Waitzkin Fred. Mortal Games: The Turbulent Genius of Garry Kasparov

Open Road Media, Feb 7, 2017. — 423 p . — ISBN: 978-1504043014.An illuminating profile of the world champion chess player and political activist by the acclaimed author of Searching for Bobby Fischer.Over the course of his unprecedented career, Garry Kasparov dominated the chess world with astonishing creativity and explosive passion. In this unforgettable work of reportage, author Fred Waitzkin “captures better than anyone—including Kasparov himself in his own memoir—the various sides of this elusive genius” (The Observer).Waitzkin had intimate access to his subject during Kasparov’s gripping 1990 matches against his sworn enemy, Anatoly Karpov. As the world chess champion defends his title, Waitzkin analyzes the match play with verve and depth that will delight lay readers and aspiring grandmasters alike.Against this backdrop, Waitzkin assembles a fascinating portrait of a complicated man who is both a generational talent and an outspoken advocate of Russian democracy, brilliant and volcanic, tenacious and charismatic, despairing one moment and exuberant the next.Fred Waitzkin is the author of Searching for Bobby Fischer, Mortal Games, The Last Marlin, and, presently, The Dream Merchant, his first novel. His articles and essays have appeared in numerous magazines, including Esquire, Forbes, New York magazine, The New York Times Magazine, The New York Times Book Review, Outside magazine, and Sports Illustrated. Waitzkin lives in New York City with his wife. He spends as much time as possible on the bridge of his old boat trolling baits off distant islands with his family.