Carl Haffner's Love of the Draw

Carl Haffner's Love of the Draw PDF Author: Thomas Glavinic
Publisher: Harvill Secker
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 196

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Book Description
Carl Haffner is a brilliant chess tactician but he takes no pleasure from winning. As a master of defence he does not lose either and his games end in stalemate. So too does his life. As we are drawn into a battle on the chessboard, we come to learn about the player. Is it because he is shy or unambitious that victory on the chessboard, and in love, eludes him? Is he vowed to obscurity or does he bring it, unintentionally, upon himself? It is Vienna in 1910 and Haffner is playing the great Lasker for the title of world chess champion. As the games are played, Glavinic takes us back into Haffner's childhood and shows us the influence of his promiscuous father and austere mother, revealing the fantasy world that the boy developed round himself. Glavinic skilfully uses the chessboard as the focus for a tightly woven psychological narrative.

Carl Haffner's Love of the Draw

Carl Haffner's Love of the Draw PDF Author: Thomas Glavinic
Publisher: Harvill Secker
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 196

Get Book Here

Book Description
Carl Haffner is a brilliant chess tactician but he takes no pleasure from winning. As a master of defence he does not lose either and his games end in stalemate. So too does his life. As we are drawn into a battle on the chessboard, we come to learn about the player. Is it because he is shy or unambitious that victory on the chessboard, and in love, eludes him? Is he vowed to obscurity or does he bring it, unintentionally, upon himself? It is Vienna in 1910 and Haffner is playing the great Lasker for the title of world chess champion. As the games are played, Glavinic takes us back into Haffner's childhood and shows us the influence of his promiscuous father and austere mother, revealing the fantasy world that the boy developed round himself. Glavinic skilfully uses the chessboard as the focus for a tightly woven psychological narrative.

The Rookie

The Rookie PDF Author: Stephen Moss
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1408189712
Category : Games & Activities
Languages : en
Pages : 417

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Book Description
Chess was invented more than 1,500 years ago, and is played in every country in the world. Stephen Moss sets out to master its mysteries, and unlock the secret of its enduring appeal. What, he asks, is the essence of chess? And what will it reveal about his own character along the way? In a witty, accessible style that will delight newcomers and irritate purists, Moss imagines the world as a board and marches across it, offering a mordant report on the world of chess in 64 chapters – 64 of course being the number of squares on the chessboard. He alternates between “black” chapters – where he plays, largely uncomprehendingly, in tournaments – and “white” chapters, where he seeks advice from the current crop of grandmasters and delves into the lives of great players of the past. It is both a history of the game and a kind of “Zen and the Art of Chess”; a practical guide and a self-help book: Moss's quest to understand chess and become a better player is really an attempt to escape a lifetime of dilettantism. He wants to become an expert at one thing. What will be the consequences when he realises he is doomed to fail? Moss travels to Russia and the US – hotbeds of chess throughout the 20th century; meets people who knew Bobby Fischer when he was growing up and tries to unravel the enigma of that tortured genius who died in 2008 at the inevitable age of 64; meets Garry Kasparov and Magnus Carlsen, world champions past and present; and keeps bumping into Armenian superstar Levon Aronian in the gents at tournaments. He becomes champion of Surrey, wins tournaments in Chester and Bury St Edmunds, and holds his own at the famous event in the Dutch seaside resort of Wijk aan Zee (until a last-round meltdown), but too often he is beaten by precocious 10-year-olds and finds it hard to resist the urge to punch them. He looks for spiritual fulfilment in the game, but mostly finds mental torture.

Night Work

Night Work PDF Author: Thomas Glavinic
Publisher: Canongate Books
ISBN: 1847676340
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 385

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Book Description
There’s nothing moving outside. No cars. No buses. No people. No birds. Nothing. No one. Anywhere. An ordinary man wakes up on an ordinary day to find that he’s the only living creature in the entire city. The radio and TV are suddenly filled with white noise, there’s no newspaper, the Internet is down and no one’s answering the phone. Jonas is the last living being on the planet. What happened? How? Why? And why is he still here? Thriller and philosophical investigation wrapped up in an intensely compelling, eerie mystery, Night Work is compulsive and exhilarating – but don’t read it when you’re all alone...

The Doeberl Cup

The Doeberl Cup PDF Author: Bill Egan
Publisher: SCB Distributors
ISBN: 1941270611
Category : Games & Activities
Languages : en
Pages : 505

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Book Description
Dynamic Chess Down Under! The Doeberl Cup has been Australia’s premier weekend chess tournament since its inception in 1963. It has attracted more international masters and grandmasters than any other Australian tournament. The Doeberl Cup – Fifty Years of Australian Chess History tells the stories behind the first 49 Doeberl Cups without neglecting the many tense and spectacular games which decided the top placings. In addition to over 200 annotated games and game fragments, the author presents player biographies of not only Australia’s best players and visiting stars, but also many wonderful – and weird – characters who helped create the character of the Doeberl Cup. Dozens of photographs nicely complement the showcasing of Australia’s best talent over more than a generation. The result is a splendid account of Australian chess history since the early 1960s. From the legendary Cecil Purdy through Australia’s brightest star Ian Rogers, join author Bill Egan as he takes you through the thrills and spills of dynamic chess down under. “Personally I had a great time reading this book (a true labor of love from author Bill Egan), and I’ll make sure it has an honorable home on my bookshelf, ready to be grabbed and enjoyed many more times in the future.” – Jeremy Silman, jeremysilman.com “The Doeberl Cup: Fifty Years of Australian Chess History is a first-rate account of this event which has come to mean so much for Australian chess.” – John Donaldson, Chess Today

Chess Lists, 2d ed.

Chess Lists, 2d ed. PDF Author: Andy Soltis
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476618313
Category : Games & Activities
Languages : en
Pages : 257

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Book Description
The best, the worst, the shortest, the oddest, the longest, the most deceitful, the most memorable, the most brilliant, the dumbest--of players, games, matches, tournaments, books, ideas, etc. The lists are replete with background detail and exact facts--this second edition of Soltis's classic 1984 book is altogether an essential part of any chess collection and a browser's delight. The new edition contains 25 percent more lists, games, diagrams and annotations. The majority of lists from the first edition have been updated or expanded--or both.

Von Neumann, Morgenstern, and the Creation of Game Theory

Von Neumann, Morgenstern, and the Creation of Game Theory PDF Author: Robert Leonard
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 052156266X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 421

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Book Description
A reconstruction of the creation of game theory in the twentieth century by John von Neumann and Oskar Morgenstern.

The Complete Review Guide to Contemporary World Fiction

The Complete Review Guide to Contemporary World Fiction PDF Author: M.A. Orthofer
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 0231518501
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 423

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Book Description
A user-friendly reference for English-language readers who are eager to explore contemporary fiction from around the world. Profiling hundreds of titles and authors from 1945 to today, with an emphasis on fiction published in the past two decades, this guide introduces the styles, trends, and genres of the world's literatures, from Scandinavian crime thrillers and cutting-edge Chinese works to Latin American narco-fiction and award-winning French novels. The book's critical selection of titles defines the arc of a country's literary development. Entries illuminate the fiction of individual nations, cultures, and peoples, while concise biographies sketch the careers of noteworthy authors. Compiled by M. A. Orthofer, an avid book reviewer and the founder of the literary review site the Complete Review, this reference is perfect for readers who wish to expand their reading choices and knowledge of contemporary world fiction. “A bird's-eye view of titles and authors from everywhere―a book overfull with reminders of why we love to read international fiction. Keep it close by.”—Robert Con Davis-Udiano, executive director, World Literature Today “M. A. Orthofer has done more to bring literature in translation to America than perhaps any other individual. [This book] will introduce more new worlds to you than any other book on the market.”—Tyler Cowen, George Mason University “A relaxed, riverine guide through the main currents of international writing, with sections for more than a hundred countries on six continents.”—Karan Mahajan, Page-Turner blog, The New Yorker

The Big Book of World Chess Championships

The Big Book of World Chess Championships PDF Author: Andre Schulz
Publisher: New In Chess
ISBN: 905691636X
Category : Games & Activities
Languages : en
Pages : 478

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Book Description
Wilhelm Steinitz, the winner of the first official World Chess Championship in 1886, would have rubbed his eyes in disbelieve if he could have seen how popular chess is today. With millions of players all around the world, live internet transmissions of major and minor competitions, and educational programs in thousands of schools, chess has truly become a global passion. And what would Steinitz, who had financial problems his whole life and died in poverty, have thought of the current world champion, Magnus Carlsen, who became a multi-millionaire in his early twenties just by playing great chess? The history of the World Chess Championship reflects these enormous changes, and German chess journalist Andre Schulz tells the stories of the title fights in fascinating detail: the historical and social backgrounds, the prize money and the rules, the seconds and other helpers, and the psychological wars on and off the board. Meet some of the world’s sharpest minds as they clash in what has been called ‘the cruellest sport’ and drink in their tales: the lonely geniuses, the flamboyant boulevardiers, the Nazi-sympathizers, the communist darlings and a troubled boy from Brooklyn. Relive the magic of Capablanca, Alekhine, Botvinnik, Tal, Karpov, Kasparov, Bobby Fischer and the others. All great champions, but so different in character and playing style. Schulz’s chronicle is an absorbing evocation of the battles they fought. He has also selected one defining game from each championship, and he explains the moves of the Champions, and the ideas behind the moves, in a way that is easily accessible for amateur players and highly instructive for beginners as well. This is a book that no true chess lover wants to miss.

The Camera Killer

The Camera Killer PDF Author: Thomas Glavinic
Publisher: Amazon Publishing
ISBN: 9781612183237
Category : Murder
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
A gripping psychological thriller, The Camera Killer will keep listeners tuned to the very end as the mystery unravels.

Endpapers

Endpapers PDF Author: Alexander Wolff
Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press
ISBN: 0802158277
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 380

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Book Description
“A powerfully told story of family, honor, love, and truth . . . the beautiful and haunting stories told in this book transcend policy and politics.” —Beto O’Rourke A literary gem researched over a year the author spent living in Berlin, Endpapers excavates the extraordinary histories of the author’s grandfather and father: the renowned publisher Kurt Wolff, dubbed “perhaps the twentieth century’s most discriminating publisher” by the New York Times Book Review, and his son Niko, who fought in the Wehrmacht during World War II before coming to America. Born in Bonn into a highly cultured German-Jewish family, Kurt became a publisher at twenty-three, setting up his own firm and publishing Franz Kafka, Joseph Roth, Karl Kraus, and many other authors whose books would soon be burned by the Nazis. After fleeing Germany in 1933, Kurt and his second wife, Helen, founded Pantheon Books in a small Greenwich Village apartment. Pantheon would soon take its own place in literary history with the publication of Nobel laureate Boris Pasternak’s novel Doctor Zhivago, and as the conduit that brought major European works to the States. But Kurt’s taciturn son Niko, offspring of his first marriage to Elisabeth Merck, was left behind in Germany, where despite his Jewish heritage he served the Nazis on two fronts. As Alexander Wolff visits dusty archives and meets distant relatives, he discovers secrets that never made it to the land of fresh starts, including the connection between Hitler and the family pharmaceutical firm E. Merck. With surprising revelations from never-before-published family letters, diaries, and photographs, Endpapers is a moving and intimate family story, weaving a literary tapestry of the perils, triumphs, and secrets of history and exile.