King's Gambit: A Son, A Father, and the World's Most Dangerous Game @ richardeward.com

King's Gambit: A Son, A Father, and the World's Most Dangerous Game
by Paul Hoffman
from Hyperion

Customer Reviews:

• Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0

• "A sport masquerading as an art": Great Soviet Encyclopedia's definition
  As a beginner learning about chess, I've been reading accounts aimed at a non-playing as well as insider audience. This follows my recent Amazon reviews of J.C. Hallman's "The Chess Artist"-- about his trip to chess-driven Kalmykia, his encounters with chess culture, and his friendship with a man who aspires to become the first African American grandmaster--and David Shenk's topical history of "The Immortal Game." I'd begin with Shenk's combination of chronological survey and intellectual overview, and then... more info

• Fascinating memoir about chess at the highest and lowest levels
  After reading this most interesting book I'm not sure why Paul Hoffman thinks that chess is the most dangerous game. I think it's because he believes the game is addictive, not because some prominent players have been mentally unstable, including two world champions, the uncrowned Paul Morphy and the briefly crowned Robert J. Fischer. Both Americans deserve the epithet "the pride and the sorrow of chess," but I don't think we can blame chess for their mental problems. Both were clearly paranoid, and in... more info

• Great book
  Reading this book made me want to read Mr. Hoffman's other books, which seem to be out of print.
  I do not know what impression this book could make on someone who doesn't play chess. Myself, I can't imagine my life without chess.
  So, if you play chess, love chess and it's history, it's hard to imagine you won't find this book interesting, entertaining and instructive.
  At least one reviewer didn't like the fact that the relationship between the author and his father is the thread that leads... more info

• Grandmaster Psychosis
  A very interesting read about top-level chess players. The author points out repeatedly that many of the Grandmasters in chess exhibit some pretty serious personality flaws that almost border on mental illness. I gather that the stress involved in their matches causes these problems to magnify. Paranoia being a primary concern of several players. If you thought Bobby Fischer was the only chess player with "problems" this book will make you rethink that view.

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