The Human Side of Chess. By Fria Reinfeld. (Faber. 18s.)
THREE chess books, all different, each very good in its way. The success of Mr. du Mont's previous book, 200 Miniature Games of Chess, has encouraged him and his publisher to issue another collection of the short sharp contests which are always entertaining to play over, and to re-play, because they have the fascination of sudden death. The many examples from modern chess in Russia are of particular interest because of the way in which they flout our hard and fast notions. This book is beautifully produced, and the comments are always stimulating. The other Masters will not take it amiss if we say that of all three, we should be most frightened at contesting it across the board with Reuben Fine. Here the intention is more ambitious than Mr. du Mont's. Mr. Fine sets out to be, and is, methodically instructive about the middle game. It is a difficult assignment: to whom shall the comments be addressed? Sometimes to the beginner, sometimes to the experienced—certainly there is something here for all. The price is justified, for it is twice as long as Mr. du Mont's book, though not so well produced: at the very outset, something has gone wrong as to our copy, Diagram 2, p.7. Mr. Reinfeld's book on the human side of chess is concerned not so much with instruction as to play, as with the question; what quality is common to the world's greatest chess Masters? By now there has been a great deal of intimate study of the world's champions. What generalities are possible about the so-called chess-mind? Here there are analysed the achievements and failures, as human beings, of Anderssen, Morphy, Steinitz, Emanuel Lasker, and, most penetrating and altogether brilliant, are the pictures of Capablanca and of the mysterious character of Alekhine.
F. V. M.