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With that sort of a beginning, you might presume I found this title less than wonderful, and you would be right. But that's getting ahead of ourselves, isn't it. Let me start at the beginning. Bobby Fischer for Beginners is presumably directed at those who have come on the chess scene long after Bobby made his run for the title. Like the author, who was born the same year - 1972. I review the book through the lens of someone who was already enamored of the game long before that (OK, not that long before...) Still, I tell you this because it does, perhaps, help in part to explain my bias. I am a Fischer fan, and have been despite his idiosyncrasies and all-too-human foibles. For starters, if an author sub-titles his book "The Most Famous Chess Player Explained" he should do some actual splainin' -- starting with why he thinks that he (the author) is the one to do so. By dint of his high rating and time on the international chess circuit? Because of his years of teaching chess? Due to his experience and skills as a clinician? Verwer's only claim is his passion for the game, which might be enough, except... Verwer writes in the introduction "I haven't allowed myself to be tempted into all sorts of psychological interpretations, but have stuck to a mainly chronological story. Readers will be able to draw their own conclusions - after all, I am writing for the thinking part of the population." Oh, really? Have at a few excerpts (highlighting added):
Not to mention repeated quotations and citations of others' opinions relating to Fischer's mental state. Not that there's anything necessarily wrong with that, except when you say you're not going to. One actual clinician I consulted wrote back:
Verwer may be right on in his psychological assessments, but if you say you're not going to... Then there's the issue of fact versus supposition, or allegation perhaps. On page 64 we read:
Mr. Verwer might want to check out the results of the DNA tests which recently concluded that Junky is NOT, in fact, Fischer's child (see, e.g., Fischer’s Paternity Test Released, or DNA results settle Bobby Fischer paternity case). Yes, I know that Ong's lawyer is contesting those results (RP lawyer questions Fischer's DNA test) - something that Verwer doesn't mention until six pages later - but shouldn't the facts be established before an author states them as obvious? Makes one wonder about other parts of the book... The 63 pages recounting Fischer's life story relies heavily on quotations of other's. I counted 13 quotations in one chapter of just 11 pages of text; seven of those quotations were from Fischer himself. Eventually Verwer gets to a mere ten of Fischer's games. All the essential ones are included, the famous Game-of-the-Century, his win over Robert Byrne in the 1963 US Championship, his win over Tal at Bled in 1961 are just a few of those included. These games consume another 40 pages. The book concludes with Fischer's tournament and match record, some "statistics", "Sources", a list of books by Fischer, and - oddly - a glossary of chess terms. And some more photographs - of book covers by other authors about Fischer. What does Verwer bring to the discussion besides his library card and Google? Does he present new and heretofore unknown information about Fischer? Does he present the known information in a new or novel way? Neither seems to be the case here. Well, then why is he leaping into the pool of 90+ books already written on RJF? Taken all together this book gives the impression of just another attempt to cash in on Fischer Fever. A slap-dash compendium of everything that could be found about Fischer, dressed up, of course, with New In Chess' deservedly famous production values. Is it 'utter crap'? No, but I can't recommend it,
either. There are too many good books about Bobby to spend your
hard-earned money on besides this one. Beginner or not.
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