Russian Silhouettes: Portraits of the Heroes of a Vanished age

by Genna Sosonko (Editor)

With hindsight we can only marvel at the pivotal place chess occupied in the Soviet Union. Originally embraced by Lenin as 'gymnastics of the mind', chess developed into an ideological weapon during the Cold War. As a respected trainer who became a world-class grandmaster after leaving Leningrad and moving to Holland in 1972, Genna Sosonko observes Soviet chess from a privileged dual perspective. Combining an insider's nostalgia with the detachment of a critical observer, he has produced unforgettable portraits of the heroes of this vanished age.

Genres: Chess, Nonfiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2005

Reviews

[Tjallen]

Reread, first read in 2001.
This is a fantastic book about the chess heroes of twentieth century USSR, a nation which made chess achievement into a national goal. The author Genna Sosonko knew many of the grandmasters personally. As he puts it: as these heroes died, he wanted to read about them, but realized he was the only one (in the West) who knew them all. So he memorializes them, both their gifts and warts, with a nostalgic fondness. Tal, Botvinik, Spassky, Furman, Levenfish, and more, some barely known, are all brought back to life in this special book.

[Javier Pozo]

El relato nos transporta al tiempo de los grandes maestros de ajedrez en el declive de la Unión Soviética, en formato semi-biográfico y a través de la visión subjetiva de uno de ellos.

Interesante lectura que muestra otras formas de vivir, en otro tiempo, pero a la vez no tan lejanos ni desconocidos.

[Nakul]

Easily one of the top books I've read in some time. Intimate, insightful and infinitely interesting, Genna Sosonko's portraits of Russian Chess Grandmasters from the 30s to the 90s is spellbinding. I'll try and write a longer review soon.

[Jigs]

Unavoidable for any one who loves chess history

[ong bruh]

Chess personalities are almost always fascinating. Great read despite no actual chess at all (?)

[Carl]

I enjoyed the reminiscences of Sosonko, and learned about players that I knew only from their chess. The section on Capablanca was particularly touching.

[Cristóbal]

Un libro extremadamente interesante y ameno que da a conocer de primera mano a los grandes ajedrecistas de la escuela soviética en el siglo XX, a ellos, a su época, sus relaciones, sus personalidades y su ajedrez.

El libro, escrito por un ajedrecista ruso con conocimiento personal de primera mano de muchos de los personajes que describe, sumerge al lector en las biografías heterogéneas, autenticas y personales de cada uno de ellos, a través de anécdotas, recuerdos, historias y descripciones de los mismos.

El gran logro del libro no es solo su narrativa amena y los recortes biográficos que construye, sino que permite conocer también a través de sus protagonistas el desarrollo y la importancia del ajedrez como elemento cultural central en el sistema soviético

[The Rev. Baron Librarian]

Sosonko shares company with Ree and Donner as one of the great Dutchmen of chess journalism. More of his work is available in English than either of his aforementioned countrymen, though anything by any of them is worth picking up. This collection stems from interviews of prominent Soviet-era chess figures (many postmortem). Each chapter covers a separate chesser, is bite-sized, chewy, and heartening. Each of the biographed comes to life, their personalities and traits vibrant, as Sosonko details them intimately. Great stuff.

[Ramesh Abhiraman]

Genna Sosonko, a defector from Soviet Russia and chess player, resides in Holland and is an excellent raconteur about the lives of the former Soviet players.
This book is organized into chapters, some are interviews, some wide-ranging essays, on such personages as Botvinnik, Geller, Tal, Keres, Capablanca as well as lesser luminaries or trainers like Koblenz, Zak, and seconds like Seymour Furman, and one-off the top rung players Vitolins and Levenfish.
If you like Soviet stories and sports intrigue and a good story, Sosonko is your man. A one-time journalist, he writes well.

[Jerry]

Very interesting collection of essays by Genna Sosonko about chess personalities from the Soviet period.

[Michael]

Great look at legendary chess personalities (yet without a single chess move) and even more so about life as a Soviet.