<p>First published in Russian in 2014 and written by Genna Sosonko &ndash; widely recognized as the number one writer on the history of Soviet chess &ndash; this is a truly unique book about the life and destiny of the great chess player David Bronstein (1924-2006).&nbsp;<br />
Emerging from a challenging background &ndash; he narrowly escaped the holocaust in WWII, during which he starved, and his father spent seven years in a gulag &ndash; Bronstein faced Botvinnik in the world championship match in 1951 and nearly defeated him. But this &lsquo;nearly&rsquo; inflicted a wound on David so deep that it would not heal for the rest of his life.&nbsp;<br />
Sosonko knew Bronstein well. Their conversations &ndash; many of which have made it into this book &ndash; not only portray the thoughts and character of one of history&rsquo;s most original grandmasters but also take us back to a time unlike any other in world history. This is not a biography in the traditional sense of the word. Rather, Sosonko&rsquo;s fascinating book asks eternal questions which don&rsquo;t have neat and simple answers.&nbsp;<br />
With a foreword to the English edition by Garry Kasparov.</p>