The Last Ruy Lopez: Tales from the Royal Game - Softcover

Levitin, Alexis

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1949859738 ISBN 13: 9781949859737

Publisher: Russell Enterprises, Inc., 2023

Synopsis

The Delight and Distress of Chess

The royal game has the power to make one feel elated or disconsolate. This is true whether one plays serious tournament chess or casual chess just for fun.

In this collection of 34 short stories, author Alexis Levitin, travel set in hand, takes the reader on a journey across several continents – and even into space – exploring the joys of chess and its effect on the lives of those who play.

As the author states in his Introduction, “...these tales represent the rich weave of our human dilemma, caught as we are between the elegancies of the mind and the urgings of the blood, between reason and passion.”

So, for at least a little while, put aside your favorite opening or endgame manual, kick back and enjoy some of the finer, enjoyable aspects of chess.

“These elegant stories are a welcome reminder that chess has indeed the power to make us happy.” – from the Foreword by Hans Ree

About this title

About the Author

Alexis Levitin is an American award-winning translator of poetry and prose from Spanish and Portuguese to English. A Distinguished Professor at SUNY Plattsburgh, he has given readings and lectures on translation at well over one hundred colleges and universities in the U.S., as well as institutions in Brazil, Portugal, Ecuador, the Czech Republic and France. “Retired and free,” he makes his home in Morrisonville, NY.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Dawn

Back in the old days there were quite a few chess parlors in the city, if you knew where to look for them. Since I was a denizen of the upper West Side, I used to play at local chess centers on 79th Street or on Broadway. The chess parlor on Broadway, now long gone, was a vast room filled with chess tables, folding chairs, and not much else. The lights were fluorescent and stayed on day and night. The place never closed.
Late on a windy evening in early June, I climbed the stairs to see what I might find. It was just after midnight and the only sounds were the humming of the florescent lights, the clicking of chess clocks, a murmur here and there, and the occasional thump as a Coke slid down the shoot in the soda machine. Chess players are notoriously immune to the normal diurnal cycle, so there were quite a few people scattered around the large room. Off in a corner, a group of onlookers surrounded two players. One of them was considered the best local talent among the late-night set. I joined the silent, almost somber, observers. The best guy was very good. It was a complex and tangled game, but finally the local hero won.
“Any chance of a game?” I asked.
He looked up and saw that I was no one.
“Why would I bother playing with you,” he said, as if terminating our exchange.
Late night feisty, I shot back “Well, if you’re so great, you can give me a handicap, what do you say to that?”
“What kind of a handicap?”
“Well, how about a pawn? Your king bishop pawn.” I didn’t want to be greedy, like a child.
“Ok. I’ll play you for five bucks.”
This was a long time ago and five bucks was worth something then.
“And I get White,” I added. I was greedy enough for that.
“OK. And don’t forget, the loser pays for our time, as well.”
“OK,” I said and sat down. As always, the solid, worn pieces felt comforting in my hand, as if they spoke for a realm beyond time, a realm of smoke-filled silence and contemplation. Our eyes on the board, we arranged our forces. And without another word, we began to play.
It was a game both careful and complex. Each of us had castled, there had been no exchanges, just a lot of maneuvering, mostly of the knights. Possibilities were rampant, but, in the present, the tangled richness on the board seemed to favor no one.
He went and got a coffee. I got a Coke. It was now 2 a.m. We played on in silence. My hands were cold and clammy, and I shivered now and then despite my light sweater. I knew that a single mistake would end...

Edition details

• Publisher: Russell Enterprises, Inc.
• Publication date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1949859738
• ISBN 13: 9781949859737
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 160