Engaging Pieces Interviews and Prose for the Chess Fan by Howard Goldowsky
Our Price: € 19.95
Publisher: Daewoo & Brighton, 2007
Edition: Paperback small ISBN: 978-0-9790488-2-1 Pages: 240 Language: English
Engaging Pieces: Interviews and Prose for the Chess Fan contains interviews with some of the most fascinating personalities of the chess world, poignant short-fiction that uses chess as a metaphor, and in-depth book reviews and editorials. This is writing that entertains and makes you think. A few highlights include:
Michael de la Maza explains the importance of chess tactics and how he improved his USCF rating from Class-D to Expert in two years.
Jen Shahade talks about her book, Chess Bitch, and the controversial topic of women’s chess.
Hikaru Nakamura confides what it’s like to be a teenage chess star.
Mig Greengard, arguably the world’s most charismatic chess journalist, waxes philosophic on everything from the immaturity of professional chess players to promoting chess as a sport.
Hydra’s programmers, designers of the world’s best chess computer, explain the computer science behind their monster.
Mark Glickman demystifies every detail of the USCF rating system, leading Harold Dondis and GM Patrick Wolff of the Boston Globe to claim, “It is the best summary…we have seen.”
From the Preface: “I compiled this book for the same reason I began writing about chess in the first place: I wanted to share my curiosity about the cultural, social, and competitive nature of the game. Thus, the topics running through these pages include complex, contemporary issues that I wanted to make accessible to the public. Some of these topics include the details of chess rating systems, the interaction of artificial intelligence with chess computers, the relationship between feminism and women’s chess, the marketing and promotion of chess, and the question of whether or not chess is a sport. Simply put, I’m a chess fan. Each article and story represents the type of in-depth and entertaining chess writing that I, and other chess fans, deserve to read.”
WGM Jennifer Shahade: “In the interviews of Engaging Pieces, Howard Goldowsky goes past the obvious questions and draws out the human and the unexpected from chess players. In the fiction, he gracefully combines his chess knowledge with literary ability.”
The Washington Post: "Fascinating."
Edwin Lam, Australian Chess: "This is one book that can make the chess fan think hard over some questions, issues and ideas."
ChessCafe: "Thought-provoking and entertaining."
ChessBase: "The author has done a great job in bringing to life both the fictitious and real-life characters in the game of chess."
Rick Kennedy, ChessVille: "A pleasant read. I hope the author is already hard at work on a second collection."
About.com: "Goldowsky is a good interviewer, a good writer and a good journalist."
Rochade Europa: "One can clearly feel Goldowsky's enthousiasm in finding out what it is that fascinates people who have given their heart to the game of chess."
