PRE-ORDER - Alexander Alekhine – The Russian Sphinx: Volume II (1921-1934)

The second volume of Sergey Voronkov’s epic psychological biography of the fourth world champion covers the period in which Alekhine played his strongest chess and was at his most dominant. The author draws on contemporary publications from countries throughout the world to craft a living history of Alekhine’s thoughts, feelings, activities and career, as though viewed in a film.

The journey now takes us to his first years of exile in France, major international tournaments on both sides of the Atlantic, his rivalries with Rubinstein and Nimzowitsch, his training match with Euwe, the drama and tension of three world championship matches with Capablanca and Bogoljubov, and a host of simultaneous displays in the Americas, Europe and Asia.

One area explored in particular detail is Alekhine’s psychological approach to the match with Capablanca and how he adapted his style to win it. 84 games and fragments are presented, including 46 never before published in books, using contemporary commentary from the protagonists themselves and other well-known players, writers and journalists of the period. Extended commentary by Euwe, Nimzowitsch and Kmoch is prominent. The annotations are supported by modern engine analysis from International Master Dmitry Plisetsky. this work is supplemented by over 100 photographs and drawings, many of which are also published in a book for the first time.