From Publishers Weekly
"Deep down inside I am a romantic," confesses Kasparov, the brash, supremely confident Soviet grand master who in 1985, at age 22, defeated fellow countryman Anatoly Karpov to become the youngest-ever world chess champion. In this articulate, witty, outspoken autobiography, written with Trelford, an editor of the British Observer , Kasparov recalls his Jewish-Armenian family background, his father's death when he was seven and his precocious entry into the tournament world. Focusing on key matches in a narrative chock-full of chess anecdotes and game analyses, the book highlights the grand master's running feud with a bureaucratic "chess mafia" and his gutsy attempt to democratize the sport as it is played in the Soviet Union. This sometimes rancorous tell-all offers a behind-the-scenes look at the intrigue and politics of top-level competition. Photos.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
The engaging Russian who became world chess champion at age 22 in 1985 has coauthored (with the editor of Britain's The Observer ) an honest and interesting account of his competitive life. He devotes two brief chapters to his childhood, when his special talent for chess was recognized, but the rest details the challenges--intellectual and psychological--of his major tournaments. His descriptions of other master players, particularly his long-time rivals Florencio Campomanes and Anatoly Karpov, are fascinating. Equally engrossing are accounts of his clashes with the International Chess Federation, whose political squabblings have stalled many high-level games. Recommended.
- Will Hepfer, SUNY at Buffalo Libs.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
- Will Hepfer, SUNY at Buffalo Libs.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
