The Bobby Fischer I Knew

by Larry Parr and Arnold S. Denker

Grandmaster Arnold Denker - the Dean of American Chess, U. S. chess champion from 1944 to 1946, was the Runyonesque chronicler of the "guys and dolls" of the New York chess scene of the 1930s, and the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1886040184
• ISBN13: 9781886040182
• Release Date: January 1995
• Publisher: Hypermodern Press
• Length: 359 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.5" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Great Stories and Half-Forgotten Games.

I knew Denker, though the age difference was such that he was more a saintly icon figure to me than a living, breathing person. He is typically terrifically under-rated by chess historians. This book helps to alleviate that injustice to some degree, while AD retains his famous (and genuine) modesty and authenticity.

A nice picture of the American chess scene of the 30s & 40s.

Denker gives us a nice picture of the U.S. chess scene in the 1930s and 1940s, as well as his insights and much wanted and valued information on many of the great players of the era, as well as some before and after the period.I loved his chapter on Dr. Euwe and was shocked by his experience with Salo Flohr, a great player I used to admire. Grandmaster Denker, please write a sequel!

An Absolute Delight

I have read at least 300 chess books in the last 25 years, and this is one of the very best. There is much information here about 20th century American players that I haven't seen elsewhere. I found out, for instance, that Arthur Dake did not learn chess until the advanced age of 17, but was beating Alekhine very one-sidedly in blitz chess just a few years later. This isn't the typical chess trivia/scandal book (e.g., the list of the 30 unusual words supposedly memorized by Pillsbury), which is exactly the sort of book we DON'T need more of. There are plenty of games in this book, so it's not just a bunch of biographical sketches. I recommend this book to players of all levels. Even people who don't know anything about chess might enjoy this book. It's a much better read than "Searching for Bobby Fischer," another book that was, deservedly, appreciated by those with little knowledge of chess. And there is the added benefit that the author of "The Bobby Fischer I Knew" is, unlike the author of "Searching...", a very strong player in addition to being a good storyteller.