‘Bobby Fischer gets up, tall, overweight, and slightly clumsy. He tries to fulfil the duties of the host and shakes hands, but his nervously darting eyes betray his unease with the situation. This is not a man accustomed to receiving visitors.’

Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam’s gripping encounter with the legendary American recluse, a journalist’s dream come true, is the worthy apotheosis of this unique collection of interviews which were first published in New In Chess between 1986 and 1992.

Why did Kasparov think Fischer was an alien? How many stamps does Karpov have? Was it really Caruso who appeared in Smyslov’s dream to teach him how to sing? Brimming with anecdotes and revealing insights these interviews bring together chess champions of past and present. Meet legends like Botvinnik, Gligoric, Portisch and Spassky or modern stars like Anand, Kramnik, and Judit Polgar.
Different as they are, they all seem to ask Ten Geuzendam the favourite question of the inimitable Miguel Najdorf: ‘Do you want to hear a beautiful story?’ A classic collection, finally available again.