A Year Inside the Chess World

by Daniel Gormally

English chess Grandmaster Danny Gormally finds his life at a crossroads. Bored with Berlin defences, sick of the endless grind of the English chess circuit, he tries his luck on the European scene. In this at times hilarious and tragic account, Gormally shares the inner workings of the chess world - a world riven with insecurities, strange social customs and petty rivalries, while casting his analytical eye even on topics as disparate as eccentric waiters, strange Amsterdam zoos and inspiring mountain passes.

Genres: Chess

244 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2016

Reviews

[Jay C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably only of interest to “serious” chessplayers. A lot of good insight but the “woe is me” tone got tiresome at points. Yes, you’ve answered your own question many times in the book already: if you want to do better you have to make the effort and work hard. Until the author, or anyone decides to do that, expecting different results is not reasonable. Also the book seemed carelessly edited and included lots of typos.

Gormally finishes strong, though, with the following: “Chess is ultimately escapism. Life is what really matters. And when you finally come to the realization that the possibilities of life are infinite and more fascinating than anything a game can throw up, then you become embed with a sense of extraordinary power.”

[Bobsie67 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not a chess improvement book; however, you will get a clue about what being a Grandmaster chess player is really like. Hard work, loneliness, solitude, low pay, and lots of frustration trying to earn a living from the royal game. The title says it all about how Grandmaster Gormally feels about his travails. He does have a good sense of humor, and his despair is often filled with humor. He shows us his wins and losses and what GMs miss and why, at least from his own very personal point of view. Book could have used some much tighter editing in terms of typos.

[Mark Reynolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting insights into the chess world. But a lot of repetitive complaining. It’s pretty obvious that if you’re not willing to work hard you won’t succeed in Your chosen profession. His analysis is not that insightful either. I much preferred Stuart Rachels’s recent memoir. Excellent tutorial always is too.