Review: Chess

Title: Chess
Author: Stefan Zweig
Nationality: Austrian
Year: 1942
Publisher: Penguin Mini Modern Classics
Rating: 9/10
Summary: Grand Master

The outline

First published following the author’s suicide, in this novella the passengers of a cruise ship challenge a travelling grand master to a chess match they seemingly cannot win.

Sample

Every child can learn its basic rules, every bungler can try his luck at it, yet within that immutable little square it is able to bring forth a particular species of masters who cannot be compared to anyone else, people with a gift solely designed for chess, geniuses in their specific field who unite vision, patience and technique in just the same proportions as do mathematicians, poets, musicians, but in different stratifications and combinations.

The verdict

You don’t have to be a fan of chess to enjoy this addictive little novella. Zweig’s tale of the passengers of a cruise ship who challenge a chess grand master to a match is about much more than just a board game. It’s a powerful exploration of genius and of the workings of the human mind. Zweig expertly builds tension and I was compelled to read on to find out the outcome of the match.

This edition was published as part of the Mini Modern Classics series celebrating Penguin Modern Classics’ 50th anniversary and after this I’m keen to read more both of this and the other shorts in Penguin’s collection. This is a great introduction to Zweig for those, like me, who had previously not read this twentieth century master.