The Grandmaster

A story only a real Grandmaster could tell.

Lukas lives for chess. When he leaves Sweden for an island off the coast of Saint Petersburg, he vows to sacrifice everything for one goal: the Grandmaster title. Friendships falter, love slips away, and his hunger for victory turns inward. Every move brings him closer to either triumph or collapse.

The Grandmaster is a powerful novel of ambition, obsession, and the fragile boundary between brilliance and self-destruction. Moving far beyond the worn-out myth of the 'mad genius', Grandmaster Axel Smith reveals the human cost of the quest for perfection: the self-doubt, jealousy and fleeting joy that define a life lived across sixty-four squares.

This novel blends authenticity and drama with rare insight into the world of elite chess. Written by Grandmaster Axel Smith, it is a work of fiction rooted in truth. With the precision of a chess player and the empathy of a storyteller, Smith unveils the intense emotional landscape of competition. Gripping and thought-provoking, The Grandmaster will resonate with fans of The Queen’s Gambit and anyone who has ever chased perfection — or a dream.

Axel Smith is a chess Grandmaster and best-selling author. His books, including The Woodpecker Method and Pump Up Your Rating, have sold more than 50,000 copies worldwide. He holds the Swedish record for a blindfold simul with 15 games played simultaneously. An accomplished marathon runner (2:28), he lives in Lund, Sweden, with his wife and three children.