The Lubyanka Gambit - Sergei Grodzensky

A fascinating read

If you are interested in the early history of Soviet Chess and by implication Soviet life this is a fascinating read but with very sad with dark overtones. The introduction sets the scene with Kirilenko - the head of the chess organisation having speeches for "5 year plans for chess" and other ideas that sound laughable to western people but were the reality of life. If you didn't agree then you were "against the state" and this is what the rest of the book covers. Each chapter covers someone who was sent to Gulags and killed for possibly something as simple as changing your name, disagreeing with the ideas proposed, or upsetting someone in power (as happened to Kirilenko). Samples of their games or puzzles are covered as a lot of problemists ended up in the Gulags. This book will not make you a better chess player, but it shines an important light on what can happen in dictatorships and therefore deserves a wide audience to read it. As Soviet chess players were world champions for over 50 years it helps you understand the environment that they played in and the risks they had to deal with in a day to day basis. The Author has done a series on the early Soviet championships and they are equally fascinating.

Lubyanka gambit

A truly wonderful book! Great games and heartbreaking stories. Bought for a very good price from chess &bridge. Buy a copy while still available or go to amazon and pay twice the price!