For those desiring a lighter read, the second edition of Andy Soltis’ CHESS LISTS will fit the bill. This is a book that can be picked up and read at random. It’s filled with all sorts of chess trivia. Where else will you find out that the originator of 1.f4 e5, one Martin From, was a prison inspector by profession, or that Henry Grob, of 1.g4 fame, was a professional portrait painter, and that Edward Lasker invented a breast pump for obtaining mother’s milk and lived off the invention’s royalties.

There are all sorts of lists here. From the sixteen shortest games ever played to the ten longest games (Hint: avoid Rook and Bishop vs. Rook at all costs if you want a life). Particularly fascinating are the lists involving Bobby Fischer, including The Three Who Really Knew “How to Beat Bobby Fischer,” “Fischer’s Fish” and Fischer’s Ten Best Games.

Most of the book is written by Soltis, but there are also many contributions including those by Lubomir Kavalek, Irving Chernev and David Brown.

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