When I originally bought this book I intended to give it to one of my nephews as an interesting and inspiring collection of chess games and chess heroes.
My overall opinion is that this is a good book but some of the content, though accurate, I think demands a more grown-up audience. I found this odd as at a brief scan it appeared to me to be an introductory book.
Algebraic notation is described near the front of the book. The games moves are given in figurine algebraic notation, the board diagrams are clear and have a-h 1-8 round the edge.
There are numerous illustrations of the players, varying from sketches to photos.
The games:
Anderssen-Kieseritsky (London, 1851)
Paulsen-Morphy (New York, 1857)
Zukertort-Blackburne (London, 1883)
Steinitz-Tchigorin (Havana, 1892)
Pillsbury-Lasker (St Petersburg, 1896)
Bernstein-Capablanca (Moscow, 1914)
Bogolyubov-Alekhine (Hastings, 1922)
Samisch-Nimzowitsch (Copenhagen, 1923)
Botvinnik-Capablanca (Rotterdam, 1938)
Larsen-Spassky (Belgrade, 1970)
Fischer-Spassky (Reykjavik, 1972)
Karpov-Kasparov (Moscow, 1985)
Each game is given a separate chapter, which starts with an overview of the players. Then the games moves are given with brief annotations, and occasionally very brief variations. Then the chapter might finish with an incredibly brief overview of the opening used.
It is the overview of the players which caused me some concern in giving this book as a present. When I read about some of these great players dying in poverty, or withdrawing from public life, suffering mental illnesses, drug or alcohol addiction, and STDs - well that wasn't the sort of educational material I was expecting! The idea of Steinitz insisting he could make telephone calls without any telephone apparatus made me want to laugh and feel sad for the guy at the same time. Not the sort of material I want to give to a child.
On the other hand, I enjoyed this book so maybe I was just looking for an excuse to keep it.
BT Batsford Ltd. London 1991
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