"The Life and Games of Vassily Smyslov, Vol. I, The Early Years, 1921-1948", by Andrey Terekhov

Dear chess lovers, I do not know how to start this blog, other than to admit I had to; for you see, I am a lover of chess books, specially the Game Collection/Biography type. Books written with genuine appreciation for the player who is the subject matter, such books are close to my heart. Here is why: the eye of the heart sees more than the mind's eye; it sees the inner fibre, the essence of the chess player about whom the book is written!

I will first give two examples of this, and then turn to the main topic of this post.

The first example is a book about Emanuel Lasker, written by Dr. Hannak.

The book is written with a genuine appreciation, admiration and love for Dr. Lasker! It borders on poetic, the description of Dr. Lasker's life, his inspiration, his struggles, his triumphs and defeats. It brings Lasker the person to the fore, as much as Lasker the chess player.

The second book which struck me this way is "Kramnik: My Life and Games" by Vladimir Kramnik and Iakov Damsky.

Mr. Damsky's admiration and appreciation for Kramnik shines through the pages of the book. How I wish someone would do a book like that about David Bronstein!

Recently (2020) Andrey Terekhov published Vol. I of "The life and Games of Vassily Smyslov", covering the life and games of Smyslov from 1921-1948.

This book is a masterpiece! Where do I start?

Every chapter in Smyslov's chess journey is divided into two parts:

1) a detailed description of events happening in Smyslov's life and tournaments-

This section includes so much! From articles about Smyslov in the magazines of the time, to critical issues in Soviet society at that time, tournament tables,  as well as extracts from some key games and moments in his chess battles.

2) selected games from that period.

The games are fully annotated, and also include information about each opponent! We get to know, in a paragraph or two, some details about who Smyslov is playing in that game! I find that enriching and special! Some opponents died in the Great War; others pursued chess only for a few years; others yet became prominent Masters and even Grandmasters!

In short, this is a book that I highly recommend. The amount of research that Andrey Terekhov has done is outstanding! He had access to the archives of the Smyslov family, and the book reflects the depth of effort in collecting the most accurate and in-depth description of significant events and moments in Smyslov's life and games.

A book of this depth and quality could not have been done without a genuine appreciation and admiration for Vasily Smyslov. Mr. Terekhov has shown us what genuine concern and care can bring forward and let blossom forth; what fruits hard work and sincerity can bear!