Customer Reviews

Emanuel Lasker: Chess Colossus

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Fist of all I must say that the notation in this book is descriptive. But I think any one who has I. Q. can usually get used to it. If you have brought Soltis book on " Why Lasker matters ". Then I strongly recommend you to buy this book as well. Though I think some annotation of games may be false, since this book was first problished in Germana in 1952 and later translated into English. I think one very important point that Soltis' lacking is the human side of Lasker. Both chooses hundred of games, but this book spends considerable pages on the biography of Lasker. Lasker really is a " figher", as I have written in the review on" Soltis " book, if all the past champions can re-incarnate, then learn the current opening theory etc, and play matchs with Fischer or Kasparov, only Lasker can draw or even beat F or K. As stated in the mentioned review, the reason is not other champions who ches ability miles away compared with Fischer or Kasparov, the fact is simply these " Champions cannot cope the the tremendous pressure generated by F or K. " BUT Lasker can." I also wants to mention one more thing is that, besides a Chess World Champion, Lasker was also a great mathematcian of the firt category with contributing to the ring theory of Algebra. But Lasker is only forever remembered as a great Champion only especiall today.

First published in 1959. With a foreword by Albert Einstein. Emanuel Lasker held the World Chess Championship for a record period from 1894-1921. During this time he dominated his contemporaries in elite events such as St Petersburg 1896, London 1899, Paris 1900 and St Petersburg again in 1914. He won numerous matches against such greats as Steinitz, Marshall, Janowski and Tarrasch, as well as defending his title in a drawn match against Schlechter. This account of Lasker's life and games reads like a novel - how as a young man he fought his way to the world title while still in his twenties, how he survived the First World War and the later Nazi persecution of Jews in Germany, and how Lasker emerged at over 60 years of age to once again carve out a career for himself amongst the hungry young lions of world chess.

Lasker is one of the all time chess greats and this gripping book does full justice to his achievements. The author Dr Jacques Hannak was a German expert and chess author of the first half of the 20th century. He was also responsible for a biography of Steinitz. The translation into English is by Heinrich Fraenkel, the endgame study enthusiast, who wrote a regular column for the New Statesman magazine under the pseudonym Assiac. Hardinge Simpole have also reprinted Assiac's other main contribution to the literature of the 64 squares - Delights of chess.