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King's Gambit
Former British champion Bill Hartston once observed, "Chess doesn't drive people mad. It keeps mad people sane." Morphy and Fischer's behavior became truly bizarre only after they retired from the game.
That is from Paul Hoffman's King's Gambit: A Son, A Father, and the World's Most Dangerous Game. I loved this one, it's one of the few great chess books. It's also a tale of how Manhattan has changed, how sons become independent, the nature of psychological warfare, and why obsession never really dies. Note that author Hoffman is also editor of Discover magazine, which I enjoy as well.
Posted by Tyler Cowen on September 8, 2007 at 07:02 AM in Sports | Permalink
Comments
The link doesn't give much information. Also, the author is completely unknown in the chessworld... one of the few great chessbooks???
Posted by: jmws at Sep 8, 2007 7:21:33 AM
As a chess player myself, I agree that there are few "popularized" chess books that stay faithful to the esoteric nature of the game while still communicating the excitement and creativity that draws some to it (what with ever-higher entrance fees and pathetically inadequate cash prizes, it's almost impossible to play professionally and live comfortably at the same time).
However, I did feel that "Kings of New York" did a good job of telling the tale of the gifted youth that makes up many of New York City's best school chess teams. It is also the story of the educational system in the city and one chess coach's struggle against educational fads and norms, for the sake of the children.
BTW jmws, "Kings of New York" was also not by a chess master, rather a very good journalist.
Posted by: philosophking at Sep 8, 2007 7:58:38 AM
you have chessbooks and books about chess players..i think that Tyler philosophking mean the latter ones, when speaking about chessbooks... one of the best that comes to mind is the classic of Frank Brady, on Fischer..
THE BEST is undoubtly The King by Donner... (Tyler: BUY that one, there is no other book which tells you better about the life of chessplayers..it's also at times very funny).
Posted by: jmws at Sep 8, 2007 10:27:28 AM
The best chess book, I think, is The Immortal Game, by David Shenk (which also spawned a great chessplaying site at www.playtheimmortalgame.com. Shenk, a patzer himself, writes a cultural history of the game woven around an analysis of a famous mid-nineteenth century game. Highly recommended.
Posted by: mo at Sep 8, 2007 12:40:46 PM
Also, the author is completely unknown in the chessworld... one of the few great chessbooks???
If he were a madman standing on the street corner, would his words somehow take on different meaning?
Posted by: Ray G at Sep 8, 2007 2:27:06 PM
Thanks!
Posted by: JewishAtheist at Sep 8, 2007 7:44:58 PM
truly great is of course stefan zweig's "schachnovelle" ("chess story") ...
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