History of Chess [Hardcover]

Harold James R Murray (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 900 pages
• Publisher: Oxbow Books; First Edition edition (December 31, 1913)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198274033
• ISBN-13: 978-0198274032
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.6 x 2.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,663,047 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Monumental book on the history of chess, August 15, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: History of Chess (Hardcover)

This book is a reprint of Murrays monumental work, first published in 1913. Murray is a scientist, and his writing shows this: we have discussions about legibility of manuscripts, theories of the spreading of chess, etc.

What we find in all this is a thorough and precise account of how chess came into existence, and has spread over the world. Where many books on the history of chess are best in describing the modern history, this book is best in telling about the roots. Also, we find hunderds of historic chess puzzles. If you really want to know how the origins of the best game there is are, then read this book.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Most Extensive History and Development of Early Chess, June 20, 2006

By 

R. M. Snyder "CHESS AUTHOR, MASTER & TRAINER" (Fort Collins, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: History of Chess (Hardcover)

"H. J. Murray's" "HISTORY OF CHESS" is considered by all serious chess historians to be the classic work covering the early development and progression of chess. It is a very extensive and scholarly written work. This book is not intended to entertain the reader with "odd, but true" stories or myths about chess. It is an informative guide and reference book for the serious chess historian. The most extensive work on a more modern history of chess (1800s onward) is "THE CHESS KINGS" by Calvin Olson. However, in addition to being scholarly and accurate, it contains annotated games of historical importance while making the history of the world championship level chess entertaining. Together these books form comprehensive coverage of chess history from its beginnings traced back to around 600 a.d. to the turn of the 21st century.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More than you ever wanted to know about Chess, May 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: History of Chess (Hardcover)

Murray has written a truly monumental description of the evolution of chess, filled with descriptions of ancient and oriental variations on the theme of chess. It can be a hard read in places, but it's well worth the effort. The section on Shogi (Japanese Chess) gives an introduction to a game every bit as deep and satisfying as Western Chess.