What do you think?
Rate this book
The Mating Game
Meet Ivana (‘call me Vanny’) Jones, a sexy, beautiful, warm-hearted professional chess-player. She has a problem: she’s only attracted to guys who can beat her… so what’s she to do when a chess amateur, the Russian billionaire Boris Bogolyubov, proposes marriage?
Not only that, but as Vanny tries to achieve her lifelong dream of becoming a chess grandmaster, she develops a crush on Norwegian sex-god Sven while also falling for a stunning and adoring Frenchwoman. Meanwhile, Vanny’s hoping a revolutionary new drug treatment will save her best friend Charlotte’s life.
Set in London, Monaco, Budapest, Helsinki, Odessa, New York… and Leicester, this sparkily written, passionate, emotional and entertaining novel will rock your boat… even if you’ve never shouted ‘Checkmate!’
Not only that, but as Vanny tries to achieve her lifelong dream of becoming a chess grandmaster, she develops a crush on Norwegian sex-god Sven while also falling for a stunning and adoring Frenchwoman. Meanwhile, Vanny’s hoping a revolutionary new drug treatment will save her best friend Charlotte’s life.
Set in London, Monaco, Budapest, Helsinki, Odessa, New York… and Leicester, this sparkily written, passionate, emotional and entertaining novel will rock your boat… even if you’ve never shouted ‘Checkmate!’
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2016
9 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
About the author
Jovanka Houska
13 books4 followersJovanka Houska is an English chess player with the titles International Master (IM) and Woman Grandmaster (WGM). She is a six times winner of the British Women's Chess Championship.
Born in south London, Houska's family name stems from her grandfather who was part Czech. Her first name is typically Slavic, but was chosen only to complement the family name. Chess is a popular sport in the Houska family, and she owes much of her progress to the sibling rivalry that developed with elder brother Miroslav, himself an International Master of chess, though currently inactive. She now lives on the capital's north side and has a degree in Law.
One of England's most active professionals, she first represented her country at the World Youth Championship for Girls (under 10) in Timişoara 1988, finishing fifth after a disastrous start and despite being years younger than most of her opponents. She competed in the same event at Aguadilla in 1989 and then, for a third time at Fond du Lac in 1990, where she won the bronze medal. There were many more successes over the next few years including another bronze medal at the European Junior Championship for girls (under 20) at Erevan in 1998. As a consequence, she was awarded the Woman International Master (WIM) title the same year, after securing all three norms in just over a month. Her first WGM norm was achieved at the 1999 British Championship when she was still a teenager.
Then, at Avilés in 2000, her previous efforts were eclipsed by a return visit to the European Junior Championship—capturing the gold winner's medal, ahead of Viktorija Čmilytė. It was a milestone victory, as it also provided a final qualification norm for the WGM title. The following year saw her take the Women's Commonwealth Championship, held in London in conjunction with the Mind Sports Olympiad. She defeated GM Dibyendu Barua in the process and gained a first IM norm.
Despite her time-consuming academic studies, the next few years were notable for Houska's unstinting contribution to the England Women's team at various major competitions around the world. She participated at each of the Chess Olympiads between 1998 and 2008 and aside from her first appearance as a reserve, has played consistently on high boards, scoring in excess of 50% on each occasion. From 1999 onwards, she has also been an ever-present at the European Team Chess Championships. The team's most notable performance in this event, occurred at Leon in 2001, where a third-place finish produced a team bronze medal.
An active league chess player, she has represented SK Hofheim in the German Bundesliga, Deauville in France, and Wood Green in the 4NCL.
Following yet more successful norm-seeking, she became the third British woman to be awarded the IM title in 2005. Voted English Chess Federation Player of the Year in 2006, she was the first female to receive the accolade since its inception in 1984. There were 'highest placed Woman' prizes at the Hastings International Chess Congress 2006/7 and at Gibraltar 2007.
At Liverpool in 2008, she became British and English Women's Champion for the first time, finishing a full point ahead of closest rival Susan Lalic and a half point ahead of grandmasters Glenn Flear and Stewart Haslinger.
Houska successfully defended her British Championship title at the 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 events. By July 2010, her sustained good form had elevated her to an Elo rating of 2433, making her England's second ranked woman player (behind Harriet Hunt) and number fifty-one in the world among active female players. A further British Championship victory was achieved in 2016, at Bournemouth.
As a chess writer, she has reported on tournaments home and abroad for periodicals such as CHESS magazine. Houska completed her first chess opening book in 2007. Written for Everyman Chess, it features a treatise on Houska's opening of choice with the Black pieces—the Caro-Kann Defence.
Born in south London, Houska's family name stems from her grandfather who was part Czech. Her first name is typically Slavic, but was chosen only to complement the family name. Chess is a popular sport in the Houska family, and she owes much of her progress to the sibling rivalry that developed with elder brother Miroslav, himself an International Master of chess, though currently inactive. She now lives on the capital's north side and has a degree in Law.
One of England's most active professionals, she first represented her country at the World Youth Championship for Girls (under 10) in Timişoara 1988, finishing fifth after a disastrous start and despite being years younger than most of her opponents. She competed in the same event at Aguadilla in 1989 and then, for a third time at Fond du Lac in 1990, where she won the bronze medal. There were many more successes over the next few years including another bronze medal at the European Junior Championship for girls (under 20) at Erevan in 1998. As a consequence, she was awarded the Woman International Master (WIM) title the same year, after securing all three norms in just over a month. Her first WGM norm was achieved at the 1999 British Championship when she was still a teenager.
Then, at Avilés in 2000, her previous efforts were eclipsed by a return visit to the European Junior Championship—capturing the gold winner's medal, ahead of Viktorija Čmilytė. It was a milestone victory, as it also provided a final qualification norm for the WGM title. The following year saw her take the Women's Commonwealth Championship, held in London in conjunction with the Mind Sports Olympiad. She defeated GM Dibyendu Barua in the process and gained a first IM norm.
Despite her time-consuming academic studies, the next few years were notable for Houska's unstinting contribution to the England Women's team at various major competitions around the world. She participated at each of the Chess Olympiads between 1998 and 2008 and aside from her first appearance as a reserve, has played consistently on high boards, scoring in excess of 50% on each occasion. From 1999 onwards, she has also been an ever-present at the European Team Chess Championships. The team's most notable performance in this event, occurred at Leon in 2001, where a third-place finish produced a team bronze medal.
An active league chess player, she has represented SK Hofheim in the German Bundesliga, Deauville in France, and Wood Green in the 4NCL.
Following yet more successful norm-seeking, she became the third British woman to be awarded the IM title in 2005. Voted English Chess Federation Player of the Year in 2006, she was the first female to receive the accolade since its inception in 1984. There were 'highest placed Woman' prizes at the Hastings International Chess Congress 2006/7 and at Gibraltar 2007.
At Liverpool in 2008, she became British and English Women's Champion for the first time, finishing a full point ahead of closest rival Susan Lalic and a half point ahead of grandmasters Glenn Flear and Stewart Haslinger.
Houska successfully defended her British Championship title at the 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 events. By July 2010, her sustained good form had elevated her to an Elo rating of 2433, making her England's second ranked woman player (behind Harriet Hunt) and number fifty-one in the world among active female players. A further British Championship victory was achieved in 2016, at Bournemouth.
As a chess writer, she has reported on tournaments home and abroad for periodicals such as CHESS magazine. Houska completed her first chess opening book in 2007. Written for Everyman Chess, it features a treatise on Houska's opening of choice with the Black pieces—the Caro-Kann Defence.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 7, 2017
Goodreads, I cannot tell a lie: I loved this book. I couldn't put it down and finished it in a day and a half. The damn thing could have been written expressly for me. I speak French and Norwegian. I know two of the minor characters personally. The heroine's favorite defense to 1 e4, the Caro-Kann, is my favorite defense to 1 e4. I've spent time in London, New York, Helsinki, Monte Carlo and Budapest. Heck, I've visited the Hotel Gellert.
I know, I know. There are plenty of things wrong with it, and I'm sure other reviewers will take pleasure in pointing them out. But here's what I think is right with it. The plot, needless to say, is extremely implausible; you can find out more about that if you look at my reading updates. But the narrator isn't implausible. A lot of young chessplayers are like her. They are intelligent without being intellectual. (Vanny never seems to read anything except chess books; she doesn't ever seem to have come across a Shakespearian sonnet, and she has only the vaguest idea who Wittgenstein and Rilke were). They are cheerfully promiscuous. I'm not quite sure why, but there's something very sexy about chess. The book plays up that aspect, and I can see that some people find it exploitative, but it isn't. It's just a side of chess that for some reason has received little attention.
Basically, I liked this book because it reminded me of a time in my life when chess was terribly important to me. It was a complicated period, and sometimes I was sad and confused, but sometimes I was very happy. Vanny, I'm sorry you don't exist. If you did, I think we could be friends.
I know, I know. There are plenty of things wrong with it, and I'm sure other reviewers will take pleasure in pointing them out. But here's what I think is right with it. The plot, needless to say, is extremely implausible; you can find out more about that if you look at my reading updates. But the narrator isn't implausible. A lot of young chessplayers are like her. They are intelligent without being intellectual. (Vanny never seems to read anything except chess books; she doesn't ever seem to have come across a Shakespearian sonnet, and she has only the vaguest idea who Wittgenstein and Rilke were). They are cheerfully promiscuous. I'm not quite sure why, but there's something very sexy about chess. The book plays up that aspect, and I can see that some people find it exploitative, but it isn't. It's just a side of chess that for some reason has received little attention.
Basically, I liked this book because it reminded me of a time in my life when chess was terribly important to me. It was a complicated period, and sometimes I was sad and confused, but sometimes I was very happy. Vanny, I'm sorry you don't exist. If you did, I think we could be friends.
March 10, 2018
A charming book beyond any genre. A coming-of-age story of a 20-something would-be woman chess grandmaster. But wait, it's a thriller and romance as well. It helps to know chess and/or French, but neither is required.
February 9, 2017
I'm something of a chess buff. So even though the dreaded moniker "romance novel" should have warned me, I dropped three bucks on an e-version from Google. I only overpaid by $2.90 or so. The book is almost completely silly, filled with ridiculous plot debris along with a few unintentionally hilarious sex scenes.
As you might expect from a book allegedly co-written by an international master of chess, the only genuinely interesting material revolves around the chessboard. For instance, there's a well-described scene where protagonist Ivana Jones - loosely based on supposed co-author Jovanka Houska - first discovers chess as a lonely and unhappy girl at a boarding school. She immediately falls under the game's sometimes baleful fascination, and chess gives her a real purpose in life.
If the co-authors had followed Ivana along her way to the IM title and a place in the professional chess world, the book might have developed some actual substance. Instead they try (in vain) to manufacture a commercial product by dragging the poor girl through absurd soap opera and even more absurd sex.
Once in a while a little of the real world somehow sneaks into the goofy proceedings. In particular, there are a few interesting scenes at the annual Gibraltar chess tournament (as I type, Jovanka Houska is doing Internet commentary on the tourney). The book occasionally name-drops some actual chess grandmasters, though mercifully the co-writers don't try to involve any of them in the book's farcical storylines.
I soon got a little embarrassed that a chess master had lent her name and, I assume, her writing ability - such as it is - to this laughable fifty-shady mishmash. I checked out halfway through, and started thinking about my three lost dollars.
As you might expect from a book allegedly co-written by an international master of chess, the only genuinely interesting material revolves around the chessboard. For instance, there's a well-described scene where protagonist Ivana Jones - loosely based on supposed co-author Jovanka Houska - first discovers chess as a lonely and unhappy girl at a boarding school. She immediately falls under the game's sometimes baleful fascination, and chess gives her a real purpose in life.
If the co-authors had followed Ivana along her way to the IM title and a place in the professional chess world, the book might have developed some actual substance. Instead they try (in vain) to manufacture a commercial product by dragging the poor girl through absurd soap opera and even more absurd sex.
Once in a while a little of the real world somehow sneaks into the goofy proceedings. In particular, there are a few interesting scenes at the annual Gibraltar chess tournament (as I type, Jovanka Houska is doing Internet commentary on the tourney). The book occasionally name-drops some actual chess grandmasters, though mercifully the co-writers don't try to involve any of them in the book's farcical storylines.
I soon got a little embarrassed that a chess master had lent her name and, I assume, her writing ability - such as it is - to this laughable fifty-shady mishmash. I checked out halfway through, and started thinking about my three lost dollars.
October 17, 2018
A new mobile app that revolutionises chessplayers' love lives in the future, particularly at tournaments? Only time will tell...
World Chess Launches Chess Dating App
October 17, 2018
World Chess Launches Chess Dating App
October 17, 2018
September 9, 2018
The chess in the book is nil except for some light name dropping and the fact that the heroine keeps going to different chess tournaments. We basically hear about the city in which the tournament takes place and how many points she has before getting to "the real plot," i.e. a shamelessly-padded description of a very forced situation involving anything from dying friends to scooby doo reveals. The book is artless, paltry, bloated.
If you are into chess and literature you may want to consider a psychological chess novel like Nabokov's "The Luzhin Defense," or a chess puzzle novel like "The Flanders Panel," or elegant prose like Stefan Zweig's "Chess Story." If you're into porn, maybe search for chess under r/eroticliterature. As for this book, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
If you are into chess and literature you may want to consider a psychological chess novel like Nabokov's "The Luzhin Defense," or a chess puzzle novel like "The Flanders Panel," or elegant prose like Stefan Zweig's "Chess Story." If you're into porn, maybe search for chess under r/eroticliterature. As for this book, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
February 4, 2017
Got this book as a present from my boyfriend, hoping to read a story of a beautiful Scandinavian man and a beautiful Eastern European woman who like to play chess (as ironically thats sort of our story), but was so disappointed as my romance fantasy quickly qrew into some sort of '50 shades of grey' cheap porn book, featuring lesbian relationship and several heterosexual relationships with the main character, who I was hoping would be more of a noble character.
There is just too much of this stuff around right now, everyone knows that sex sells and sells it. This wasn't even sold beautifully, not even in terms of language. So I have to say thats 2 our of 5 stars for me, I was quite disappointed.
If you like books about 'confused sexuality', sleeping around and trying to 'find' yourself this way, then this is for you. If you are looking for a romantic book, then this is much less so.
There is just too much of this stuff around right now, everyone knows that sex sells and sells it. This wasn't even sold beautifully, not even in terms of language. So I have to say thats 2 our of 5 stars for me, I was quite disappointed.
If you like books about 'confused sexuality', sleeping around and trying to 'find' yourself this way, then this is for you. If you are looking for a romantic book, then this is much less so.
April 18, 2018
Yes, I read this book. Not my cup of tea. Was mildly interesting to me personally because the backdrop of the world of international chess tournaments, etc. but the plot was all over the place and often wildly implausible. Even the chess part was often unrealistic. It was admittedly kind of fun to read, but also I felt embarrassed the whole time that I was reading such a book. Maybe closer to 2.5 stars, but I wouldn't recommend it. :-)
July 13, 2017
Gateway for B-books. Nice gift from weekend tournament!
February 16, 2021
Easy read. But not particularly enthralling.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews