The Immortal Game
by David Shenk · first published 2006
4mentions
3recommended by
3HN commenters
2010–2017first – last mentioned
100% recommend
Why has one game, alone among the thousands of games invented and played throughout human history, not only survived but thrived within every culture it has touched? What is it about its thirty-two figurative pieces, moving about its sixty-four black and white squares according to very simple rules, that has captivated people for nearly 1,500 years? Why has it driven some of its greatest players into paranoia and madness, and yet is hailed as a remarkably powerful intellectual tool?Nearly everyone has played chess at some point in their lives. Its rules and pieces have served as a metaphor for
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For eeveryone interested in a history (and general overview) of the game I suggest Immortal Game by David Shenk (https://www.amazon.com/Immortal-Game-History-Chess/dp/140003...). Specifically he does mention how Chess was considered in ideological terms (for example by the Church, and later by Soviet…
on “An Indian village addicted to chess” ↗Interesting trivia from the good micro-history book "The Immortal Game" is that the classic stylized chess piece shapes that are still used today were adapted from more representative figures specifically to be less offensive to Muslim leaders who didn't approve of the realistic…
…Lichess is my favorite for actually playing games with other people. * Queen's Gambit is clearly the most fun opening as white. * Chess can be one of the most infuriating games in existence. * "The Immortal Game: A History of Chess" is one of the best non-fiction books I've read in awhile.
on “Ask HN: What do you want to learn in 2017?” ↗Here are two examples of what I mean with "overview books": http://www.amazon.com/The-Immortal-Game-History-Chess/dp/1400034086 http://www.amazon.com/Sword-Gladiators-Musketeers-Swashbucklers-anniversary/dp/0812969669 The first covers the history of chess, with ample digressions on chess and literature,…
on “Ask HN: Suggestions for "overview books"” ↗