Chapter 16 Summary: Chapter 13 – Olympic Team Dynamics and a Painful Memory

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

The chapter opens with Mallory explaining two key differences between the Olympics and normal tournaments: doping tests and team scoring. As the second-strongest player on the U.S. team, Mallory is nervous but repeatedly asks Emil if she is a good choice; he dismisses her doubts with exasperated reassurance.

The team dynamic feels supportive: Nolan high-fives her after wins, Tanu kisses her forehead when she avoids a draw, and Nolan—after crushing his own opponent—gets hot drinks for everyone and watches her games with an intense, unwavering confidence. Mallory finds his unshakeable faith both flattering and irritating, but she avoids overthinking it.

The atmosphere in Toronto is relaxed: players eat homemade sandwiches on the floor, friends hug between rounds. After the first day, Mallory falls asleep on the sofa and wakes to find someone has put her to bed, removed her shoes, charged her phone, and left water. She does not ask who.

On the second day, Emil loses to Sierra Leone, sparking lighthearted trash talk from Nolan and Tanu. Mallory’s feeble attempt to join in is laughed off, but Nolan defends her by referencing her talent for drawing guinea pigs.

As opponents grow stronger, the team accumulates more losses, mainly from Emil and Tanu. During the third day, Mallory finishes her game first and watches Nolan play for the first time. She is awed by the beauty and ruthlessness of his moves—his “King’s Killer” reputation becomes vivid. Tanu notices her trance and mentions she was once so in love with Nolan she thought she would die if they didn’t marry, but quickly adds that he seems incapable of caring.

Before the final game against Serbia, Mallory faces Dordevic, a player she remembers from Koch’s team at the Philadelphia Open. He accuses her of making an illegal move and calls for an arbiter. The arbiter is Heather Turcotte, the same woman from four years ago. Flashback fragments recall a conversation in which someone told Mallory that the woman was “Nadie” (nobody). Shaken, Mallory offers Dordevic a draw—her first-ever draw offer—and runs to the bathroom. Nolan follows, demanding to know what happened. Mallory deflects and escapes when fans ask for his autograph.

Back at the hostel, she locks herself in her room, breathing deeply to clear her mind. She falls into a dreamless sleep. When she wakes in the middle of the night, she finds a brown bag outside her door containing a sandwich, a Fanta, and Twizzlers left by someone on the team.

Key Events

Mallory explains the Olympic team format and her placement as second board.
The team shares wins and losses with easy camaraderie; Nolan watches her with steady confidence.
Mallory falls asleep early and is cared for by an unnamed teammate who tucks her in.
Emil loses to Sierra Leone, prompting playful insults from Nolan and Tanu.
Mallory watches Nolan play and is struck by the elegance and aggression of his style; Tanu reveals her own past crush on Nolan.
Dordevic (from Koch’s circle) falsely accuses Mallory of an illegal move and calls Heather Turcotte as arbiter.
Mallory recognizes Heather, recalls a traumatic conversation from four years ago, and offers a draw for the first time.
She flees to the bathroom; Nolan tries to intervene but she escapes.
Mallory returns to the hostel, sleeps alone, and finds a care package left outside her door.

Character Development

Mallory Greenleaf: She begins to feel genuine comfort with her teammates, enjoying the low-pressure team environment. However, the encounter with Heather Turcotte reopens a wound from her past, causing her to emotionally shut down and avoid explanation. Her willingness to offer a draw shows both self-protection and a crack in her usually combative nature.
Nolan Sawyer: His actions reveal a deepening care for Mallory: removing her shoes, charging her phone, leaving food. He is also intensely protective, noticing her distress immediately and pressing for answers. His play is described as “beautiful” and “impossible to frustrate,” underscoring his elite skill.
Emil and Tanu: They serve as the team’s emotional anchors, grounding Nolan and drawing Mallory into banter. Tanu’s comment about her childhood crush on Nolan provides insight into his perceived emotional distance, contrasting with the care he shows Mallory.
Heather Turcotte: Her mere presence triggers Mallory, but she remains an offstage figure whose role in Mallory’s past is deliberately vague.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Team as found family: The Olympic team represents a temporary but supportive unit. Mallory feels victories are “for us,” and small gestures—high-fives, food left at the door—build a sense of belonging.
Confidence vs. pressure: Nolan’s unwavering belief in Mallory should feel pressuring, but she finds it flattering. This dynamic highlights her growth in trusting others.
Trauma and avoidance: Mallory’s strong reaction to Heather—shaking, offering a draw, fleeing—shows that unprocessed memories can surface at any time, derailing even her strongest performances.
The beauty of chess: Through Mallory’s eyes, Nolan’s moves are art. This elevates chess beyond mere competition to something transcendent, hinting at her deepening respect for the game.
The motif of “Nadie” (nobody): The word from the flashback underscores a painful secret about Mallory’s mother, linking back to earlier chapters.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter marks a turning point in the team’s cohesion: Mallory feels part of a unit for the first time, and Nolan’s protective gestures move from subtle to overt. More importantly, the reappearance of Heather Turcotte forces Mallory to confront a repressed part of her past, setting up a major emotional conflict. The draw offer—her first—and her subsequent withdrawal show that her psychological struggles are far from resolved. The chapter balances warm team moments with a sudden spike in tension, raising the stakes for both the tournament and Mallory’s personal healing.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Mallory offer a draw to Dordevic when she was clearly winning?
The sight of Heather Turcotte triggers a traumatic memory from four years ago. Mallory becomes so shaken that she cannot continue playing; offering a draw is a way to escape the situation without causing a scene.
What does the care package (sandwich, Fanta, Twizzlers) left outside her door reveal about Nolan?
It shows that Nolan paid close attention to Mallory’s needs and comfort, even though she avoided asking who cared for her. The thoughtful selection of comfort food indicates he knows her preferences and wants to support her without intruding.
How does Tanu’s story about being in love with Nolan as a child contribute to the chapter?
It reveals that Nolan has always been aloof and seemingly “incapable of caring,” making his current kindness toward Mallory stand out as unusual. This contrast deepens the developing Mallory–Nolan relationship and highlights his special regard for her.