What is the main conflict in The Eight by Katherine Neville?

The Eight, an intellectually and structurally complex novel, follows two narrative lines, each essentially telling the same story: a woman's pursuit of a mysteriously powerful artifact, a chess set known as The Montglane Service. Themes relating to the seductive power of revenge and the universal interrelationship of matter and spirit are woven into a suspenseful tapestry of multi-layered relationships and narrow escapes. Additionally, the story features fictionalized appearances by actual, historically important individuals.