num_pages: 176
description: A classic of Holocaust literature from “one of the great masters of the short novel.”—The New YorkerIn the Vilna Ghetto during World War II, Nazi Commandant Schoger demands that all children be sent to the death camp. When Abraham Lipman pleads with him to spare their lives, Schoger reconsiders, and tells Lipman there will be a chess match between himself and Lipman’s only surviving son, Isaac, a chess prodigy. If Isaac wins, the children will live, but Isaac will die. If Isaac loses, the children will die, but Isaac will live. Only a draw will save the ghetto from this terrible predicament.The chess game a nightmarish contest played over the course of several evenings, witnessed by an audience impotent to act, staking the lives of their children on a stalemate. This is a moving story of a father and a son who shame their cruel perpetrator with their dignity, spirit, and extraordinary courage. Stalemate speaks to the power of humor even under the direst circumstances. As a parable that gives voice to the unspeakable, Stalemate is an antidote to despair.“Gripping . . . a truly memorable work.”—Booklist
language: English
title: Stalemate
titlecomplete: Stalemate
genres: Historical, School, Classics, World War II, Novels, Holocaust, War, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Read For School
ratings_count: 1552
awards: awardedAt: 1357027200000
name: Premio letterario Giuseppe Acerbi
publisher: Other Press