The Kings of Chess: A History of Chess Traced Through the Lives of Its Greatest Players [Hardcover]

William Roland Hartston (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The history of chess comes alive in this fascinating compilation of minibiographies. Fifteen well-written chapters chronicle the evolution of the game through the lives and lifestyles of its greatest players, including Staunton, Morphy, Capablanca, Fisher, and Karpov (the current world champion). Most are shown to be arrogant, obstinate, and eccentric monomaniacs, but all are extremely provocative in their quests to be best. Selected games are included to illustrate many of the players' grandest achievements, but they are secondary to the captivating text and photographs. Hartston's book is an excellent complement to traditional chess histories. Recommended for public libraries. William Hepfer, SUNY at Buffalo Libs.
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Harpercollins; 1 edition (September 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006015358X
• ISBN-13: 978-0060153588
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 8.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #785,385 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Brief History of Chess through its best players, June 16, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Kings of Chess: A History of Chess Traced Through the Lives of Its Greatest Players (Hardcover)

This is the first book on chess which I have read and it has spurred me to become an avid chess player. The lives of every famous chess player from Philidor to Kasparov is chronicled in this scholarly writing. Complete with their games and excellent photos , this book is a must-read for all who want to know about the greatest players in the history of chess. Brillant and painstaking research on their lives and their eccentricies.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and informative, July 12, 2000

By 

Stosh D. Walsh (near Chicago, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Kings of Chess: A History of Chess Traced Through the Lives of Its Greatest Players (Hardcover)

This excellent book provides a unique look into the history of chess by examining the lives and careers of its prominent players. Although the text essentially ends with Fischer, it is a worthwhile read. The author's style is engaging, and his choice to include only a representative game or two at the end of each master's chapter makes the book flow nicely as a story, rather than a manual on chess tactics or strategy. If you are interested in learning about the characters who played a role in defining this great game, Hartston's book is for you.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pleasure from cover to cover, May 10, 2004

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Kings of Chess: A History of Chess Traced Through the Lives of Its Greatest Players (Hardcover)

I can't believe how much I enjoyed this book! I picked it up because I was interested in a little bit of the medieval background of chess; but once I started, I couldn't stop. Hartston does a marvelous job of bringing out the humanity of all the world chess champions and explaining how these characters shaped the history of the game. Each of the Fathers of chess is given a chapter or two that describes his life, career, and influence--on and off the chess board. Far from being a mere timeline of successive champions, the book hightlights and rise and fall of each champion in a form of dynamic history.

While each chapter offers a sample from the champions' games, it is not necessary to work through them. In fact, the book can be thoroughly enjoyed without any understanding of chess at all. However, I do recommend studying the Morphy game. It is short, elegant, and chock full of amazing features and sheer genius. (Having thrived before the age of "official" champions, Morphy was somewhat unknown to me. This book gave me so much appreciation for him, that now I don't hesitate to look upon him as my chess hero.)

This is one of those rare books that I hated to have end. It is still provoking daily thoughts even weeks after I've read it. I will definitely read it again.