Meet Your Match: An Interview with Ali Hazelwood

Ali Hazelwood, the wildly popular romance author of The Love Hypothesis, Love, Theoretically, and more, marks herself as a fresh new voice in the young adult genre with her YA debut, Check & Mate. This book follows our badass heroine Mallory as she takes us along on a journey into the male-dominated field of competitive chess. There’s rivalry, humor, and at the heart of it all, a compelling love story. Getting the chance to chat with Ali was such a joy and I’m so excited this book is finally out in the world!

— Tara Leimkuehler, Parnassus bookseller

Ali Hazelwood | Photo by Justin Murphy

Tara Leimkuehler: Ali, thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us! I have been obsessed with your books since The Love Hypothesis debuted. I was so excited when I heard you would be coming out with a YA novel! In Check & Mate, Mallory differentiates herself from typical YA protagonists by being a foul-mouthed, sex positive heroine. What inspired you to want to create a character that stands out in this genre?

Ali Hazelwood: Thank you so much!! You know, I actually think that there’s a huge variety in YA protagonists, at least within the books I read. For instance, a book I’ve recently read and loved (This Is Why They Hate Us by Aaron Aceves, I highly recommend it) has a main character who’s just as foul-mouthed and sex positive as Mallory—and delightful in his own chaotic way. I would argue that all book characters stand out and are unique in their own way. When I began writing Mallory, I wanted her to be a perfect storm of talent, insecurities, confidence, loneliness, humor, and a few psychological wounds, and I wanted her to be both charming and frustrating. I feel very protective of her, and I hope readers will love her as much as I do!

TL: We all know you as a queen of making seemingly unsexy things — such as science, and now chess — sexy. What is your history with chess, and what drew you to writing a book that centered on this game?

AH: I think chess has always been sexy, and I blame (credit?) Star Trek for that. There hasn’t been a single chess
game played in Star Trek that didn’t ooze sexual tension. As a Spock fangirl, I was primed to love this sport!

TL: In a previous interview, you described Mallory and Nolan as your favorite couple you’ve written. That’s big, considering how beloved the other couples you’ve created have been. Why are Mallory and Nolan your favorite? What about their relationship made them stand out?

AH: They have a specific dynamic that really fascinates me: they are two people who are incredibly brilliant and talented, and are pitted against each other by circumstances. In the eyes of the world, they are rivals, and they should be enemies. In truth, they haven’t really met anyone who’s their peer so far, and they are much more interested in getting to know each other (and falling in love) than in fighting.

TL: In the beginning of the book, you describe Nolan as being the Gen Z sex symbol of chess. Who would be on your shortlist to play him in a hypothetical screen adaptation?

AH: Jacob Elordi. That’s it—he’s the shortlist.

TL: Lastly, we ask everyone, what is your favorite thing about independent bookstores?

AH: The booksellers! I’ve built so many great friendships with booksellers in the last couple of years. We start by
bonding over our love for good books, and the next thing I know, we’re in Italy eating gelato together—I love t
sooo much!

Check & Mate is on our shelves now. Grab a copy today!