The second part of Sergey Voronkov's three-volume treatise continues
from where Volume I left off. It covers the eleventh to fifteenth Soviet
championships, the 1941 match tournament for the title of Soviet
Absolute Champion, and the main events in the country's chess history
between these tournaments. Themes include the downfall of Nikolai
Krylenko, the persecution and disappearance of Soviet chess players
during the purges, and the experience of chess players in World War Two.
The atmosphere of the time is captured in contemporary accounts and
memoirs of key players and cultural figures.
We see Botvinnik and Keres established as leading challengers for
Alekhine's throne, with plans being made to arrange a title match. We
encounter for the first time and witness the rise of great Soviet
players such as Smyslov, Bronstein and Boleslavsky, and enjoy the games
of many other stars including Flohr, Lilienthal, Bondarevsky, Kotov and
Tolush.
This volume contains 84 games and fragments mostly annotated by the
players themselves and their peers, and subjected to recent computer
analysis. It is illustrated with around 250 photos and cartoons from the
period, the main sources being Russian chess magazines and tournament
bulletins.
Volume I of Masterpieces and Dramas of the Soviet Championships was
named the English Chess Federation's Book of the Year 2021. The jury
stated: "The book reads like a novel... A most remarkable, absorbing and
entertaining chess history which fully lives up to its title,
Masterpieces and Dramas, on and off the board. A worthy winner of Book
of the Year 2021 over strong competition."
