Got the idea from the Chess & Mythology post:

What stories have you encountered or enjoyed where Chess was a prominent part of the story?

Let me start with Unicorn Variations, by Roger Zelazney (one of my favorite authors)

 This is off-topic, as I don't remember any specif references to chess in this book. However, Zelazney's Lord of Light is, in all likelihood, my absolute favorite sci-fi and/or fantasy novel. Now that I think about it, a group of metahumans who model themselves after Vedic deities almost certainly have more than a passing familiarity with chess.