chess
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.With the PCA World Championship match due to begin in New York on Monday, Batsfords have brought out two books on both contestants.
Garry Kasparov's Fighting Chess, by Garry Kasparov, Jon Speelman and Bob Wade, is an updated version of a 1987 work. The final 100 pages are entirely new; the first 212 are apparently untouched. Even the claim in the preface: "This book contains 91 games" has been left unaltered - rare modesty from "the world's leading chess publisher" when the new edition has around 150.
The whole style is patchy, with the effect of a scrap-book rather than a continuous narrative. The editing also looks rushed. On page 283, for example, we read: "The take-over upset the pattern of events which FIDE had run from 1947" and six lines later: "The PCA take-over upset the pattern of events which FIDE had run from 1947". Once more and it's a draw by repetition.
But with that many games by the greatest player of recent years, one cannot complain greatly. Good value for pounds 14.99.
While the Kasparov book is, apart from the chess, rather a pedestrian compilation, David Norwood's Vishy Anand: Chess Super-Talent (pounds 12.99) is a most unusual work. Part Indian travelogue, part chess biography, part (rather a large part in fact) Norwood's autobiographical reminiscences, it can be recommended to anyone interested in chess, seafood, drink, India and David Norwood. Anand's own reported comment to the author was: "Thank you for including me in your book."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments