"Always make a total effort, even when the odds are against you." - Arnold Palmer

Wednesday 19 October 2011

The KGB Plays Chess

"The Soviet Secret Police and the Fight for the World Chess Crown"

This book is unique. This book is written by people who can say too much to this subject. This book is about the people who had to fight for their place on the Sun, place on the Earth, place to live somewhere where they wanted to live. This book is written by Boris Gulko, Vladimir Popov, Yuri Felshtinsky and Viktor Kortschnoi. Ringing the bell? Yes. Not all of them but Gulko and Kortschnoi obviously yes. In the long line of other brave people we have to name people like Boris Spassky and Garry Kasparov. But who is Vladimir Popov? Well, he is a former KGB Lieutenant Colonel, who left Russia in 1996 and now lives in Canada. He was one of those responsible for the sport sector of USSR. It is only now for the first time that he has decided to tell the readers his story of the KGB's involvement in Soviet sports. This is his first book, and it is not only full of sensations, but it also dares to tell the names of secret KGB agents previously known only as famous chess masters, sportsmen or sport officials. Just a few years ago a book like this would have been unimaginable.
Read this book. It is not only about chess. It is about glorious victory of the great chess masters over the forces of darkness.
And my personal opinion? Yes, I did enjoy reading this book very much.

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