The Queen’s Gambit on Netflix has led to a great resurgence of interest in the game of chess, so the publication of Game of the Gods could not have come at a better time. In one way this book shares a similar perspective with the series, by telling the story of an outsider finding success in a world of privileged men. However, life of Elizabeth Harmon is one of constantly pushing the boundaries and achieving success through her own determination, while this story inspired by chess prodigy Malik Mir Sultan Khan is all about submitting to the will of Fate. As we follow Malik’s life as a humble servant plucked from obscurity by a wealthy maharaja we experience all the humiliation of a lower caste Indian both in his home country and in England. The dispassionate reporting of these injustices reinforces the concept of Karma for the narrator.
I think I would have preferred the story to have concluded at the end of his chess triumphs but since this is a book about the journey of life and accepting what Fate has in store for you, the author continues as he flees Europe for a new chapter in America,This section could also have made for a tidy ending, but once again the author pushes on as he returns to India for a commentary on the cycle of life.
All in all, this was a fascinating look at a world very different from my own. The narrator’s willingness to accept whatever Life dished out muted the emotional element of the story. (Elizabeth Harmon would never have stood for the insults heaped upon Malik) but it gave me much to think about.