Istanbul-born Leyla was raised in Moscow, where her father had been appointed as a diplomat. Because of her talent for chess, she was admitted into Botwinnik’s Chess School. The Turkish girl Leyla was a promising chess player, just like her contemporary, Kasparov. However, following the death of her mother and father in a strange traffic accident, she was expelled. She returned to Istanbul, where bad times awaited her. Leyla began to live in one of Istanbul’s biggest garbage dumps, together with her past, which was never far from her mind. From the garbage dump, of which she was declared the queen, Leyla followed the successes of her sole rival, Kasparov, and of Karpov. At one point in the novel, Leyla the Queen of the Garbage Dump, says that all of our memories are nothing but one big garbage dump themselves.

This novel, which evolves like a chess match, each move stirring the reader’s curiosity and interest, is filthy, fascinating, and unforgettable. Yet it manages to save its best move for last, when, in a shocking finale, the reader is forced to clear the board and start all over again—beginning from page one.