author of My Brother is a Superhero

‘A story to open minds; finding passion, ambition and redemption. A story of loyalty and friendship that will totally steal your heart. Fantastic’

Jo Cotterill, author of A Library of Lemons

‘A touching underdog story, featuring a protagonist with ADHD’

The Bookseller

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Dedication

For Dad

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The Staring at the Wall Club

I stare at the wall. It’s as wide as my cubicle and stretches up to the ceiling. A white blank space full of nothing. Mrs Ewens says it’s supposed to help me think about what I’ve done, the effect it has on the class, the effect it has on me. But staring at the wall doesn’t feel like it helps me. It feels like punishment.

All I did was ask Mr Fields if he was wearing a wig.

My class laughed, but he didn’t think it was funny. What did him wearing a wig have to do with geography?

‘Nothing,’ I said.

‘Yes, nothing, Felix. So get on with your work.’

But I couldn’t concentrate. Jake, my best friend, was sitting next to me laughing and that made me worse.

‘Sir, do you like crumpets?’ I asked. I don’t know why it was crumpets; it could have been anything – last week it was beetles, orange peel, fishing nets, but this morning it was the word ‘crumpet’ that randomly jumped into my head and out of my mouth.

‘What?’ Mr Fields looked as confused as the kids in my class.

‘Do you like crumpets? I don’t. They’re full of holes like they’ve been eaten by worms.’

That’s when Mr Fields snapped. That’s when he said, ‘Felix, out!’

So that’s how I got to talk to Mrs Ewens.

That’s how I ended up here in the Staring at the Wall Club again.

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