MIDDLE-GRADE FANTASY · STRATEGY · COURAGE
Chess Quest
Even a pawn can
change the game.
An ordinary kid. A mysterious chess piece. An extraordinary adventure where courage, friendship, and every choice matter.
It’s always time for a quest.
BOOK ONE · YOUR OPENING MOVEBEGIN WITH PALADIN: PAWN
The game has chosen
its next Paladin.
Rich Witz is just trying to survive middle school. Homework, bullies, and everyday chaos are already enough—until his grandmother disappears and leaves behind a white chess pawn carved with his initials.
Overnight, Rich is drawn into a hidden world of strategy, danger, and ancient power. Chosen as the next Paladin, he must complete four trials of valor in seven days. If he fails, he dies. If he succeeds, he may save the world.
But a dark knight known as the Nemesis is always one move ahead—and may be hiding in plain sight at Rich’s school.
Choose your edition on Amazon.SEVEN DAYS. FOUR TRIALS.
What makes a hero?
Rich’s quest begins with choices—and the person he becomes by making them.
FIVE BOOKS. ONE EXTRAORDINARY QUEST.
Follow the adventure
from pawn to finale.
Start with Paladin: Pawn and continue in the numbered order. Each book builds on the last, opening more of the world beyond Rich’s first chess piece.
BOOK 1 · START HERE
Paladin: Pawn
A mysterious white pawn turns Rich’s ordinary school days into a test of courage and character.
BOOK 2
Nemesis: Knight
The search for Rich’s father leads toward a labyrinth of keys, doors, and difficult choices.
BOOK 3
Rook: Revenge
Greater strength brings new responsibilities—and a deeper test of whom Rich is willing to protect.
BOOK 4
Bishop: Betrayal
Uneasy alliances put loyalty to the test as the conflict grows beyond the familiar board.
BOOK 5 · THE FINALE
Sovereigns: Song
The series finale carries the adventure into other worlds, where order and chaos meet in song.
Ready for your next move?
Read a sample from any volume, explore its book guide, or find the series on Amazon.
FOR READERS WHO LOVE A CLEVER QUEST
Big stakes. An unlikely hero.
A little imagination goes a long way.
Strategy & magic
Chess-inspired powers, clever choices, and a hidden magical order.
Underdog heroes
An imaginative kid facing bullies, impossible odds, and a destiny he never requested.
Fast, clean adventure
High stakes and coming-of-age courage in family-friendly fantasy for ages 10–14.
A FREE TALE BEFORE THE FIVE-BOOK QUEST
Meet an earlier Paladin.
Long before Rich Witz receives his pawn, Sir George faces the final quest of his own probation—and the Nemesis he least wants to fight: his lifelong friend, Count Percy von Drake.
Sir George and Count Drake is a bonus medieval prequel, separate from the five novels.
Free PDF available. No signup required.CHESS QUEST ARCHIVE · READER REFERENCE
There’s a world
beyond the board.
Discover the players, ancient families, hidden roads, and history behind the books. Deeper encyclopedia entries contain spoilers; follow your curiosity at your own pace.
Characters
Meet the players, allies, and rivals.
Books & Reading Guide
Find your next step through the five novels.
History & Ancient Lore
Explore the history behind the game.
Realms, Roads & Places
Follow the doors into a wider world.
Paladins, Nemeses & Factions
Discover the families and orders behind the conflict.
MORE TO DISCOVER
The archive is growing.
Guides to chess powers and artifacts, trials and virtues, and an A–Z reference desk are in development.
Open the detailed archive guide · spoilers inside
Explore the books, players, realms, ancient families, magical chess rules, artifacts, trials, and hidden history behind the Chess Quest series.
OPEN · 23 PROFILES
Characters
Rich and his allies, the Witz family, Paladins and Nemeses, historic knights, the three Sovereign branches, and the guides who preserve their history.
Open CharactersCOMPLETE · 5 OF 5 BOOKS
Books & Reading Guide
Explore all five novels plus the bonus medieval prequel Sir George and Count Drake.
Open BooksCOMPLETE · 8 DEEP-HISTORY ENTRIES
History & Ancient Lore
From the first Sovereigns and Homelands through Camelot, the Corridor, the Knights Temper, the Sovereign Stones, and the final closing of the door between worlds.
Open HistoryOPEN · 14 PLACES INDEXED
Realms, Roads & Other Places
Explore knightly strongholds, ancient Homelands, the Corridor of Keys, Camelot, Middlespace, Darkespace, Centerspace, the Dying World, and hidden roads connecting them.
Open PlacesOPEN · 6 GROUPS INDEXED
Paladins, Nemeses & Factions
Explore the three family branches, Temperance’s Gray regime, the ancient Vanguard army, and the Masters of Centerspace.
Open FactionsArchives in Development
- Chess Powers, Pieces & Artifacts
- Trials, Games & the Four Virtues
- A–Z Reference Desk — final capstone
The archive begins spoiler-light and opens into deeper series canon as each topic expands.
ALLIES, RIVALS & UNEXPECTED MOVES
Meet the players.
Rich Witz
The Reluctant Paladin
Angela Alfredson
The Loyal Friend
The Nemesis
One Move Ahead
Open a profile to meet the cast of Paladin: Pawn. Some introductions hint at character secrets.
♙ Rich Witz — The Reluctant Paladin
Creative, imaginative, and more comfortable daydreaming about heroics than living them, Rich faces junior-high bullies and ordinary frustrations—until a mysterious pawn makes the adventure real.
Chat with Rich♟ Nadia Petrenko — The Challenger
Assertive, cunning, and determined to dominate every confrontation, Nadia knows exactly how to unsettle Rich—but her toughness may conceal more than it reveals.
♗ Angela Alfredson — The Loyal Friend
Kind, empathetic, and quietly brave, Angela is one of the few genuinely friendly faces at Rich’s school—and she is not afraid to stand up for herself or others.
Chat with Angela♕ Laura Tinney — The Resourceful Aunt
Nurturing, resourceful, and able to make the best of whatever is at hand, Laura brings warmth and reliability when Rich needs both most.
♕ Helena Witz — Rich’s Mother
Carrying the weight of a husband missing in action, Helena works to keep her family together while the mysteries surrounding Rich grow harder to ignore.
♛ Minerva Witz — Keeper of the Past
Proud of her Austrian heritage and guardian of family secrets, Minerva knows more about the ancient forces surrounding Rich than she has ever revealed.
♞ Aaron — The Charismatic Wild Card
Charismatic, playful, and capable of lifting the mood around him, Aaron’s mischievous charm makes him an intriguing—and unpredictable—piece on the board.
Chat with Aaron♜ Joe Stockton — The Schoolyard Threat
Big, intimidating, and accustomed to using fear as leverage, Joe is one of the everyday dangers Rich must face even before the magical trials begin.
♝ Mallory — The Social Powerhouse
Outgoing, spirited, and at home in the center of school life, Mallory commands a different kind of influence than any knight or queen.
♚ The Nemesis — One Move Ahead
A cunning dark knight in training whose motives remain hidden. The Nemesis is determined to win at any cost—and may be much closer to Rich than he realizes.
Character chats use a third-party service. Responses are generated and may vary; they do not represent official canon.
YOUR ADVENTURER’S KIT
Take the quest
off the page.
Create a hero, tackle a puzzle, or collect your progress across the five books. The adventure keeps going after the last chapter.
Create your hero
Imagine your own place in the Chess Quest world.
Open the activity PDF →Challenge the board
Test your wits with the Dragon’s Chessboard puzzle pack.
Open the puzzle PDF →Collect your adventures
Follow the series with a five-book quest passport.
Open the passport PDF →Open all free Chess Quest downloads
Continue the quest with character cards, handbooks, puzzles, printable adventures, a quest passport, and chess-based activities.
The Chess Quest Series
- Jd
- Ghost Petra
- Create your Own Chess Quest Hero
- The Dragons Chessboard Puzzle Pack
- The Chess Quest Recruits Handbook
- Quest Chess
- Escape from the Catacombs Mini Adventure
- The Chess Quest Character Cards Starter Set
- The Five Book Quest Passport
- 01b Sir George and Count Drake Cover
- The Red Measure Illustrated Bard Pass
YOUR NEXT MOVE COULD LEAD ANYWHERE
Part of the Cantifold.
Most of my stories belong to the Cantifold, a shared universe of many worlds, ages, and roads between them. Each series stands on its own, but recurring places, powers, people, and principles reveal how adventures such as The Canticle Kingdom and Chess Quest are connected.
Explore the Cantifold ConnectionsFollow the connections from Chess Quest into the wider worlds of Michael D. Young.
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