Gambit

Jerin is a mental freak—a man capable of successfully playing a dozen simultaneous chess games against first-rate players while he himself is out of sight of any of the boards. It is while thus engaged that he is killed. A millionaire—his opponent in more realms than chess—is accused, and Nero Wolfe is given what appears to be the most hopeless case he and Archie Goodwin have ever tackled.

You need to know nothing about chess to follow this tale, but some understanding of beautiful mothers and daughters will help.