The Queen's Gambit: A Novel
by Walter Tevis
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Book Summary Information
Author: Walter TevisEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2003-03-11
ISBN: 1400030609
Number of pages: 256
Publisher: Vintage
Book Reviews of The Queen's Gambit: A Novel
Book Review: Relentless inaccuracy ruins the good writing.
Summary: 2 Stars
This is a very well written, gripping character study of a young woman driven to excel at chess. I can understand how the non chess players who have posted reviews might like it.
Unfortunately, for anybody who understands the game, the book is spoiled by many truly boneheaded inaccuracies. For chess players, just a couple of examples, 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d5?! is given as a common variation of the Sicilian. Tevis doesn't seem to understand that, in a Swiss System tournament, the only two undefeated players would have to meet in the last round, and much, much more.
For non-players, if you think that this is just chess geek nitpicking, imagine the following. Suppose a book about football implied that it was okay to make passes beyond the line of scrimmage. Suppose a baseball novel had somebody running the bases clockwise. We're really talking that level of inaccuracy here. Tevis claimed that a well know chess master had reviewed his book for accuracy, but if so, he must have ignored his suggestions, or been overwhelmed by how much he would have had to change.
A knowledge of chess is truly a barrier to enjoying this book.
Summary of The Queen's Gambit: A Novel
Eight year-old orphan Beth Harmon is quiet, sullen, and by all appearances unremarkable. That is until she plays her first game of chess. Her senses grow sharper, her thinking clearer, and for the first time in her life she feels herself fully in control. By the age of sixteen, she?s competing for the U.S. Open championship. But as she hones her skills on the professional circuit, the stakes get higher, her isolation grows more frightening, and the thought of escape becomes all the more tempting. Engaging and fast-paced, The Queen?s Gambit speeds to a conclusion as elegant and satisfying as a mate in four.Classics Books
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