Novela de ajedrez

On a transatlantic liner sailing from New York to Buenos Aires, a passenger discovers that the ship carries Mirko Czentovic, the world chess champion, a cold and narrow-minded man. A wealthy passenger challenges him, and an unknown man, Dr B, appears and rescues the amateurs with brilliant moves. Dr B then explains that he learned chess in solitary confinement under the Gestapo in Vienna, where a stolen chess book was his only comfort, and that playing against himself nearly drove him mad. Stefan Zweig wrote the novella in exile in 1941, shortly before his death, and it combines a game with a critique of Nazi psychological cruelty.

It is a fine short read for chess lovers and readers interested in the history of the period. It can be read in a single evening and gives a haunting picture of isolation.

Deep, inward-looking, contemplative and thought-provoking; a moderate read.

Best for readers like The Wisdom Collector. Which reader are you?