How does chapter 9 of Frindle compare a chess game to Mrs. Chatham’s conversation with Nick’s family?

Author Andrew Clements wrote in some wonderful comparisons in the book Frindle that he uses to convey the depth of the conflict that exits between Nick and Mrs. Granger. Chapter 8 has Nick and Mrs. Granger sitting down for a negotiation of sorts. Nick tells readers he thinks it is similar to two generals sitting down for a war conference. The comparison shows readers that the conflict between Nick and Mrs. Granger isn't a simple disagreement. It is a major engagement.

The idea that Nick and Mrs. Granger are two master generals squaring off against each other is continued into chapter 9, but the comparison changes from warring generals to two warring chess masters. In chess, different pieces can move differently, and the queen is considered the most powerful piece on the board. Both Nick and Mrs. Granger command their own "queens." For Nick, it is his mom. For Mrs. Granger, it is the school principal, Mrs. Chatham. Chapter 9 has Mrs. Chatham and Mrs. Allen squaring off against each other. They each bring valid arguments to the table in an attempt to win the battle for the corresponding side, and this is similar to how a chess master uses the queen piece to maneuver his/her opponent into "check." The chess comparison continues to work well for the overall novel because it continues to show that the conflict between Nick and Mrs. Granger is a conflict involving a lot of strategy and pieces/people of varying degrees of power.

How does the conversation in Chapter 9 of Frindle resemble a game of chess?

In Chapter 9, the principal of Nick's school, Mrs. Margaret Chatham, comes over to Nick's house in the early evening to talk with him and his parents. Right away, we notice that their meeting is like the beginning of a game of chess. There are two sides: Nick's family against Mrs. Chatham, and these two forces will clash with each other, each struggling to "win" the situation.

Nick notices that Mrs. Chatham is physically strong. She reminds him of a football player, and Nick mentally notes that his own father really was a football player. This comparison reveals to us that both "sides" in this conflict have their own strengths; it's a fair match.

Mrs. Chatham appears stiff in her black raincoat and doesn't smile. Nick doesn't say that his parents smile or show any warmth, either. That reveals to that the conflict is serious, that all the "players" in this game are taking it seriously.

The principal makes the opening move, describing how Nick has been at the center of all the trouble over the word "frindle" at school. Nick watches as his parents respond, and he silently cheers when his mom seems to be fighting back against the principal. As readers, we wonder who will win the game: will the parents admit that Nick is wrong and should be punished, or will Mrs. Chatham admit that Nick is creative and that his behavior should be overlooked?

The parents and Mrs. Chatham go back and forth, like players do during a game of chess, and you might expect that one of them might win, that one side would give in to the other, but there's no victory here at all. In fact, Nick realizes that the real game being played involves his teacher, Mrs. Granger, too:

"Nick had a sudden vision of what was really going on here. It was a chess game, Nick against Mrs. Granger. Mrs. Granger had just tried to end the game by using her queen--Mrs. Chatham in her black raincoat, the black queen... but he had a powerful defender of his own--good old Mom, the white queen."

To sum this up, the conversation in Chapter 9 is like a chess game because it's a serious, back-and-forth struggle between two sides, both of whom want to be the winner in the situation.