Book review: The Immortal Game by David Shenk

I just finished reading The Immortal Game by David Shenk and I must say that it is an excellent read for anyone remotely interested in the game of chess. The author used deft strategy and cunning tactics to manipulate the reader into his desired position. Using a frame story to base the non-fiction work around, the reader is allowed the opportunity to dissect a little known match-up between two Grandmasters that took place in a cafe in London right around the time of an international chess tournament.

The subtitle of the book is: How 32 Carved Pieces On A Board Illuminated Our Understanding of War, Art, Science and the Human Brain. That pretty much sums it up.

At skillfully selected junctures, Shenk pauses the play by play commentary to delve into various finer points within the history of chess. The highlights include it's mythological creations (there are plenty!) as well as the most likely true origin of the game. Attention is paid to the different schools of chess theory, from romanticism on through the current synergistic school of thought.

Additionally, the author proceeds to look at the impact of chess throughout WW II and the Cold War era. Another area that is given attention is the impact of chess on the development of artificial intelligence. The section that grabbed my attention the most, though, was the chapter that addressed chess' applicability in the educational system.

What is amazing is that Shenk is able to accomplish all this in a manner accessible to people with no prior knowledge or experience. I highly recommend this book, especially for anyone with children just beginning to play chess. For me, it reinforced what I instinctively knew regarding its benefits in the educational system.