I am currently reading "The Immortal Game, A History of Chess (or How 32 Carved Pieces on a Board Illuminated Our Understanding of War, Art, Science, and the Human Brain)" [2006] by David Shenk. I have not played chess in many, many years and saw this book in the local library. The title interested me and I checked it out. The book is a complete surprise. The author is a journalist who admits to not being a high-level chess player. His interest in the game stems from an ancestor who was a Grandmaster, world-class chess player and analyst. Shenk has done an amazing amount of research into the history and impact of chess on the world in general. Even if you don't know much about the game or maybe even dislike the game, the story of how chess came into existence and the people and personalities involved in its evolution is more than one would expect from a book about chess. The story is framed around a famous chess match known as the "Immortal Game", considered to be the greatest game ever played. By moving back and forth from the game to stories about chess history, it is far from dry or boring. Politics, religion, psychology, cognitive science and many other subjects are shown to be interlaced with the history of chess in ways I never imagined. If you like a good read with intelligence, wit, and humor, I would strongly recommend this book (you don't even need to know the game to enjoy it). I may even break out the chessboard again.
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