Great book i do disagree that kasparov is the greatest player ever. Often he tells us about his latest book projects, and can have a dinner table full of people glued to his every word. He was portrayed in the movie searching for bobby fischer by actor austin pendleton. The awardwinning author of the international bestseller the man who loved only numbers played to escape the dissolution of his parents marriage, happily passing weekends with his brilliant bohemian father in new yorks greenwich village.
As a young teen, hoffman lost himself in chess to escape his parents dissolving marriage. Returning to the game decades later in a period of. Hoffman is known for his long exploratory walks around new york city. In kings gambit, he interweaves a gripping overview of the history of the game and an indepth look at the state of modern chess into the story of his own attempt to get his game back up to master levelwithout. Paul hoffman s book the kings gambit is in the latter category, but it has elements throughout of the former. Chess games of paul hoffmann, career statistics, famous victories, opening repertoire, pgn download. But he approaches it from the opposite side of the coin. The new york times called him mayor of strange places. These days im thinking about bad bishops, robot helpmates, rubiks cube, fried clams, drip coffee, con games, fatherhood, and cheese. Having known paul for some time now we asked him for excerpts, which we duly received. He is the recipient of the first national magazine award for feature writing.
Hoffmans gambit the united states chess federation. The awardwinning author of the international bestseller the man who loved only numbers played to escape the dissolution of his parents marriage, happily passing weekends with his brilliant bohemian father in new. Sep 11, 2007 as a young man, paul hoffman was a brilliant chess player. I still believe if fischer would have kept on playing tournament chess his rating would have. I first knew him as an author, when i heard him on the radio promoting his bestselling book the man who loved only numbers. Otherwise, hoffman has achieved something singular. In kings gambit, he interweaves a gripping overview of the history of the game and an indepth look at the state of modern chess into the story of his own attempt to get his game back up to master levelwithout losing his mind.
Grandmaster andy soltis, new york post chess has long been known as the game of kings, but according to journalist and former encyclopaedia britannica president paul hoffman, it also attracts models, madmen, and malcontents. I think its because he believes the game is addictive, not because some prominent players have been mentally unstable, including two world champions, the uncrowned paul morphy and the briefly crowned robert j. Im working on turning my last book, wings of madness, into a feature film, and am looking forward to meeting chess fans at book signings. I havent yet found a pure chess fiction book i really enjoyed. A year among the geeks, oddballs and geniuses who make up americas top high school chess team by michael weinreb. In your previous two books, youve written about paul erdos and alberto. In this book he weaves his own chess journey through stories about the great contemporary players he has met and traveled with. Paul is a chess player rated around 1900 or classa level who was the last man standing when world champion magnus carlsen played blindfold blitz chess against three challengers. Sep 04, 2007 like a book of chess problems with the beginning and endings cut off, whats memorable in chabons book is a series of shiny sentences and scenes filled with emotional truth. Introduced to chess by his father when he was only five, hoffman wings of madness, 2003, etc. A journey into the psyche of champion chess players, accompanied by a personal quest for understanding of a talented but difficult parent. I enjoyed hoffman s ability to explore the psychology of chess and chess players there are chess books that are, in the main, books about how to play the gamehow to find traps and zaps on the board or defend against the ruy lopez. Like a book of chess problems with the beginning and endings cut off, whats memorable in chabons book is a series of shiny sentences and scenes filled with emotional truth.
Paul hoffman kings gambit paul hoffman the ph test. Of the several generalinterest books with a chess theme that appeared this year, this is the one to buy. Author of at least ten books, he has appeared on cbs this morning and the newshour with jim lehrer as a correspondent. The united states chess federation chess and new books. Well paul hoffman youre a great storyteller and a clever biographer. Hoffmans masterful, exhaustive tale of chess, its soaring triumphs and crushing discontents is filled with enough international intrigue and warped, shady characters to pass for the latest j. Kings gambit by paul hoffman overdrive rakuten overdrive. Chess for success using an old game to build new strengths in children and teens by ashley, maurice isbn. Kings gambit and the storyteller paul hoffman chessbase. The rest explores the chess world generally, and its convoluted underside specifically.
He turns up at chess events and spends a lot of time talking to players and fans. A son, a father, and the worlds most dangerous game, by paul hoffman. A son, a father, and the worlds most dangerous game by paul hoffman. As paul hoffman remarks, chess players live in an alternative world of what might have been. Best books about chess score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Hoffmans first biography, the man who loved only numbers. After reading this most interesting book im not sure why paul hoffman thinks that chess is the most dangerous game. Chess games of paul hoffmann, career statistics, famous victories, opening repertoire, pgn download, discussion, and more.
A non fiction book by paul hoffman as a young man, paul hoffman was a brilliant chess player. Welcome to the world of paul hoffman, science center impresario, writer, lapsed woodpusher, food entrepreneur, and occasional deep thinker. In kings gambit, he interweaves a gripping overview of the history of the game and an indepth look at the state of modern chess into the story of his own attempt to get his game back up to master. The chess games of paul hoffmann members prefs laboratory collections openings endgames sacrifices history search kibitzing kibitzers cafe chessforums tournament index players kibitzing. Its not a surprise that paul hoffmans kings gambit deals with father issues, because it is subtitled, a son, a father and the worlds most dangerous game. Kings gambit was written by awardwinning author paul hoffman, who. Paul hoffman born march 30, 1956 is the president and ceo of the liberty science center in. The last two americans to excel in the game suffered mental meltdowns, and understandably so chess is. Beginning as i young child, paul hoffman was fascinated by chess. A son, a father, and the worlds most dangerous game chess news. Like a set of beautiful short tales, all interwoven together, kasparov storming out in defeat, karpov trying to deny his losses, genius and madness, coaches and pupils, almost undercover in moscow, simultaneous. In kings gambit, he interweaves a gripping overview of the history of the game and an indepth look at the state of modern chess into the story of his own attempt to get his game back up to master level without losing his mind. The story of paul erdos and the search for mathematical truth, was an international bestseller.
In chapter 3, i discuss how game history creates the chess community. Asa hoffmann born february 25, 1943 in new york city is a fide master in chess, chess teacher and author from the united states of america. And the story, well its chess and thats our favourite. Can you recommend chess books to read just for enjoyment. Paul hoffman recounts why he abandoned chess, and why he hopes to return without compromising my humanity. Kings gambit was written by awardwinning author paul hoffman, who has had a lifelong love affair with the royal game. Kings gambit by paul hoffman meet your next favorite book. Hallman was fun and interesting, as was kings gambit by paul hoffman and the kings of new york. As an adolescent, he loved the artistic purity of the game and the euphoria he felt after a hardfought victory but he was disturbed by the ugly brutality and deceptive impulses that tournament chess invariably brought out in his opponents and in himself. Returning to the sanctuary of the redeemers, thomas cale is told by the lord militant that the destruction of mankind is necessary. Whether hoffmans book is further proof of the growing popularity of chess or. As a young man, paul hoffman was a brilliant chess player. Whether hoffman s book is further proof of the growing popularity of chess or.
Here is the above referenced game, annotated by charbonneau these notes are not part of the book. Paul gray hoffman was an american automobile company executive, statesman and global development aid administrator. The awardwinning author of the international bestseller the man who loved only numbers played to escape the dissolution of his parents marriage, happily passing weekends with his brilliant bohemian father in new yorks greenwich village, the epicenter of american chess. As a book of somewhat random anecdotes, some about mathematics and some about people who knew paul erdos or ron graham, this is an interesting book. A son, a father, and the worlds most dangerous game. Paul hoffman on science, food, words, chess, and everything else thats big fun. Kings gambit and the storyteller paul hoffman chess news. I enjoyed hoffmans ability to explore the psychology of chess and chess players there are chess books that are, in the main, books about how to play the gamehow to find traps and zaps on the board or defend against the ruy lopez. His peak regular uscf rating is 2471, his peak quick rating is 2515 and his peak blitz rating is 2414. Death, judgement, heaven and hell these are the last four things now there are five meet thomas cale. Chicago magazine once called paul hoffman the smartest man in the world, but he claims the editors must have caught him on a particularly good day graduated summa cum laude and phi beta kappa from harvard college, hoffmans work explores the relationship between genius, madness, obsession, and creativity. Are you sure the wikipedias article is about the same paul hoffman. In kings gambit, he interweaves a gripping overview of the history of the game and an indepth look at the state of.
Paul is a chess player rated around 1900 or classa level who was the last man standing when. Paul hoffman, a marshall chess club member, is rated over 1900. About a quarter of kings gambit is a conventional memoir. The last four things is the second in paul hoffmans remarkable series.
Now at last paul has written a chess book, one we are reading with great fascination. For example, the book s first chapter, the insanity defense, surveys how psychosis and suicide seem. Mar 06, 2017 lately ive gotten several letters from chess fans who want to know what kind of chess books i like, and what books i consider to be the best of all time that kind of bestever list is very much a matter of taste, and a small list is impossible due to the enormous number of books that are written every year. As an adolescent, he loved the artistic purity of the game and the euphoria he felt after a hardfought victory but he was disturbed by the ugly brutality and deceptive impulses that tournament chess invariably brought out in. Nov 18, 2007 paul hoffman, whose book kings gambit. Best chess tactics books chess tactical bibles chessentials. Whats next for paul hoffmans chess and his writing. He is the winner of the first national magazine award for feature writing, and his work has appeared in the new yorker, time, and atlantic monthly. In kings gambit, he interweaves a gripping overview of the history of the game and an indepth look at the state of modern chess into the story of his own attempt to get his. The last two americans to excel in the game suffered mental meltdowns, and understandably so. Paul jacob christopher hoffmann, born 14 january 1970, is an australian cricketer who has played for the cricket teams of. A new chess book is creating a buzz, and not just in the chess world. The first chapter of hoffmans chessobsessed book includes the phrase an early lightsquared bishop sortie by white.
Paul hoffman is the president and ceo of the liberty science center in jersey city, new jersey. Paul hoffmans book the kings gambit is in the latter category, but it has elements throughout of the former. Sep 30, 2007 paul hoffman recounts why he abandoned chess, and why he hopes to return without compromising my humanity. In kings gambit, he interweaves a gripping overview of the history of the game and an indepth look at the state of modern chess into the story of his own attempt to get his game back up to master level. The united states chess federation hoffmans gambit. Paul hoffman was president of encyclopedia britannica and editorinchief of discover, and is the author of the man who loved only numbers and the wings of madness.
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