While many of the books reviewed
here are meant for the serious player intent on
studying for improvement, this book provides much
fascination, amusement, and food for thought.
Inspired by two articles Soltis wrote for Chess
Life during 1982, this is an expanded and updated
version of a book first published in 1984. The
original edition contained 60 lists, while the
new edition runs an additional 19.
The lists run the gamut of chess,
involving the games, the players, and everything
in between. There are tons of juicy tidbits, and
a lot of games as well. From my count, there are
over 170 complete or nearly complete games, as
well as many positions and game fragments. While
the notes are not generally deep, Soltis explains
the key points and also adds a bit of analysis
from time to time.
Still, this is more a book about
chess as a game than about games of chess. Soltis
is an accomplished author who knows how to tell
a story. He provides fresh looks at a variety
of topics, often relating to the best players
of our game.
The topics covered give an indication
of the variety found within. These include games
like Ten Botched Brilliancies, The Greatest Correspondence
Games, and Six Remarkable Games with Bizarre Openings.
They also include glimpses of great players (The
Great Rivalries, The Greatest King Pawn Players
of All Time, The Great Match Players), not so
great glimpses (Eleven Games that Probably Never
Happened, Alekhine’s Fifteen “Improvements,”
Four Faked Games, Ten Cases of Suspected or Confirmed
Cheating), and stuff that just plain is interesting
and unusual (Their Worst Games, The Real Jobs
of Noted Players, The Odd Deaths of Nine Masters,
The Three Who Really Knew “How to Beat Bobby
Fischer,” Lasker’s Exchange Values,
Eighteen Novels with Chess Themes, Thirteen Masters
Who Gave Up the Game).
I read this book on a recent cross-country
airplane trip. While many of the anecdotes and
games are well known, there is enough that is
new and unusual to satisfy even the most die-hard
chess fan. While I doubt that this will do a lot
to improve your chess IQ, it should provide several
hours of stimulating company – and for many
players and fans, that is why they play (or read
about) the game.
To see Donaldson’s review
of this book, click HERE.
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