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The Royal Game: A Chess Story

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( 142,218 ratings, 10,981 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Royal Game: A Chess Story by Stefan Zweig explores the psychological battle between an arrogant chess champion and a mysterious challenger onboard a ship. The tale delves into themes of obsession and the human psyche as both men confront their inner demons through the intellectual intensity of the game.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're captivated by psychological drama and intense human emotions. It delves into the world of chess, offering a profound exploration of the mind under strain, and masterfully intertwines themes of obsession and resilience.

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The Royal Game: A Chess Story

A new edition of this classic Zweig story - an epic chess match on a transatlantic liner during WW2 unearths a story of persecution and obsession.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Set aboard an ocean liner bound for Buenos Aires, Stefan Zweig's The Royal Game: A Chess Story delves into the eerie interplay of intellect and obsession. The novel introduces us to Mirko Czentovic, the reigning chess world champion, who compensates for his peculiar dullness in all but chess by effortlessly defeating any passenger daring enough to challenge him. His victories, however, come at a financial cost to his opponents, amplifying his egotistical nature and leaving many in awe of his unparalleled skill.

As the ship traverses the Atlantic, an intriguing development emerges in the person of Dr B, a quiet passenger with a mysterious past. Formerly imprisoned by the Nazis, Dr B survived torturous isolation by mentally immersing himself in the intricacies of chess, a coping mechanism that edged him precariously close to madness. The text brilliantly captures Dr B's psychological battles and heightened sensitivities triggered by his past trauma, building a palpable tension as he reluctantly agrees to face Czentovic in a match that transcends the mere movement of pieces on a board.

This enthralling narrative navigates the complexities of the human psyche, uncovering the dual nature of intellectual prowess as both a bastion of strength and a potential harbinger of torment. Zweig's masterful storytelling in The Royal Game: A Chess Story renders a compelling and haunting portrait of two men bound by their fixation with chess, each grappling with their demons in markedly different ways.

With its haunting exploration of the mind's power and the sinister shadows it can cast, The Royal Game: A Chess Story stands as a profound meditation on the limits of human endurance and the daunting spectres of consciousness. Zweig's novella not only captivates with its psychological depth but also questions the very essence of what it means to be consumed by one's inner world. Readers will find themselves engrossed in this timeless, thought-provoking tale that eloquently illustrates the fragile balance between genius and madness.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Royal Game: A Chess Story by Stefan Zweig is widely acclaimed as perhaps the best chess story ever written. Reviewers praise it for its gripping narrative, even for those unfamiliar with chess. It is noted for its horrifying investigation into monomania and serves as a parable of the dangers of engaging with Nazism, exploring the psychological games our minds play.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781782278269

Publisher: Pushkin Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 04 November 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Pushkin Press

Contributors:

  • Translated by Alexander Starritt

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 0g

Pages: 112

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About the Author

Stefan Zweig was born in 1881 in Vienna, a member of a wealthy Austrian-Jewish family. He studied in Berlin and Vienna and was first known as a translator and later as a biographer. Zweig travelled widely, living in Salzburg between the wars, and enjoying literary fame. His stories and novellas were collected in 1934. In the same year, with the rise of Nazism, he briefly moved to London, taking British citizenship. After a short period in New York, he settled in Brazil where in 1942 he and his wife were found dead in bed in an apparent double suicide.

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