Zugzwang mossa obbligata

Tatal meu m-a invatat sa joc sah cand eram mica. Nu l-am invins niciodata insa nici nu regret pentru ca una dintre cele mai frumoase amintiri din copilarie este zambetul sau victorios. Am observat ca in ziua de azi se practica un altfel de sah, in care se sacrifica multe piese, diferit de stilul inv Leggi tutto

I have a problem with 'literary' authors who write what they would call genre books; I feel they undervalue and misunderstand the canon. This book, like the Black/Banville series felt to me like a simple plot strung out for rather longer than it warranted, justified by a suffusion of flowery languag Leggi tutto

A fun thriller, even for those (like me) with no knowledge of Russian history. The story concerns a psychotherapist in Tsarist Russia who becomes embroiled in plots of chess, conspiracy, murder, and, of course, steamy historical sex. It's not quite a page-turner, but it's very well-written, and I le Leggi tutto

Bennett draws a parallel between a chess game played by the protagonist and his "best" friend, on the one hand, and the situation that this friend is in, in St Petersburg in 1914, on the other hand. In Zugzwang he is. Hence, impossible for this friend to make a move that could improve his live. Intr Leggi tutto

Zugzwang is a term used in chess to describe a position in which a player is reduced to a state of utter helplessness. He is obliged to move, but every makes his position worse. This book is set in 1914 pre-revolution St. Petersburg where Dr. Otto Spethmann is a prominent psychoanalyst and widower li Leggi tutto

I really enjoyed this book, and I think I would have liked it even more if I understood the game of chess at all. This story occurs in 1914 in St. Petersburg. The main character is a pyschoanalyst who playes chess with his best friend, a violin player. St. Petersburg is getting ready to host a world Leggi tutto

While the plot is somewhat farfetched, the writing is interesting and the pacing is good. The best part is the setting of Pre Revolutionary St. Petersburg, meticulously rendered by the author whose research is evident (and if not evident then minutely detailed at the end of the book!!) The central ch Leggi tutto

Politics. Chess. History. Not even my thing. And somehow I knew I'd love this love the moment my eyes landed on this. What a page turner. Kept me curious until the very last page (for real). An amalgamation of all the interesting things this kid likes to read about; mystery, psychology, murder, thri Leggi tutto