Book summary

At the height of the cold war, chess in the Soviet Union was a massive industry with an entire system devoted to finding and cultivating the most prodigious and preternaturally gifted young players. The ones who rose to greatness, like world champion Boris Spassky, were supported by dozens of theorists and seconds. Meanwhile, in the United States, chess was played sporadically in a few clubs and in parks and public squares. So when the wildly eccentric and tragically brilliant Bobby Fischer catapulted into the international limelight to challenge Spassky for chess supremacy, it was billed as a battle of American individualism versus the totalitarian power of the Soviet giant. The Fischer versus Spassky battle in Reyjavik has become the stuff of chess legends, but David Edmonds and John Edinow cast the tale in an invigorating new light. They spend scant time discussing the actual games, and instead focus on the public brouhaha and political machinations in both the U.S. and Soviet camps--a story bolstered by previously unreleased FBI and Soviet documents. The outlandish and exhilarating details of the tale will be a joy for both chess and history fans alike.

Media reviews

"Even if you think you know the story, this highly entertaining account will surprise and delight." (starred review)