An enthusiastic verve--"brio" some could say--marked both Ignaz Kolisch's personality and his games. This book documents the life of the Hungarian chess champion (1837-1889) and successful financier, setting it in the cosmopolitan framework of mid-19th century Europe. The text is enriched by about 125 or so gleanings about the lives of his competitors (including Arnous de Riviere, Anderssen, Morphy, Mackenzie, Paulsen, Falkbeer, Rosenthal, Steinitz, Winawer). More than 300 specimens of his play are presented--by far the largest collection ever--complete with sources and coeval annotations, translated from many languages. Several widespread and long-standing errors are corrected. A work deeply researched among sources in many languages, the book serves also as a record of European chess in the late 1850s through the 1880s.

About the Author
Fabrizio Zavatarelli is a teacher of applied mathematics and the author of several articles concerning chess history. He lives in Milano, Italy.

Reviews
"one of the most accurate chess books that McFarland & Company, Inc. has ever published"-Edward Winter, Chess Notes; "first-rate work...the tale of Kolisch's rise to fame and fortune is dramatically told"-Chess Life; "first rate"-Chessbooks.nl; "creates vivid pictures of the chess scene in the second half of the 19th century...remarkable...amazing"-Huffington Post; "Fills a previously empty space in chess literature...the definitive biography of Kolisch, and will not be surpassed in any substantial way in the future. Zavatarelli's colourful and multi-faceted presentation of the subject is sweet music to this chess historian's ears."-Quarterly for Chess History.


Awards
Short-listed for Book of the Year-English Chess Federation (United States).



Book Information
ISBN 9780786496907
Author Fabrizio Zavatarelli
Format Hardback
Page Count 376
Imprint McFarland & Co Inc
Publisher McFarland & Co Inc
Weight(grams) 1102g
Dimensions(mm) 279mm * 216mm * 19mm