Name: Chess story
ISBN: 1590171691

Stefan Zweig

Chess story

Sarah Christine Gill

Sven Schmidt

ella

People and events don't disappoint us, our models of reality do. It is my model of reality that determines my happiness or disappointments.

aywen

For suddenly I had something to do—something meaningless, something without purpose, you may say, but still something that nullified the nullity surrounding me; I possessed in these one hundred fifty tournament games a marvelous weapon against the oppressive monotony of my environs and my existence.

He would cast a single, seemingly cursory glance at the board before each move, looking past us as indifferently as if we ourselves were lifeless wooden pieces.

But even thoughts, insubstantial as they seem, need a footing, or they begin to spin, to run in frenzied circles; they can’t bear nothingness either. 

“All my life I have been passionately interested in monomaniacs of any kind, people carried away by a single idea. The more one limits oneself, the closer one is to the infinite; these people, as unworldly as they seem, burrow like termites into their own particular material to construct, in miniature, a strange and utterly individual image of the world.”

“Where does it begin, where does it end? Any child can learn its basic rules, any amateur can try his hand at it; and yet, within the inalterable confines of a chessboard, masters unlike any others evolve, people with a talent for chess and chess alone, special geniuses whose gifts of imagination, patience and skill are just as precisely apportioned as those of mathematicians, poets, and musicians, but differently arranged and combined.”

Penguin Archive, Translation by Anthea Bell

william wukkuan

That filled my day, which used to be as formless as jelly; I was occupied without exhausting myself, for the wonderful advantage of the game of chess is that, by concentrating your intellectual energies in a strictly limited area, it doesn't tire the brain even with the most strenuous thinking, but instead increases its agility and vigour.

Chess Story, also known as The Royal Game, is the Austrian master Stefan Zweig’s final achievement, completed in Brazilian exile and sent off to his American publisher only days before his suicide in 1942. It is the only story in which Zweig looks at Nazism, and he does so with characteristic emphasis on the psychological. Travelers by ship from New York to Buenos Aires find that on board with them is the world champion of chess, an arrogant and unfriendly man. They come together to try their skills against him and are soundly defeated. Then a mysterious passenger steps forward to advise them and their fortunes change. How he came to possess his extraordinary grasp of the game of chess and at what cost lie at the heart of Zweig’s story. This new translation of Chess Story brings out the work’s unusual mixture of high suspense and poignant reflection.

Chess Story

went down dramatically (and positively) different than i expected and i enjoyed every intense second of this densely-packed novella. i enjoyed how it examines the psychology of monomania in the backdrop of nazism and its lasting mental repercussions with such a precision that left my mind reeling. i don’t even have a basic understanding of chess, so i was prepared to be overwhelmed by the possible of the technical/tactical elaboration of the game—but in the end it focuses on the engrossing psychological aspect of the chess obsessive. zweig’s prose flows smoothly and is easy to read in one sitting. i hope i’ll get to read more of his other works! 

I was supposed to read this in one sitting—as I planned it to be but I knew this book would rather be digested in slow pace and it certainly did. What bothers me is that I'm too engrossed in Dr. B's experiences and till now my breath hasn't calmed down. 

Once again everything is facism. Realizing all my life i have been in love with monomaniacs and that one perhaps is my obsession. Reading about Zweig’s background and how close this was written to his suicide makes it seem almost confessional but also not completely sure everything is lining up there. 

“but is it not already an insult to call chess anything so narrow as a game? is it not also a science, an art, hovering between these categories like muhammad’s coffin between heaven and earth, a unique yoking of opposites, ancient and yet eternally new, mechanically constituted and yet an activity of the imagination alone, limited to a fixed geometric area but unlimited in its permutations, constantly evolving and yet sterile, a cogitation producing nothing, a mathematics calculating nothing, an art without an artwork, an architecture without substance and yet demonstrably more durable in its essence and actual form than all books and works, the only game that belongs to all peoples and all eras, while no one knows what god put it on earth to deaden boredom, sharpen the mind, and fortify the spirit?”

開花

“but is it not already an insult to call chess anything so narrow as a game? is it not also a science, an art, hovering between these categories like muhammad’s coffin between heaven and earth, a unique yoking of opposites, ancient and yet eternally new, mechanically constituted and yet an activity of the imagination alone, limited to a fixed geometric area but unlimited in its permutations, constantly evolving and yet sterile, a cogitation producing nothing, a mathematics calculating nothing, an art without an artwork, an architecture without substance and yet demonstrably more durable in its essence and actual form than all books and works, the only game that belongs to all peoples and all eras, while no one knows what god put it on earth to deaden boredom, sharpen the mind, and fortify the spirit?”



“All my life I have been passionately interested in monomaniacs of any kind, people carried away by a single idea. The more one limits oneself, the closer one is to the infinite; these people, as unworldly as they seem, burrow like termites into their own particular material to construct, in miniature, a strange and utterly individual image of the world.“

my first stefan work, it was quite good! loved the contrast between the two characters. chess is something so important to both their lives— it is a means of life to both their lives czentovic and dr. b…..  freak4freak

“All my life I have been passionately interested in monomaniacs of any kind, people carried away by a single idea. The more one limits oneself, the closer one is to the infinite; these people, as unworldly as they seem, burrow like termites into their own particular material to construct, in miniature, a strange and utterly individual image of the world.“

my first stefan work, it was quite good! loved the contrast between the two characters. chess is something so important to both their lives— it is a means of life to both their lives czentovic and dr. b…..  freak4freak

zweig's strength really do lie in crafting short stories like this 

As a lover of stories where the main setting is a boat, I knew I would love Stefan Zweig’s Chess Story (also known as ‘The Royal Game’) as soon as I read ‘takes place on a steamship…’ This is partially a joke, but like my beloved Moby Dick, boats and ships offer a conveniently constrained narrative space in which its passengers are ‘locked together’, and the diversity of these passengers becomes an emblematic microcosm of society, ripe for analogy-heavy storytelling. Chess Story gives us the same kind of unlikely band of characters who are brought together in a steamship bound from New York to Argentina. These characters being: the narrator, an unnamed, hardly mentioned Austrian; Czentovic, the current world chess champion; McConnor, a Scottish oil tycoon who made a fortune in California, and a mysterious stranger who seems to meet the match of the best in the world.

It is hard to discuss this very short novella without ‘spoiling’ anything, but the main thrust of the work is this narrative frame that highlights the story of the mysterious stranger, Dr B, who interrupts a ‘simultaneous’ chess game where the gentry of the steamship all play together against Czentovic under McConnor’s patronage. Dr B changes the group’s losing move, recounting a famous chess game played in the past, and takes over the game, seemingly able to calculate dozens of moves in advance. When asked to play again, he says he can’t, having not played a real game of chess in decades. Curious, our narrator introduces himself to Dr B, who tells the narrator and the reader his story of how he became so knowledgeable at chess without ever playing it.

The majority of the novella is dedicated to Dr B’s story, who reveals he was held captive by Nazi forces in Austria and subjected to isolation torture for months. During this period, he stole a chess book from a guard uniform and taught himself how to solve chess positions in an obsessive, psychotic, synesthetic craze. Zweig beautifully describes the psychological impact of this torture, rending physical the immense amounts of mental strain from a complete lack of reference to time and location, and the horror of constantly looping thoughts and delirium. It is a terrifying, gripping read, and even if the whole plot was laid bare just here I would still say it's worth reading for the prose in relation to this. 

Zweig died of suicide in Brazil one year after publishing Chess Story. As part of writing this review, I read his short suicide note where he stated that his ‘own power has been expended after years of wandering homeless’—homeless, as in, having left Austria behind due to the ongoing Nazi occupation. I do not think it’s appropriate to analyse a suicide note heavily. But the virtues extolled of chess in this novel—could these not be the same virtues of writing? To the extent that both are perfect ‘side pursuit’ of intellectual activity, both beautiful ‘games’ capable of mastery and imaginative analysis? The infinitely imaginative Dr B wins in a chess match against the mechanical Czentovic in the end, but, in the rematch, the immense amounts of mental calculation (alongside with the tactical sadism of Czentovic) requires him to resign, and to leave, quitting chess forever. It was hard not for me to read the resignation as an existential one, even if that resignation protects oneself from the horrific mental strain the exercise of chess/writing entails.

This is the first Zweig I’ve read and I can understand why he’s so highly regarded. The story is told in first person past tense where the narrator is a mere bystander to the events going on in the novel between the main characters. Zweig’s style is structured and fluid, extremely easy to read, and largely dialogue-driven and external, at least until we get to Dr B’s frame story, in which Zweig grants a conversational psychological lucidity in the same vein as a Dostoevsky story. I found it a breeze to read, especially coming off some more experimental work, and the chapterless, scene-breakless structure means anyone who picks this up will likely finish it in one sitting. 

His efficient, economical and impactful language has left a great impression on me, and I would definitely read more of his work, of which I've heard feature similar stories of psychological obsession.

shain

As a lover of stories where the main setting is a boat, I knew I would love Stefan Zweig’s Chess Story (also known as ‘The Royal Game’) as soon as I read ‘takes place on a steamship…’ This is partially a joke, but like my beloved Moby Dick, boats and ships offer a conveniently constrained narrative space in which its passengers are ‘locked together’, and the diversity of these passengers becomes an emblematic microcosm of society, ripe for analogy-heavy storytelling. Chess Story gives us the same kind of unlikely band of characters who are brought together in a steamship bound from New York to Argentina. These characters being: the narrator, an unnamed, hardly mentioned Austrian; Czentovic, the current world chess champion; McConnor, a Scottish oil tycoon who made a fortune in California, and a mysterious stranger who seems to meet the match of the best in the world.

It is hard to discuss this very short novella without ‘spoiling’ anything, but the main thrust of the work is this narrative frame that highlights the story of the mysterious stranger, Dr B, who interrupts a ‘simultaneous’ chess game where the gentry of the steamship all play together against Czentovic under McConnor’s patronage. Dr B changes the group’s losing move, recounting a famous chess game played in the past, and takes over the game, seemingly able to calculate dozens of moves in advance. When asked to play again, he says he can’t, having not played a real game of chess in decades. Curious, our narrator introduces himself to Dr B, who tells the narrator and the reader his story of how he became so knowledgeable at chess without ever playing it.

The majority of the novella is dedicated to Dr B’s story, who reveals he was held captive by Nazi forces in Austria and subjected to isolation torture for months. During this period, he stole a chess book from a guard uniform and taught himself how to solve chess positions in an obsessive, psychotic, synesthetic craze. Zweig beautifully describes the psychological impact of this torture, rending physical the immense amounts of mental strain from a complete lack of reference to time and location, and the horror of constantly looping thoughts and delirium. It is a terrifying, gripping read, and even if the whole plot was laid bare just here I would still say it's worth reading for the prose in relation to this. 

Zweig died of suicide in Brazil one year after publishing Chess Story. As part of writing this review, I read his short suicide note where he stated that his ‘own power has been expended after years of wandering homeless’—homeless, as in, having left Austria behind due to the ongoing Nazi occupation. I do not think it’s appropriate to analyse a suicide note heavily. But the virtues extolled of chess in this novel—could these not be the same virtues of writing? To the extent that both are perfect ‘side pursuit’ of intellectual activity, both beautiful ‘games’ capable of mastery and imaginative analysis? The infinitely imaginative Dr B wins in a chess match against the mechanical Czentovic in the end, but, in the rematch, the immense amounts of mental calculation (alongside with the tactical sadism of Czentovic) requires him to resign, and to leave, quitting chess forever. It was hard not for me to read the resignation as an existential one, even if that resignation protects oneself from the horrific mental strain the exercise of chess/writing entails.

This is the first Zweig I’ve read and I can understand why he’s so highly regarded. The story is told in first person past tense where the narrator is a mere bystander to the events going on in the novel between the main characters. Zweig’s style is structured and fluid, extremely easy to read, and largely dialogue-driven and external, at least until we get to Dr B’s frame story, in which Zweig grants a conversational psychological lucidity in the same vein as a Dostoevsky story. I found it a breeze to read, especially coming off some more experimental work, and the chapterless, scene-breakless structure means anyone who picks this up will likely finish it in one sitting. 

His efficient, economical and impactful language has left a great impression on me, and I would definitely read more of his work, of which I've heard feature similar stories of psychological obsession.

“But is it not already an insult to call chess anything so narrow as a game? Is it not also a science, an art, hovering between these categories like Muhammad’s coffin between heaven and earth, a unique yoking of opposites, ancient and yet eternally new, mechanically constituted and yet an activity of the imagination alone, limited to a fixed geometric area but unlimited in its permutations, constantly evolving and yet sterile, a cogitation producing nothing, a mathematics calculating nothing, an art without an artwork, an architecture without substance and yet demonstrably more durable in its essence and actual form than all books and works, the only game that belongs to all peoples and all eras, while no one knows what god put it on earth to deaden boredom, sharpen the mind, and fortify the spirit?”

Stefan Zweig's Chess Story is definitely a book beyond the 64 squares of a chessboard—it's a story about how the line gets blurry between genius and madness, between passion and obsession, and how the human mind can find refuge, and ultimately unravel, in the most unexpected of places. This book explores the psychological toll of isolation and trauma, using the game of chess as a powerful metaphor and a catalyst between the characters. It delves into the minds of two contrasting figures: Dr. B., a Viennese lawyer imprisoned by the Nazis, and Mirko Czentovic, a chess prodigy and world champion. Subjected to solitary confinement, Dr. B. finds solace, and ultimately obsession, in the game of chess after stealing a book on the subject. He plays countless games against himself, fracturing his psyche in the process.

Dr. B. and Czentovic represent two sides of the same coin when it comes to chess. Dr. B.'s obsession is born out of trauma and isolation.  He uses chess as an escape, a way to maintain his sanity in the face of unimaginable torture by the Nazis. Czentovic, on the other hand, embodies a more innate, almost savant-like genius. He is socially awkward and seemingly devoid of emotional depth, but possesses an almost preternatural ability for chess. His skill is innate, almost mechanical, contrasting sharply with Dr. B.'s more intellectual and emotionally driven approach. While Dr. B.'s chess becomes a battle against inner turmoil, Czentovic's is simply a game, a skill he possesses without truly understanding its deeper implications. This contrast highlights the different ways in which chess can be used – as a means of survival, a form of self-expression, or simply a talent.

Chess Story is my first Stefan Zweig, and it will not be my last. So much tension and psychological depth are packed into a surprisingly short amount of pages. The novella is a masterclass in concise storytelling, efficiently building suspense and exploring complex themes. Zweig's portrayal of Dr. B.'s descent into obsession is both compelling and disturbing. We witness his gradual unraveling as he grapples with the trauma of his imprisonment and the consuming nature of his chess obsession. The other characters, including the enigmatic Czentovic, though fewer in number, are equally well-drawn and contribute to the overall sense of unease and psychological realism. Zweig is, without a doubt, a seasoned grandmaster of storytelling, skillfully moving his narrative pieces across the board of human experience. 

Rien

Note: This is a late review.

“But is it not already an insult to call chess anything so narrow as a game? Is it not also a science, an art, hovering between these categories like Muhammad’s coffin between heaven and earth, a unique yoking of opposites, ancient and yet eternally new, mechanically constituted and yet an activity of the imagination alone, limited to a fixed geometric area but unlimited in its permutations, constantly evolving and yet sterile, a cogitation producing nothing, a mathematics calculating nothing, an art without an artwork, an architecture without substance and yet demonstrably more durable in its essence and actual form than all books and works, the only game that belongs to all peoples and all eras, while no one knows what god put it on earth to deaden boredom, sharpen the mind, and fortify the spirit?”

Stefan Zweig's Chess Story is definitely a book beyond the 64 squares of a chessboard—it's a story about how the line gets blurry between genius and madness, between passion and obsession, and how the human mind can find refuge, and ultimately unravel, in the most unexpected of places. This book explores the psychological toll of isolation and trauma, using the game of chess as a powerful metaphor and a catalyst between the characters. It delves into the minds of two contrasting figures: Dr. B., a Viennese lawyer imprisoned by the Nazis, and Mirko Czentovic, a chess prodigy and world champion. Subjected to solitary confinement, Dr. B. finds solace, and ultimately obsession, in the game of chess after stealing a book on the subject. He plays countless games against himself, fracturing his psyche in the process.

Dr. B. and Czentovic represent two sides of the same coin when it comes to chess. Dr. B.'s obsession is born out of trauma and isolation.  He uses chess as an escape, a way to maintain his sanity in the face of unimaginable torture by the Nazis. Czentovic, on the other hand, embodies a more innate, almost savant-like genius. He is socially awkward and seemingly devoid of emotional depth, but possesses an almost preternatural ability for chess. His skill is innate, almost mechanical, contrasting sharply with Dr. B.'s more intellectual and emotionally driven approach. While Dr. B.'s chess becomes a battle against inner turmoil, Czentovic's is simply a game, a skill he possesses without truly understanding its deeper implications. This contrast highlights the different ways in which chess can be used – as a means of survival, a form of self-expression, or simply a talent.

Chess Story is my first Stefan Zweig, and it will not be my last. So much tension and psychological depth are packed into a surprisingly short amount of pages. The novella is a masterclass in concise storytelling, efficiently building suspense and exploring complex themes. Zweig's portrayal of Dr. B.'s descent into obsession is both compelling and disturbing. We witness his gradual unraveling as he grapples with the trauma of his imprisonment and the consuming nature of his chess obsession. The other characters, including the enigmatic Czentovic, though fewer in number, are equally well-drawn and contribute to the overall sense of unease and psychological realism. Zweig is, without a doubt, a seasoned grandmaster of storytelling, skillfully moving his narrative pieces across the board of human experience. 

kentuckymeatshower

unironically me with tft… first zweig, love stories about obsession. 

chiara

Focused and very descriptive. Good way to tell the stories of two characters 

Anthony Teo

charis

my ex if he ever met magnus carlsen on a boat 

rory

It was my first from this author, haven’t played chess before, but from this book it seems like a great game

Jeffery Tay

jannah

My first Zweig book and needless to say this was brilliant. Chess and Nazis. A character’s descend into madness. Concise and unforgettable. 

'... a human being, an intellectual human being who constantly bends the entire force of his mind on the ridiculous task of forcing a wooden king into the corner of a wooden board, and does it without going mad!' A group of passengers on a cruise ship challenge the world chess champion to a match. At first, they crumble, until they are helped by whispered advice from a stranger in the crowd - a man who will risk everything to win. Stefan Zweig's acclaimed novella Chess is a disturbing, intensely dramatic depiction of obsession and the price of genius.

A Novel

Chess

Charlize

4.5 

what could go wrong if you put two monomaniacs together and excite their very own monomania?

a lot i’d say!

i couldn’t tell if one is more extreme than the other as the latter wasn’t too fleshed out—and perhaps intentionally so.

gripping from start to end; not a single dull moment within the 80+ pages. in fact, the tension was exponentially thicker near the end, you could cut it with a knife! while you don’t have to be well-versed in chess to understand the story, it helps a bit if you’re familiar with its philosophy.

everything clicked. i don’t know how else to say it. the psychological warfare nazis used against their captives? it makes perfect sense for mr. b’s obsession with the royal game. 

if you don’t mind, i’ll go ahead and blunder my queen now.

at no point was i sure why this was taking me where it was and that’s a wonderful feeling to be handed by a novel this short and unembellished 😊 love when things justify and maximize their length. love when obsession is necessitated by a need for salvation. love when so much happens within so little. 

Maria

“But even thoughts, as non substantial as they seem, need something to hang on to, otherwise they begin to spin and circle around themselves senselessly–even they cannot bear nothingness.”

for only 100 pages, this is such a packed story, i find it so hard to summarise. it's about two people, one of them a rather simple, but renowned world chess champion, and the other, an unnoticeable man, who, although hasn't touched a chess board in more than 25 years, seems to be capable to pose a challenge for our champion. but as the story goes on, it unfolds to reveal that, really, it's about the power of the mind and the despair it can unleash. zweig uses chess here as a tool to look at nazism - apparently the only one of his works that delves into the topic - through a psychological lens. it's a lot to pack into so few pages, and yet the last 20 or so pages become a chilling mind game, so masterfully done. a solid 4.5, and i will have to sit with it for a while.

last book of the 2023. a gift from my grandma. wasn’t planning on reading anymore this year but i ended up slurping this book up in one sitting. a very enjoyable read

Natalie

Gripping, and full of timeless insights on the psychology of fanaticism. Couldn't put this one down.

"I have always been interested in any kind of monomaniac obsessed by a single idea, for the more a man restricts himself the closer he is, conversely, to infinity; characters like this, apparently remote from reality, are like termites using their own material to build a remarkable and unique small-scall version of the world."

Deepika Ramesh

My 6th book for #24in48readathon. Loved every word of this book. A gem. Such a rare gem. I will definitely re-read it.

iamazoo

3.5 stars, rounded up because the story is so good.

charisa

4.5 rounded up. 

"All my life I have been passionately interested in monomaniacs of any kind, people carried away by a single idea. The more one limits oneself, the closer one is to the infinite; these people, as unworldly as they seem, burrow like termites into their own particular material to construct, in miniature, a strange and utterly individual image of the world." 

this was really so good. short, yet powerful with countless threads for further thought. zweig's portrayal of nihilistic madness in parallel with the rationality of chess made for an intriguing contrast. there are two kinds of insanity presented here: a consuming, singular obsession, and the over-analysis of the self. at a certain level, both are grounds for great creativity and fecundity, but also deadly when extended far past human capacity. so where is that line?