Chess was invented more than 1,500 years ago, and is played in
every country in the world. Stephen Moss sets out to master its
mysteries, and unlock the secret of its enduring appeal. What, he
asks, is the essence of chess? And what will it reveal about his
own character along the way? In a witty, accessible style that will
delight newcomers and irritate purists, Moss imagines the world as
a board and marches across it, offering a mordant report on the
world of chess in 64 chapters - 64 of course being the number of
squares on the chessboard. He alternates between "black" chapters -
where he plays, largely uncomprehendingly, in tournaments - and
"white" chapters, where he seeks advice from the current crop of
grandmasters and delves into the lives of great players of the
past. It is both a history of the game and a kind of "Zen and the
Art of Chess"; a practical guide and a self-help book: Moss's quest
to understand chess and become a better player is really an attempt
to escape a lifetime of dilettantism. He wants to become an expert
at one thing. What will be the consequences when he realises he is
doomed to fail? Moss travels to Russia and the US - hotbeds of
chess throughout the 20th century; meets people who knew Bobby
Fischer when he was growing up and tries to unravel the enigma of
that tortured genius who died in 2008 at the inevitable age of 64;
meets Garry Kasparov and Magnus Carlsen, world champions past and
present; and keeps bumping into Armenian superstar Levon Aronian in
the gents at tournaments. He becomes champion of Surrey, wins
tournaments in Chester and Bury St Edmunds, and holds his own at
the famous event in the Dutch seaside resort of Wijk aan Zee (until
a last-round meltdown), but too often he is beaten by precocious
10-year-olds and finds it hard to resist the urge to punch them. He
looks for spiritual fulfilment in the game, but mostly finds mental
torture.
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