The Philosopher and the Housewife

Siegbert Tarrasch (1862-1934) and Aron Nimzowitsch (1886-1935) could be called the two vainest chess players in history. This book tells the fascinating story of their lifelong rivalry. They clashed as personalities, as players and as writers, both searching for the truth in chess, but with very different perspectives. Tarrasch is often depicted as a dogmatic theorist and, according to Nimzowitsch, didn't offer much more than the well-meaning advice of a housewife. Nimzowitsch saw himself as a philosopher, the designer of a complete 'system' that uncovered the secrets of positional play. Has chess history treated these outstanding players fairly or are these mere caricatures. And what was the role of the third protagonist in this debate, Semyon Alapin, who Nimzowitsch condescendingly dubbed ‘an artist of variations’. These questions and these different viewpoints are at the heart of Hendriks’ in-depth investigation. Besides our protagonists, many others joined the fray, such as the World Champions of the period (Steinitz, Lasker, Capablanca and Alekhine) and the advocates of hypermodern chess (notably Réti and Tartakower). All had their own views on how to become better chess players and their debate has lost none of its topicality. Since his ground-breaking first book on chess instruction, Move First, Think Later, Hendriks has concentrated on chess history with his next works On the Origin of Good Moves and The Ink War. His writings always give rise to lively discussions in the chess community. This book continues in that tradition. The Philosopher and the Housewife gives great insight into this turbulent period in chess history and simultaneously offers a refreshing perspective on the evolution of chess expertise. The many chess fragments nicely illustrate this compelling story.