Tara, a spoiled princess of Helium and John Carter's daughter, rejects Gahan, Jed of Gathol, as a suitor and foolishly flys off into a great storm. Gahan gives chase. By the time he finally catches up to Tara, she has forgotten who he is, and he assumes the name Turan, a panthan mercenary. Together they challenge the power of O-Tar, Jeddak of Manator, whose barbaric nation of Red Men have preyed upon Gathol for centuries.

The Manatorians have elevated Jetan, Martian chess, to an unprecedented level of skill and excitement: they use live chessmen who fight for live princesses. Gahan finds himself fighting for Tara on the chessboard of Manator, and haunting O-Tar's palace

"Chessmen of Mars" was first published in Argosy All-Story Weekly (February 18, 25,; March 4, 11, 18, 25; April 1 1922). The first Hardcover edition was published by A.C. McClurg & Co., November 29, 1922.

The original edition was bound in red cloth with black lettering on the spine and front. The dust jacket, a frontpiece, and seven illustrations were done by J. Allen St. John.

The text of this edition is from the 1922 A.C. McClurg edition. The front cover picture of this edition is a restored copy of the front of the original dust jacket. All the original interior illustrations are reproduced in this edition.