A psychological chess thriller where strategy, obsession, and destiny collide across sixty-four squares.
Some games are played for trophies.
Some are played for pride.
And some are played for far more than anyone should risk.
Nathan Graham has spent his life mastering the quiet war of sixty-four squares. Brilliant, disciplined, and driven by a past he rarely speaks about, he has fought his way into the final rounds of the New York State Chess Championship.
But this tournament is different.
Across the board sits a man no one seems to understand.
A man known only as Natas.
He does not age like other players.
He does not celebrate victory.
And he never seems surprised by the moves that unfold before him.
What would you risk to win the one thing you love most?
Because once the first move is played…
Because some games are not played for trophies.
Some are played for keeps.
Gregory Blythe is the author of Playing for Keeps: The Legend of Natas, a psychological chess thriller inspired by a vivid dream that remained with him for more than two decades before finally becoming the novel you are now reading.
Gregory has long been fascinated by creativity, strategy, and the pursuit of mastery.
He lives in South Carolina, where he continues to write stories exploring strategy, mystery, and the unseen forces that shape human decisions.
Gregory is currently working on several upcoming novels, including A House Divided.View all by Gregory S. Blythe
