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Bobby Fischer Goes To War

How The Soviets Lost the Most Extraordinary Chess Match of all Time

By John Eidinow, David Edmonds

(10)

| Paperback | 9780060510251

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How Fischer swept the board in his cod war

Bobby Fischer Goes to War: The True Story of How the Soviets Lost the Most Extraordinary Chess Match of All Time by David Edmonds and John Eidinow Faber & Faber £14.99, pp302 Bobby Fischer was an unlikely Cold War warrior. Childish and unpredictable, ... (read full critics)

guardian.co.uk published on Sat, 25 Sep 2010

Hard-core pawns

Bobby Fischer Goes to War: The True Story of How the Soviets Lost the Most Extraordinary Chess Match of All Time by David Edmonds and John Eidinow 302pp, Faber, £14.99 The match for the world chess championship held in Reykjavik, 1972, was not just a ... (read full critics)

guardian.co.uk published on Sat, 25 Sep 2010

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2 Reviews

This is the third book I read from David Edmonds and John Eidinow. It may not be as brilliant as the Wittensgein's Poker, but it must be the most fascinating and captivating one among the three.
The book revolves around two top chess players in 70s with more emphasis is put on the American pro ... (continue)

This is the third book I read from David Edmonds and John Eidinow. It may not be as brilliant as the Wittensgein's Poker, but it must be the most fascinating and captivating one among the three.
The book revolves around two top chess players in 70s with more emphasis is put on the American prodigy Bobby Fischer, as the title suggests. I don't know the least bit about chess, pawn? queen? king? I simply have no idea. I can't possibly understand why this move is disastraous and that move 'raises chess to a level of immortal'. What's so amazing about this book is, you're so thrilled by the match, still.
Fischer, as genious at chess but fail in life, is himself a very intersting figure to tell. What's more we have another great figure Spassky. There are many interesting points to set up. US Vs Soviet. Boyish Vs the air of gentlemen. So the stories start from their growing up (which are so vivid!) and could be extended as far as to the political situations during cold war. In between the wide spectum the authors won't bother to take your imagination to the mesmerizing power of chess on and on. I now deeply believe chess is neither a sport or an intellectual game, but a perfect art like music and mathematic, as suggested by the authors.
I have mentioned too much of the content. Actually what makes the dry materials really works is the brilliant, lyrical account. It is so beautifully written that it kinda makes you dream of writing Eng so marvelous and so eloquent as the best possible accomplishment in life.

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fruit said on Jun 25, 2008 | Add your feedback

Once again the authors stretch what would have been an exciting, nicely balanced magazine article into an ultimately boring drawn-out anti-climactic hard slog, like the chess chanpionship it describes.
At least they weren't 180 degrees wrong in their conclusion as they were with Wittgenstein's ... (continue)

Once again the authors stretch what would have been an exciting, nicely balanced magazine article into an ultimately boring drawn-out anti-climactic hard slog, like the chess chanpionship it describes.
At least they weren't 180 degrees wrong in their conclusion as they were with Wittgenstein's Poker.

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Shallow Phil said on Feb 8, 2008 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback