46 pages 1 hour read

Amy Tan

Rules of the Game

Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1989

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Answer Key

Reading Check

1. Invisible strength is good for winning arguments and chess games. (Paragraph 1)

2. Waverly’s brother Lau Po and Bobby Fischer don’t take Waverly seriously because she is a girl. (Paragraphs 17, 29, 30, 47)

3. Waverly tells her mother she doesn’t want to play in chess tournaments. (Paragraph 35)

4. Waverly’s mother criticizes Waverly for sacrificing too many chess pieces. (Paragraph 41)

5. When Waverly finally returns home from the market, Vincent says she is in trouble, and her mother ignores her. (Paragraphs 59-61)

Short Answer

1. Waverly’s mother means that an opponent should not see an attack of any sort coming.  (Paragraph 2)

2. Waverly’s two names (Waverly and Meimei) suggest the family holds on to its Chinese heritage while also adopting American culture. (Paragraph 8)

3. Lao Po’s advice says chess is a formal game of manners. (Paragraph 32)

4. Waverly’s mother wants her neighbors to understand she is proud of Waverly, but Waverly is embarrassed by her mother’s words. (Paragraph 53)

5. Although it sounds as if Waverly is talking about chess, she means her next move with her mother. (Paragraph 64)