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The Chess Artist, by J.C. Hallman
Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2003 10:09 am
by KFarmer
I put up a post about this book about a month ago. It's really quite excellent, a complete portrait of chess--very different from what journalists normally do. The guy's American--the author and a master travel to Russia and have a lot of adventures in the chess world--but the book has gotten some big reviews in the London Financial Times and the London Telegraph. Also, the chessnews guy on chessfm.com has been writing about it too. Anybody else read it?
The Chess Artist, by J.C. Hallman.
Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2004 12:22 am
by saemisch
Hi there KFarmer!
I haven't read it, but it sounds interesting. I shall have to visit the local Barnes and Noble and pick up a copy. Real good read, eh? Well have a good one -Saemisch.
Re: The Chess Artist, by J.C. Hallman
Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2004 2:19 pm
by mic
KFarmer wrote:I put up a post about this book about a month ago. It's really quite excellent, a complete portrait of chess--very different from what journalists normally do. The guy's American--the author and a master travel to Russia and have a lot of adventures in the chess world--but the book has gotten some big reviews in the London Financial Times and the London Telegraph. Also, the chessnews guy on chessfm.com has been writing about it too. Anybody else read it?
i havent read this book but, am very interested. It would be a nice touch to my library. I have every chess life since 1959 and especially the one with fischer on the cover from 1972. I own most of the informants...good study tools. I have all these books and mags but dont study much cause been to busy making a living and raising two kids....just not good at time management. but am enjoying playing chess online with slow chess.
mic f. Michigan USA
Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2004 8:35 pm
by wulebgr
I finished The Chess Artist earlier this week.
Hallman writes well in the style they must be teaching in the writing schools these days--part travel narrative, part autobiography, part social and historical commentary sprinkled with evidence of abundant research. The author's love of chess quickly reveals itself more as a love of his traveling companion and subject--Glenn, a chess master whose ambition to become the first African American Grandmaster fails because of poor results in key tournaments, and because of Maurice Ashley's success. Their trip to Kalmykia and Ilyumzhinov's Chess Palace holds together stories of other chess pilgrimmages.
No one who cares about chess and wishes to understand the game in cultural terms can afford to ignore this book.