Preface

10th Century Wales is a country divided, with the kingdom of the south becoming Saxon and the north violently defending the old ways. The inevitable civil war is brutal and savage in this tale of divided loyalty and revenge, treachery and love.

 Kings and queens battle for control of the country, with wealth and glory for the victor and death and ruin for the loser. The bishops of Wales struggle to keep the faith while knights and war lords turn events to advantage and the lives of ordinary people are changed forever by the conflict.

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Queen Sacrifice is also a legendary tactic in the ancient game of chess.  Russian chess grand master Lakov Neishtadt describes the sacrifice of the queen for higher interests as ‘a source of continuing fascination for the chess novice and master alike.’ 

The first six chapters set the scene and  from the figure of the white knight in Chapter Seven the narrative faithfully follows every move in the queen sacrifice game, known as ‘The Game of the Century’ between Donald Byrne and 13-year-old Bobby Fischer in New York on October 17th 1956.