Content Warning: This section discusses racism.

One important motif throughout the novel is chess. As the game becomes a central part of Lawrence’s identity, it allows him to have a better understanding of life and his choices as he matures. When Mr. Dennis begins to teach Lawrence how to play chess, the first thing he does is ask him how many pieces are on the board. Lawrence considers the question and confidently answers that there are 16—forgetting to count his opponent’s pieces. Later, after Lawrence confronts Deuce about his earbuds and ends up pushing him, Twyla helps him see that Deuce was just trying to goad Lawrence into fighting. Lawrence then remembers, “Mr. Dennis’s trick question about the chess pieces on both sides of the board. I knew Deuce wasn’t feeling me—if I’d been paying attention to the whole picture, I could’ve seen he was pushing to fight me. I should’ve seen this coming” (88). Lawrence uses Mr. Dennis’s lesson about chess and applies it to his own life, realizing that he needs to understand and consider the motivations of others—just as he needs to understand what his opponents are doing with their chess pieces.