I was thinking more along the lines of fictional stories, not instuction manuals. I've got plenty of good instruction books and I already know how to play. I'm just looking for something with a good chess-centered story to it.
Know any good books?
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I read i book by Zweig, but i didn't read the original so i don't know the original title. Although i would say it's something like A novel of chess or something. It's not fiction, but it's good read and it involves chess of course.
Have you read "Searching for Bobby Fischer"? I saw the movie (based on the book of same name) and really liked it.
Another that's on my list to read is "King's Gambit: A Son, a Father, and the World's Most Dangerous Game", by Paul Hoffman.
The Chess Machine was really interesting, I enjoyed it! It seems there are mixed reviews on Amazon about "The Flanders Planel", what did you think?
You have to read "The Defense" by Vladimir Nabokov. It's about an eccentric Grandmaster.
Oct 22, 2008
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#6
You may also want to check out this list:
http://www.amazon.com/Chess-Fiction-Worth-Reading/lm/271RCLMWB1FP0
Oct 22, 2008
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#7
The Eight by Katherine Neville. It's about a world pursuit for a chess set with an historical backstory that explains its importance.
from the barnes and noble site:
Synopsis
Computer expert Cat Velis is heading for a job to Algeria. Before she goes, a mysterious fortune teller warns her of danger, and an antique dealer asks her to search for pieces to a valuable chess set that has been missing for years...In the South of France in 1790 two convent girls hide valuable pieces of a chess set all over the world, because the game that can be played with them is too powerful....
Annotation
When two young women in France of 1790 discover the Montglane Chess Service in Montglane Abbey, their Abbess recognizes its mystic ability to provide anyone playing it with unlimited power and desperately scatter its pieces around the world. But in 1972, computer expert Catherine "Cat" Velis is hired to recover the chess pieces--and is caught up in a nefarious, globe-spanning conspiracy.
Publishers Weekly
Nearly 20 years after it was first published, Neville's debut novel finally arrives on audio. Its combination of historical references, conspiracy theory and action/thriller format have earned it cult status over the years and may have paved the way for books like The Da Vinci Code. Imposing a new format on a "classic" can be a tall order and a daunting task for a performer; fortunately, Susan Denaker's talents are level to the material. The book offers a full variety of challenges to a reader: over 60 characters, young and old, male and female, with accents from around the world. None of these pose any obstacle to Denaker, who deftly sculpts a voice for every one, including several famous historical characters. The Monteglane Service, a bejeweled chess set that holds great power, has been buried in an obscure abbey in the French countryside and later scattered throughout Europe to keep it out of the wrong hands. The tale takes place both in the 1790s and the 1970s, when it may finally fall into evil hands. Denaker is able to emphasize the appropriate speech nuances of each century with subtlety and deftness by adding the cadence of the aural to the mix. Perhaps the audio book, too, will reach cult status. A Ballantine paperback (Reviews, Nov. 4, 1988). (Oct.)
Oct 22, 2008
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#8
You might want to try The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon or The Defense by Nabakov.
Can anyone recommend a good book or two (fiction please!) with a chess tie-in? Something along the lines of "The Flanders Panel" or "The Chess Machine" (I've already got "Through the Looking Glass", but thanks anyway)? I'm a chess nut and a reading nut and other than the three I just mentioned I'm at a loss to find books that cover both obsessions. Mystery novels seem to be more prevalent, but I'm open to other genres. Any suggestions?