Smart Chip from St.Petersburg

Smart Chip from St.Petersburg contains portraits of players, both famous and forgotten, from the golden age of Soviet chess, as well as highly personal views on the psychology of the game and its players.

It radiates the author's love and devotion to chess, yet is tempered by objectivity and detachment. It will enchant not only chess players, but all who recognize the cultural value of chess.

Genna Sosonko lived the first 29 years of his life in Leningrad. He emigrated to Holland in 1972. His first book, Russian Silhouettes, was shortlisted for the world’s premier chess book award, the BCF Book of the Year 2000.

John Watson, The Week In Chess:
"Each essay is a revelation and a gift (…) Great photographs and a great read."

Hans Ree:
"Beautiful and moving."

Gary Lane, Australian Chess:
"An absorbing read."

British Chess Magazine:
"Remembering is sometimes sheer joy."

Jonathan Rowson:
"Sosonko writes with sustained subtlety and grace."



The Compulsive Reader:
"Immensely fascinating."

Jeremy Silman, author of 'How to Reassess Your Chess':
"Yet another masterpiece by Sosonko."

KARL Magazine:
"From Sosonko's portraits one learns more about chess than from 100 books about theory."

Taylor Kingston, ChessCafe:
"An absorbing collection."

The Washington Post on 'Russian Silhouettes':
"A delightful work."

Garry Kasparov on 'The Reliable Past':
"A gallery of wonderful pen-portraits."

The Jury of the British Chess Federation Book of the Year Award on 'Russian Silhouettes':
"An enthralling read."