The Last Ruy Lopez: Tales from the Royal Game

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

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.