Vladimir Nabokov
This celebrity goo was created by Scott Hardie.
publication date: Wednesday, June 3, 2026 (part of June 2026)
category: 
Literature
clue: Although best known for his "love" story between a teenager and the stepfather sexually obsessed with her, his own true love was chess, where he manipulated his king, queen, and knight to seize glory by overcoming the losin' defense of his opponents.
explanation: Nabokov, a chess expert, wrote novels including Lolita, The Luzhin Defense (sometimes called The Defense), Glory, The Real Life of Sebastian Knight, and King, Queen, Knave. more…
intended difficulty: easy
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Samir Mehta, and Richard Slominsky
trivia: Luzhin is supposed to rhyme with "illusion" or "delusion," but Scott couldn't resist pretending otherwise in order to make a pun.
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