Inspiration and controversy alike still surround the 1948 match tournament. Why for example was the Polish grandmaster Miguel Najdorf not invited when US Grandmaster Reuben Fine dropped out?

This book combines the account and eye witness analysis by Golombek of the second and third of the three titanic world title clashes between Botvinnik and Smyslov, unquestionably the dominant players of the 1950s, with the games and notes to the 1958 match.