Customer Reviews

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

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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.

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.

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.

This book contains wonderful biographies of chess's finest players up to Karpov. I must have checked this out of the library two or three times before breaking down and buying a used copy. The photos are pretty compelling, as well. There's one picture of Tal gazing down an opponent that should be made into a poster and put on the bedroom wall of every teenage Russian chess fan. A very well researched book that demands attention from any player of the game.