WELCOME

INTRODUCTION

 

Welcome to my Chess Book Reviews blog. 

I hope you enjoy it and that it proves useful if you are deciding to buy chess books.

It has been said that books are the most loyal and trusted friends that you can ever have and in this world of iPads, kindles and other electronic formats I still want to be one of the people giving a 'shout-out' for hard copy chess books. In this technological age it has never been easier to access chess online, at the click of a mouse, and this has affected book consumption.  

Chess books are an important aspect of a chess players lives. They serve as an educational and developmental tool, as well as illustrating history and culture. Some people own one or several books, whereas others have large collections assembled over a lifetime. 

Truly then, I believe in the value of hard copy chess books. Unlike electronic books, they don't lose their charge, they can be read in the sunshine, they don't hurt your eyes from watching screens and even better - they can be autographed to add to their value as a treasured keepsake. 

I want to be clear about my objective for this blog site.

I am blogging simply as an amateur chess player. I am a club and county player, former County Chess Champion (Shropshire) and I have proudly represented and indeed been Captain of my country (UK) in the NATO Chess Championships, but I remain like many of us, just an ordinary player with a lifelong passion for the game.

My reviews are written for the people who are most likely to purchase chess books. That is to say beginners, intermediate and strong players up to county level, but I am sure that even stronger players might enjoy or in some way benefit from digesting my reviews. This is a not for profit blog but reviewing chess books is something that I enjoy.

Reviewing a chess book isn't as easy as one may think. It requires a certain skill-set and I am learning all the time. One has to be impartial and objective but also not be afraid to have a personal opinion and I will not shirk from criticizing if I feel it is warranted. There should be a standard process for the task of reviewing and it can take me a while - but that is because I will actually read the book. Too many people merely flick through and I have seen some truly woeful reviews consisting literally of a couple of lines. I want to try to get into the head of the author. I want to do the best I can to explain to the reader of this blog what each book is really about and the impact it had on me personally, so that they can make up their own mind about owning a copy. 

It is as subjective as art or music, but I hope my reviews are a good starting point for people. Naturally, individuals will have their own views and opinions about the same books. I am sanguine about that...but these views are mine and mine alone. Sometimes I may use humour to make a point (how dare I?) which is not everyone's style but there we are, that's life. It is not in the scope of this blog site to enter into debates. Feel free to make your own mind up. 

For the record I have several of my own favourite chess books from the past including 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice' by David Bronstein and Tom Fürstenberg. If you can still find it, then snap it up immediately. My most prized book is a signed copy of Anatoly Karpov's memoirs which he autographed when I played him in Chartres, France in a simul in 2019. 

As I say, you cannot autograph an iPad!

Without further ado then, let's put one foot forward and see where the journey takes us. Thanks for stopping by.

Carl

Carl Portman (Author: Chess Behind Bars and Chess Crusader)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BOOK REVIEW by Carl Portman

REVEAL YOUR CHESS STYLE  

by Andrew Soltis

 

Andrew Soltis

Pages: 232

Published by: Batsford   

2025 Softcover

 

What is this book about? (The blurb)

Are you a Kasparov, a Carlsen or a Fischer? Use this book to identify your own unique chess style and discover how it aligns with the tactics of the game’s greatest players. Then explore tips and tricks that help you avoid pitfalls, improve your strengths and become the best player you can be.

 

Every chess player has a naturally individual style of playing, based on the moves they like to play. Some people choose the kind of moves world champion Magnus Carlsen regularly uses, while others prefer a strategy favoured by the legendary Bobby Fischer. And some even find themselves emulating the way a chess computer works. But very few players are aware of how these moves fit together to create a consistent, personal chess style.

 

Reveal Your Chess Style contains 100 diagrams, each with a multiple choice of possible moves for the reader to choose from. Analysing the answers will explain how the reader’s choices reveal their hidden style, and which famous player they most identify with on the chessboard.

 

A host of advice is also included, on developing the player’s style further to avoid regular errors, increase skill and win more games – or they may want to adopt traits from other styles instead! This truly original book, from an International Grandmaster and venerable chess author, is a must-have for anyone who wants to improve their game and really get to know themselves as a chess player.

 

Contents

 

·         Chapter One – What is style?

·         Chapter Two – What kind of Game?

·         Chapter Three – Attack

·         Chapter Four – Defense

·         Chapter Five – Imbalanced Material

·         Chapter Six – Pawns

·         Chapter Seven – Risk

·         Chapter Eight – Exchanging

·         Chapter Nine – Positional Play

·         Chapter Ten - Technique

 

My thoughts and comments

 

In very simple terms, there are 100 diagrams with one question/theme and multiple choice answers below each diagram on separate pages. The reader should circle the answer they choose and then check it out at the end of the chapter under the ‘decoding’ heading. It’s that easy!

 

You cannot be ‘wrong’ at all. It isn’t an exam, and there are no points to tally up at the end of the book to illustrate how good/bad you are at chess. Each of the options has a comment with a named player (or players) attached to it so you will definitely be able to put a player’s name by your answer, which for that diagram reflects your style of play.

 

It struck me that as a chess coach I could use many examples for my students. Kids in particular love multiple choice questions and they would also develop their knowledge of chess history learning about Masters not only from the present but the past. It was a joy for me to work through this book, and several psychological issues came to the fore. Before long I would look at a position and think ‘is this about what I would play or am I second guessing what the master actually played?’ In truth, both occurred so the reader should be disciplined and I would suggest they just opt for the move that they would play and let the rest follow. After 100 diagrams you will surely have improved your tactical and positional awareness, so it is much more than a multiple-choice question book.

 

I rarely offer bullet points in a review but on this occasion it is worth sharing some of the brief notes I made as I went through it. 

- One can do the puzzles on an actual board or in your head. This is extremely useful. 

- There are no ‘solutions’ as such, just choices.  

- It’s not about guessing what Tal or Fischer would do – it is about what you would do. At the end of the day it is about you, not them. 

- Multiple choice is great fun – especially with no ‘wrong’ answers. 

- Sometimes you get a choice between as few as three moves or as many as seven. 

- Occasionally I did not want to choose any of the options – which was  interesting. 

- The chess examples given are varied and very educational.

Game choice

The 100 selected diagrams originate from games played over many decades. There is a healthy choice ranging from Carlsbad 1923 to Wijk aan Zee in 2027 and many more. The likes of Carlsen, Fischer, Tal. Anand, Karpov, Kasparov, Petrosian, Korchnoi, Nakamura and Capablanca feature, plus so many more greats.

Example

This is a position from the game A.Vooremaa - Paul Keres, Tallin 1971 and it is Black (Keres) to play. It is in the section on positional play. Soltis asks what move you would select from the following choices.

(a) ...Bxd3

(b) ...Rf-c8

(c) ...Nb6

(d) ...b4

(e) ...c5

One might be thinking 'what did Keres play?' but of course the question is all about what you would play. There is a third option here around - what would today's chess engine play because I can tell you from using Fritz 20 for only five minutes the top move did correlate to the one played. Wow! 

I won't spoil it by giving the answer, but this is the format for the 100 diagrams and it was fun. Incidentally, Soltis adds supporting questions just before the options to help us think. In this case he says Which piece can Black improve the most by maneuver? Should he change the pawn structure with a push or allow White to change it with Bxf5?

Other points

I like the cover and layout of the book. The paper quality is not quite what it used to be at Batsford but the diagrams are better than they were in the past in my view – much clearer. I would like to have seen an index of games.

 

I would say one other thing, and this is meant to be more helpful than harmful. When it is Black to play, I would like to see the board inverted so that the black pieces are shown at the bottom of the diagram. Many amateur chess players read from the bottom ‘up’ the board. I think Andras Adjoran used to do this to great effect. None of these points are game changers, and one can enjoy the book just the same – they are merely my thoughts as a reviewer.

There was one other thought. Could there be a (barcode) link to download the positions in .pgn so the reader could try them on their computers?

 

Does the book achieve its aim?

The idea of the book is to reveal your chess style. This is still a very subjective topic and I take my hat off to Andrew Soltis for giving chess players the opportunity to think about what their style is and which players they might like to study more in order to develop that style further. If the reader adds up their player answers, at the end then there should be an emerging figure which was most often reflected. Clearly you are not that player and one does not have to paint oneself into a corner and say ‘right, that’s me then.’ I don’t think the author intended this at all – it is a start point to at least try to look inwardly and examine what style we might lean towards. It does not mean that we cannot change that style.

 

I see the book as a valuable pointer as to where we are ‘now’ in our chess journey based on the players’ moves and the thoughts (examples) that Andrew Soltis has provided from his own vast experience. The reader does not have to take any of the content or results to heart but just have some fun and enjoy the book. Keen chess players will enjoy the process. It claims to be a truly original book – and it is! I have not seen one quite like it in decades, so it is a groundbreaker for me.

 

The title asks ‘Are you a Kasparov, a Carlsen or a Fischer?’ Well in my case, none actually. I am ready for the big reveal. It transpires that from the answers I selected this time around that I play in the style of Alexander Alekhine, which is quite a pleasant surprise. Nimzowitsch was close, as was Tal, so there you go. Would that have been the case twenty years ago? Will it be the case in ten? Who knows? It says something about my decision making today and it is genuinely thought-provoking. Now I can interrogate more Alekhine games and see if I can find a bit of me in there. I hope that is what the author wanted for his readers.

 

As a kid I always used to read Batsford Chess books – they were the go-to publisher to get my fix. Much has happened in publishing since then with any number of competitors producing fine books for the chess player. For me this book shows that Batsford ‘have still got it’ and are still very relevant in chess publishing. Immerse yourself in the pages and find out your own chess style.

 

I unreservedly recommend it to chess players of all standards.

 

Who is the author?

Andrew Soltis is an International Grandmaster, a chess columnist for the New York Post and a highly popular chess writer. He is the author of many books including 500 Chess Questions Answered, The Chessmaster Checklist, How to Choose a Chess Move and How to Swindle in Chess. He lives in New York.

 

 

 

BOOK REVIEW BY CARL PORTMAN

CHESS THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS

by Raymond Keene OBE and Barry Martin

 

Raymond Keene and Barry Martin

Foreword by Emma Trehane

Pages: 382

Published independently by: The Brain Trust 2024

 

What is this book about?

Chess, in all its glorious forms, has intrigued and challenged the human mind for nearly 2,000 years. But let’s face it, the literature on the game is often as dense as a stack of arcane telephone directories, or to put it bluntly, like trying to decode Martian Attack Code. It’s not exactly caviar, as Shakespeare’s Hamlet might say, but anathema to the general, leaving most people scratching their heads in bewilderment.

 

This book, however, is different. It’s not about getting lost in a maze of abstract strategies; it’s about celebrating the romance of the game, its personalities, its controversies, and the sheer human drama that chess has inspired through the ages. Whether you’re here to explore the greats like Bobby Fischer, Viktor Korchnoi, or Garry Kasparov, you’ll find something in these pages. So, what life is there but chess? It’s a life filled with stories of triumph, defeat, creativity, and obsession.

 

In this book, two experienced chess commentators, Grandmaster Ray Keene OBE and artist Barry Martin, respectively columnists of TheArticle and EyeOnLondon, range with their thoughts across the entire landscape of contemporary chess. In so doing the authors pay homage to that original Surrealist of the game, Lewis Carroll and his mirror image masterpiece, Alice through the Looking Glass.

 

A special feature is a series of 24 art photographs by Barry, capturing images of the world’s greats, including Garry Kasparov, Anatoly Karpov, Magnus Carlsen, Viktor Korchnoi, Nigel Short, Michael Adams and Jan Timman. These were taken primarily at the traditional home of chess, Simpson's-in-the-Strand in London, and at the prestigious tournament of Bilbao, Spain, 2008, which numbered Viswanathan Anand, Lev Aronian, Susan Polgar and chess super journalist, Leontxo Garcia amongst its illustrious denizens.

 

Contents

 

·         Foreword by Emma Trehane (Editor, EyeOnLondon)

·         43 chapters (essentially 43 articles/essays)

·         Conclusion (War and Chess)

·         Biographies of the authors

 

My thoughts and comments

 

First of all let me comment on the look and feel of the book. The cover shows former World Champion Garry Kasparov in pensive mood set against a black background, and the intensity of his gaze seems to say to the reader turn over the pages and see what ye shall find. The page quality and font size are very good and the diagrams are a nice size, as are the colour photographs.

 

I am familiar with Ray Keene’s work not only from his many chess books but his columns in TheArticle, which are always rich in subject matter and totally unique in chess journalism.

 

In this book, he wrote chapters 1-21 and after a brief ‘intermezzo’ Barry Martin picks up the baton and concludes chapters 22-43. Ray Keene is a grandmaster of legendary status and Barry Martin is a very strong chess player in his own right – indeed he once drew with former world chess champion Anatoly Karpov in a simultaneous exhibition at Simpson’s-in-the-Strand, London. He even had the temerity to play the Caro-Kann against ‘Tolya’ which is some achievement considering Karpov was a world renowned expert in that opening. Mr. Martin might perhaps be better known for his artwork and I fondly recall the image he created of Nigel Short at the World Chess Championships against Garry Kasparov in 1993.

 

He generously provides the reader with a veritable feast of photographs in the middle of the book, taken by Martin himself. These articulate the game of chess from differing perspectives – portraits, battles at the board, moments in time and one fantastic image of Leontxo Garcia with the image of a chessboard on his face.

 

My personal favourite, however, is one taken of Raymond Keene and his wife at their London home. Mr. Keene is recumbent in his chair and Annette is gazing wistfully out of the window in a re-creation of the Degas painting of Manet and his wife. It’s a very clever idea and more people should try this approach! A very close second is a portrait of Victor Korchnoi in his chair, also at Simpson’s. It’s an enchanting image showing a (rarely?) relaxed and contemplative Victor. I love it and wish to try to get a copy of it.

 

Raymond Keene’s essays

To the chapters then, and Keene, in his own inimitable manner manages in an almost alchemic manner to weave historical and contemporary issues into the extraordinary game that is chess. Where he gets his ideas from I can only guess but the man has an unfathomable brain which really ought to be preserved and left to science. The open-minded reader cannot fail to learn a great deal from his articles. His wisdom highlights such varied subjects as football and chess, Islam and chess, unfair play, chess in prisons, politics, transgender pawns, tobacco and witches, USSR v the rest of the world and Rhoda Bowles (what an incredible woman, esto perpetua!) to name a few. The reader could select any chapter at random and be suitably enthused. There is a golden seam of humour throughout which help drive the points he wishes to make home.

 

Keene mentions the Marshall chess club saying that it is ‘permanently established’ but shockingly I recently heard that this might not be the case for much longer. They are considering selling their historic building in West Village New York and relocating to Manhattan. Let’s await further developments.

 

He describes chess as a chaotic crucible of struggle which is probably the best description I have ever heard. He is unafraid to meet head-on the subject of transgender players in sport. Everyone has a view on this but chess of course is a cerebral game, so does it even matter ‘who identifies as what’ in this sense? Well actually in chess there are women only competitions, not open tournaments which include male and female players. Therefore the criteria for being a man or a woman is important and relevant, and The Equality Act 2010 defines ‘sex’ as biological sex, meaning the sex assigned at birth. Keene later makes a very important point when he states that it might be because women have traditionally been segregated from men in competitions that has led to a lack of opportunity to play the best male opposition, thereby improving their own game. Should women only tournaments cease and we just have open chess for all people to find their own level? This article sows the seed for discussion.

 

He covers important players and tournaments, such as New York 1924 and sprinkles his articles with photos and nicely set out chess diagrams. Here is a lovely if well-known position from the New York International 1924 between Richard Reti (white) and Efim Bogolyubov where it is White to play and win in fine fashion.

 

Did you see it? White essays 24.Bf7+ Kh8 and now the devastating 25.Be8!! with the threat of Qxf8 mate. Now after 25…Bxc5 Bogolyubov loses at least a bishop and 25…Rxe8 fails to the queen sacrifice 26.Qxf8 with mate to follow. That’s exquisite.

 

There's more gold in the book - I must also mention his list of twelve impossible things in believing before breakfast. After reading this I felt like asking him to stand as an MP!

 

Barry Martin’s essays

When Barry Martin began the second part of the book I did not know what to expect. I was hugely impressed not only by his obvious talent as an artist and photographer but by his knowledge and passion for chess. This, and he knows where the pieces go! He covers a smorgasbord of subjects including the Niemann ‘cheating’ scandal, elite tournament chess, The Hamilton-Russell Cup, life and chess, government support for chess, ageing and chess, a lovely piece about Yuri Averbakh (born on 8 February as was I), the Staunton Memorial, and even lollipops and pliers!

 

I appreciated the fact that he gave the reader a puzzle at the end of each chapter, some easy some not so easy, but all showing the joy of chess. I had fun tackling these over a glass of red.

 

This one below was one of my favourites. Rachel Reeves (yes, the Chancellor) was White, playing Abigail Cast at the 4NCL tournament in 1995. Black just played  1…Nc6

 

How does White win material?

 

 

I provide the answer at the foot of this review.

 

His selection of photographs really are enjoyable to scrutinize but it’s a shame that I could not visit the website (to maybe purchase the Korchnoi print) as the address given does not seem to work.

 

For me, this anthology of over 40 chess articles brought joy and bolstered by love of not only chess but art and the use of language. I can imagine that the two authors derived great pleasure from compiling it and exchanging both word play and chess anecdotes. It is a jolly skyrocket of a book and I understand that there are only a limited number printed so I would advise getting your copy now. 

 

At the end of the book, both authors declare that the story of chess is like no other and after reading this you’ll be brave to disagree. I recommend it unreservedly.

 

Does the book achieve its aim?

Yes. This book is jointly dedicated to Lewis Carroll, author of the chess themed Alice through the Looking Glass and I felt as if I were jumping with gay abandon down many chess rabbit holes to discover the wonders there. The books sets out to celebrate the romance of chess, its personalities, controversies and sheer human drama. As a writer myself it made me want to research and write even more about chess and share some of my own thoughts so the book is inspiring in that sense. Note also that non-chess players will enjoy these intellectual essays and they might actually feel compelled to take up the game. Wouldn’t that be an added bonus?

 

Who are the authors?

Raymond Keene OBE, London’s first chess Grandmaster, isn’t just a player, he’s a phenomenon. With a career that includes titles like British Champion and a world record for authoring 208 chess books, Ray has not only organised three World Chess Championships but also faced down the Soviet titans, Botvinnik and Tal, and won. He’s even taken on 107 opponents simultaneously, losing just one game, and has played 19 blindfolded games at once without a single loss.

 

Barry Martin is one of the world’s most distinguished chess-playing artists. His role as vice chair of the Chelsea Arts Club and as an art consultant for multiple World Chess Championships underscores his profound influence in the art community and the high regard in which he is held by fellow artists. He once designed the 80th birthday celebration for the avant-garde composer John Cage, featuring a cake modelled after Duchamp’s infamous upside-down urinal, Fountain. His works have graced the Tate, the V&A, and the National Portrait Gallery, and his notorious Potato Chess Set, a fixture at Somerset House until it began to sprout, shows just how far he’s willing to push the boundaries of both art and chess.

 

Answer to the chess puzzle: 2.Qxf5!! exf5 3. Nxd5 winning at least a pawn, and structurally Black is inferior. In reality Black put up stiff resistance but eventually Reeves won.

Chess in the Third Reich - How the game was played, glorified, and abused in Nazi Germany 1933-1945

 

REVIEW by Carl Portman

Chess in the Third Reich

Taylor Kingston

 

TAYLOR KINGSTON

Foreword by Herbert Bastian

Format: softcover (8.5 x 11)
Pages: 291
Bibliographic Info: 98 photos, appendix, notes, bibliography, indexes
Copyright Date: 2025
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9260-9
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5141-5

Imprint: McFarland

“What is actually Jewish chess, the Jewish concept of chess? The question is not difficult to answer. 1. Material gain at all costs. 2. Opportunism in the extreme, which seeks to eliminate every shadow of possible danger, and as a result gives rise to an idea (if one can call it an idea) “defense per se”. In the last analysis this ‘idea’ of Jewish chess, amounting as it does to suicide in every form of struggle, has dug its own grave.”

 

Alexander Alekhine 1941

 

What is the book about?

Oddly, let me begin with the cover design. I can imagine how tricky this might have been to decide upon given the nature of the book. I think it is an excellent choice. After all the Nazis used the powerful combination of black and red (and white) in all of their propaganda initiatives. 

When you turn the pages of this book, you are literally turning the pages of history both in terms of chess and the rise and fall of the Third Reich. I have been waiting almost forever for a book on this subject. I hoped it would give an opportunity to clarify some matters such as what part (if any) did Alekhine and Keres play in Nazi chess and how much chess was played during the war. Did they really play chess whilst bombs were dropping over Europe? It records chronologically how chess in the Third Reich developed and ultimately disintegrated. It includes games and photographs – some of which are remarkable - as well as various records, documents, anecdotes and profiles of players and personalities.    

Thanks must go to the Deutsche Schachblätter, Deutsche Schachzeitung and Schach-Echo for giving the author permission to use copyright material.

 

Contents

There are twelve chapters in the book with a foreword by Herbert Bastian, President of the German Chess Federation from 2011-2017. Along with an appendix, chapter notes, bibliography and indexes there is plenty there to absorb.

 

What does the official blurb say?

The USSR is famous as the first totalitarian state to promote chess. Less well known is that Nazi Germany was the second. The Third Reich gave chess a tremendous financial and propaganda boost in hopes of making Germany a dominant chess power. Yet this aspect of the Nazi era has received scant attention in later German literature, and even less in English. This book fills that gap.
Using a multitude of German sources, the author has crafted a narrative showing how the Nazis completely remade German chess into a monolithic structure to showcase the supposed cultural and intellectual superiority of the “master race.” Many games by German masters are presented—Bogoljubow, Richter, Sämisch, Rellstab, Kieninger, Junge, and more—and by others who came under Nazi rule: Alekhine, Keres, Eliskases, et al. Important political figures are featured: Otto Zander, Erhardt Post, Hans Schemm, Josef Goebbels, and especially Hans Frank. Politics affecting chess are detailed, both external (e.g., the annexations of Austria and Czechoslovakia) and internal (rivalry between the Grossdeutscher Schachbund and Kraft durch Freude), as of course are the effects of the war and persecution of Jews.

 

My thoughts

As I read through this book, the author took me on a journey not just of chess but how the national attitude changed in the early 1930’s to the prominence of Adolf Hitler and all of the horror that followed as a result. The wave of antisemitism and the mindless brutality of cowardly men power drunk in uniform angers any rational human being and it still seems unbelievable somehow that man can do this to fellow man. They did, and they still do – will we ever learn?

 

The Third Reich decided to use (and abuse) chess as a cultural tool to show the world how intellectually superior they were. Does this ring any bells? Yes, the USSR wanted the same and they achieved it for decades after the war, unlike the Nazis.

As they gained power, the Nazis cancelled all extant German chess associations, and the infighting between what remained – the Deutsche Arbeiter-Schachbund (German Worker’s Federation) the Grossdeutscher Schachbund (Greater German Chess Federation) and the Kraft durch Freude (Strength through joy) began. The DAS, GSB and KdF wanted all of the power and various characters were enlisted to oversee German chess, from Dr Otto Zander to the notorious Hans Frank, a murderous chess enthusiast and at one time so-called Governor of Poland or Generalgouvernement.

 

The author covers the development of chess up to and including WWII and includes the Olympiad in Munich in 1936 where the Germans simply had to win to celebrate the Reich – they didn’t! Not only would Hitler be upset by this but a certain black man - Jesse Owens - 'stuck it to them' on the track, winning four Olympic gold medals. The Germans had hidden away their hatred for jews, black people, gypsies and more for the time the Olympiad was on, pretending that all was well but nobody was fooled -excepting the weak British and French governments, but that is another story.

Later, at the Olympiad in Buenos Aries in 1939 several German chess players decided to remain in Argentina - which was an amputation for German chess as they were strong players. There are details of many German Championships, where Bogoljubow featured heavily and the likes of Carl Carls and Klaus Junge did also. The thing is, Germany could have been a very strong chess playing nation indeed had they included Jews in their teams.

 

The language of the time was clear and unambiguous. The GSB wrote this about the German players training for the 1936 Olympiad in Munich which incidentally was 'unofficial' and not sponsored by FIDE. 

‘The Olympic training takes precedence of all other chess events. Anyone who thinks he’s too good and doesn’t take part shuts himself out. In the future there will be no slackers in the battlefront of German chess.’ 

This is accompanied by an extraordinary photograph of players (coached by Willi Schlage) sitting on wooden boxes in some kind of barn, with a slab of wood for a table top and straw behind them to sleep on. All of this regimented activity fitted nicely with the National Socialist ideology of the time. Jews of course could not compete, and this included the very strong Bogoljubow who was a Ukrainian Slav. Did the German’s win? NO. Hungary did, with Poland just behind them but above Germany in third. That must have hurt, badly.

 

As I said, the Nazis would try again in 1939 in Argentina – and indeed they did prevail but that was because the USA and others did not play, boycotting the event for political reasons. Germany invaded Poland during this Olympiad, The British immediately left but the French decided to remain. Therefore not all full games were played. The German victory felt hollow for some. It is a fascinating chess account. I also made some new discoveries. I used to play the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit but I had no idea that Emil Josef Diemer was a committed Nazi, even after the war. This disgusting man believed that jews were detrimental to the objective of furthering German chess. I cannot think I will ever play the opening again!

 

I read with incredulity that in 1936 in the USSR there was a monster chess tournament comprising some 700,000 participants. Wow! It took six months to complete. Then there is Wehrschach, which was a chess variant developed by the Nazis to better educate soldiers. Known as TAK-TIK it has new figures with differing representations. Nothing was left untouched by the Nazis, not even 1500 years of chess history, to make instant changes to suit their agenda.

 

What of Alexander Alekhine? Well in fact he might at one time have been interned as a prisoner of war but his dealing with Nazi gangster Hans Frank the overseer of German chess in Poland were ‘cordial’ and he avoided punishment. Who really knows if he wrote articles for the Nazis as a way of self-preservation or because he was a sympathiser. You can read the book and draw your own conclusions. You can judge the man on just his chess, and what he gave to the world or in the round as a person on and off the board. Personally, I believe he got away with an awful lot because of who he was. Hans Frank was a close aid to Hitler, and  passionate lover of chess so it was good for him to have Alekhine around. Frank was a decent player apparently and he collected a lot of chess books, but whilst outwardly ‘civilized’ he was responsible for grave crimes against humanity. He was a beast.

 

Paul Keres was a pawn in the Reich game. His country, Estonia was absorbed into the USSR  so he was a target for the Reich. He represented a propaganda opportunity and by all accounts he was a naïve man. Again, his standing as a great chess player may well have saved his life. He features in tournaments not just in Germany but for example one held in Madrid in 1943 organised by the Europaschachbund. He won that tournament ahead of Fuentes.

 

Klaus Junge

I should also mention one Klaus Junge (1 January 1924 – 17 April 1945) who was one of the youngest Chilean-German chess masters. In several tournaments during the 1940s he held his own among the world's leading players and showed a deep understanding of the game for one so young. An officer in the Wehrmacht, he died during the Battle of Welle shortly before the end of World War II. He fell for Hitler’s ideology and a young life was wasted at the age of 21 – along with countless others from many nations.

As for the chess itself, the strength of players varied greatly throughout the years both for German national championships and Olympiads. Keres, Euwe, Alekhine and Bogoljubow played in various competitions around the country. There are plenty of games played by ‘patzers’ who would do well to fit into a club team nowadays but as they say, you can only beat who is in front of you.

 

There were several chess publications at the time, and a little book called Schach ist schön, Schach bringt Freude! (Chess is fun, chess brings joy) and it contained this funny little gem. What happens if White plays 4.h3 now?

 

The answer is 4…Ne3 and the queen is lost or White gets mated after 5.fxg Qh4+ 6.g3 Qxg3#

 

I must mention again the photographs which are a very powerful addition to the text and are found here for the first time – as far as I know anyway. Two examples are the playing hall in Munich in 1941 with Alekhine in the centre, and strong Berlin player Rudolf Elstner giving a simul for the Wehrmacht in 1940. When I see Nazis playing chess I am reminded that the beautiful game can be played by ugly people.

 

Concluding notes

Since this is a book about chess and the rise of the Nazis, I am reminded how utterly insane the European zeitgeist was in the 1930s and for much of the next decade. Looking today at the war in Ukraine and beyond it seems we have not learned. Chess is just a game, especially compared to the mass destruction that occurred because of the Third Reich, but we can still appreciate that the game has endured for centuries, through wars, political and religious upheaval and social conflict. It will always endure because it is such a magnificent art form. Truly it is a war game and Hitler and his henchmen reflected this on their chessboard of hate and bigotry. Like all dictators, Hitler eventually fell and so did the dream of a thousand year Reich.

 

I lived in Bergen, Germany in the early 2000’s and my office was situated next to Bergen Belsen, the former concentration camp which I visited many times. It was actually one of the old barns adjacent to the main camp and I have images of them being used at the time filled with straw and other items. I have many German chess friends from my time there and whilst we remember what happened we can also look to today and the future. I played my chess for a club not far from Belsen so again, this book means more to me than it might do normally.

 

Today, Germany is making many contributions to chess, not just with players at the board. There is ChessBase, who develop chess software used by players all around the world, from beginners to the World’s elite. They have contributed significantly to the rise in chess playing standards throughout the world, and that is something they can be rightly proud of.

 

Time has moved on, but a good deal of pain and sorrow still exists, perhaps it always will. What we must do is learn from the past, as we learn from our mistakes on the chessboard. There is always a better way forward if we are willing to explore it. As there is darkness, there will always be light, and this book is a compass to help us understand, reflect and progress. Congratulations to Taylor Kingston and McFarland press for publishing this invaluable tome. Though an often painful read it is a necessary one. Not designed to improve your game per se, it reveals how chess was used and abused for social and political gain – yet the game itself is not to blame – chess will always endure.

I recommend this book very highly and you should get a copy whilst it is still available. You can do so here:

https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/chess-in-the-third-reich/

Who is the author?

Taylor Kingston has been a chess enthusiast since his teens, and was a correspondence master in the 1980s. His historical articles have appeared in Chess Life, New in Chess, Inside Chess, Kingpin, and ChessCafe.com, and he has authored biographical works on Edgard Colle and Carlos Torre. He lives in Paso Robles, California.