From Publishers Weekly
"Deep down inside I am a romantic," confesses Kasparov, the brash, supremely confident Soviet grand master who in 1985, at age 22, defeated fellow countryman Anatoly Karpov to become the youngest-ever world chess champion. In this articulate, witty, outspoken autobiography, written with Trelford, an editor of the British Observer , Kasparov recalls his Jewish-Armenian family background, his father's death when he was seven and his precocious entry into the tournament world. Focusing on key matches in a narrative chock-full of chess anecdotes and game analyses, the book highlights the grand master's running feud with a bureaucratic "chess mafia" and his gutsy attempt to democratize the sport as it is played in the Soviet Union. This sometimes rancorous tell-all offers a behind-the-scenes look at the intrigue and politics of top-level competition. Photos.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
The engaging Russian who became world chess champion at age 22 in 1985 has coauthored (with the editor of Britain's The Observer ) an honest and interesting account of his competitive life. He devotes two brief chapters to his childhood, when his special talent for chess was recognized, but the rest details the challenges--intellectual and psychological--of his major tournaments. His descriptions of other master players, particularly his long-time rivals Florencio Campomanes and Anatoly Karpov, are fascinating. Equally engrossing are accounts of his clashes with the International Chess Federation, whose political squabblings have stalled many high-level games. Recommended.
- Will Hepfer, SUNY at Buffalo Libs.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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3 of 7 people found the following review helpful: Strong Opening, good middle position, but weak endgame, March 13, 1997 Reviewer: A reader Garry Kasparaov has the advantage of being the best chess player the world has ever seen, thus one might be tempted to think he would also have written the best chess biography ever seen. One can but hope this is false, as only lovers of Garry could appreciate much beyond the middle of the book. At times one gets the impression that s/he is reading an extended polemic against Karpov. The excruciating detail of the first world match between these giants easily puts the reader at a snooze. Be not deceived, however, occasionally Garry gives us an insight into what it takes to be the best at the game, but he is too much of a realist to inject any of the mysticism one hopes to encounter from the master of that most cognitive sport Was this review helpful to you?  (Report this)

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