Not an Easy Win (2023) is a middle grade novel by Chrystal D. Giles. It tells the story of 12-year-old Lawrence, who is expelled from his mostly white middle school for fighting. With his mother working overnight shifts, his father in prison after a questionable traffic stop, and his grandmother trying to keep his family together, Lawrence starts going to the local rec center with their neighbor. There, he learns how to play chess, which teaches him about patience, forethought, and planning his moves instead of reacting. Through Lawrence’s family, new friendships, and personal growth, Giles explores themes of Empathy and Compassion, Blame Versus Accountability, and The Importance of Friendship.

This guide refers to the 2024 Yearling paperback first edition.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide discuss racism and enslavement.

Plot Summary

Twelve-year-old Lawrence is expelled from seventh grade for getting into another fight—one of many over the last few months. He tries to explain to the principal, his mother (“Ma”), and his grandmother (“Granny”) that it is not his fault, as the other kids constantly bully him for being one of the only Black children in the school. However, none of them listen to him.

Lawrence, Ma, and his younger sister, Nikko, all live with Granny since they were evicted from their house. Lawrence’s father (“Pop”) left, having been arrested for a parking ticket under dubious circumstances. Also in the home are Lawrence’s twin cousins, Ivy and Iris, whose mother sends them to live with Granny during the week so that they can attend the mostly white Andrew Jackson Elementary School.

The day after he is expelled, Lawrence wakes up to the sound of Ma and Granny arguing about him. Granny insists that Lawrence needs to take responsibility for his actions, while Ma argues that she is going to talk with the school to try to get his expulsion reversed. Annoyed, Lawrence leaves the house and walks several miles into the nearby town of Larenville, North Carolina. He thinks about his Pop while listening to Pop’s music on his old iPod.

The next day, Lawrence goes to their neighbor, Mr. Dennis. Mr. Dennis takes him to a local recreation center, where Lawrence meets the owner, Junior. Over the next several days, he returns, learning to set up the center in the mornings, do his schoolwork in the afternoons, and meet the kids after school. He is excited by the number of Black kids his age that he gets to be around and the responsibility of helping Mr. Dennis.

Although Lawrence generally keeps to himself, he meets a young girl, Twyla, whom he develops a crush on, and Junior’s son, Deuce. Deuce immediately dislikes him, making fun of him and telling him to stay away from the rec center.

One day, Deuce steals Lawrence’s earbuds. Lawrence confronts him, but Deuce tells him that he threw them out. Lawrence angrily shoves him as Deuce punches him back in the stomach. Mr. Dennis pulls Lawrence into the rec center, scolding him for fighting and telling him that this is his last chance. Twyla also talks to Lawrence, telling him that by fighting him, he gave into exactly what Deuce wanted.

Mondays are Lawrence’s favorite day at the rec center because the children gather to play chess. There is a junior tournament in the summer—which Deuce and Twyla are going to as the best players at the rec center—and Mr. Dennis is looking for a third player. Lawrence asks Mr. Dennis to teach him how to play, initially so that he can get closer to Twyla, but then, he slowly gets more excited about the game. He draws boards at home, watches the other kids on Mondays, practices in the mornings, and eventually learns to beat Junior and a few other kids at the rec center.

At home, Granny and Lawrence mend their relationship. As Ma starts working overnight shifts, Lawrence eats dinner with Granny, talks with her about the rec center, and even cooks dinner for her one night. Through it all, he continues to think about his father, wondering where he is and if he will ever hear from him again.

When Deuce starts failing his classes, Junior forces him to spend his time at the rec center in the chess room with Lawrence. Although Deuce initially dismisses him, Lawrence eventually figures out that Deuce loves music. As he listens to his father’s music, he lets Deuce join him, and the two begin spending every day listening to music together. When Deuce asks about Lawrence’s dad, Lawrence tells him that he’s “gone.” Deuce understands because he also has a parent in prison.

One day, Lawrence hears Deuce and Junior arguing about Deuce’s mother. She came home, but Deuce refuses to see her. Lawrence comforts him by listening to music with him, but later, Deuce stops coming to the rec center. Junior insists that Deuce is fine, but he is gone for more than a week.

Twyla and two of her friends approach Lawrence about visiting Deuce at home. They go there and find Deuce watching TV. While there, Lawrence has fun with friends his age for the first time in a long time. After the others leave, Lawrence stays behind, and Deuce tells him that he has been seeing a counselor to work through his feelings about his mom. They agree that they are no longer enemies, and Lawrence leaves with a better understanding of Deuce’s life; he compares it to his feelings about his father and how he would feel if he came back.

As the chess tournament approaches, Lawrence improves and secures the third spot. Deuce returns to the rec center, and he, Lawrence, and Twyla spend the last few weeks practicing for hours a day. Although Lawrence becomes good enough to occasionally beat Deuce, he can never beat Twyla. Lawrence and Deuce grow even closer, and Lawrence realizes that they are finally friends.

In Charlotte for the tournament, Lawrence, Deuce, and Twyla explore their hotel. The night before the tournament, Deuce convinces Lawrence to ask Twyla to be his girlfriend. When he finally works up the courage to do so, she turns him down, insisting that she just wants to be friends.

On the day of the tournament, all the students gather in the convention center. Lawrence is overwhelmed by all the kids—especially the white, privileged-looking ones—but Deuce convinces him that they belong there.

Moments before the tournament begins, Junior calls Deuce out into the hall. Lawrence hears them arguing and realizes that Junior wants him to talk with his mother. However, Deuce angrily storms out of the convention center. Lawrence follows him, calming him down and convincing him that the tournament is too important to throw away over his anger.

When they get back inside, Lawrence searches for his table when he hears a commotion. He sees Deuce arguing with another player, who insults him over the way Deuce fought with Junior. Deuce angrily shoves the boy, and security breaks up their fight. Without even asking for Deuce’s side of the story, the officials throw Deuce out of the tournament and force him to leave while allowing the other boy to stay.

Twyla and Lawrence remain at the tournament, determined to show how good they are after Deuce’s expulsion. They both win their first round, with Lawrence easily beating a cocky kid who tries to bother him during their match.

In their second match, Lawrence loses a close game, but he is still ecstatic to have qualified for the tournament and won a match. Twyla wins her second match, beating the boy who goaded Deuce earlier, but she loses her third match. However, she, too, is excited, having learned new moves that she can use in future tournaments.

When Lawrence returns home, his family greets him, proud of what he accomplished. Nik tells him that they got a new dining table, which will seat all four of them, and his mother shows him a letter about his acceptance to Booker T. Washington School in the fall—the predominantly Black school where most of the rec center kids go.

Back at the rec center, Lawrence finds Deuce. Deuce apologizes for his outburst and assures Lawrence that he is learning to think about his choices before acting. He also tells Lawrence that his mother now lives in a group home nearby. She and Junior are trying to force Deuce to talk with her, but Deuce is adamant that he has changed a lot and isn’t sure that he wants to see her. Lawrence encourages Deuce to be honest with his parents, and the two sit together and listen to music.