3.51k reviews for:

Satranç

Stefan Zweig

4.18 AVERAGE

challenging slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: N/A
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I find no flaws in this excellent novella. 

Ich hab das gegen meinen Willen gehört
dark reflective tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Stumbled upon this book. Enjoyed it a lot.
mysterious tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

An engaging read and an admonishment about obsession, self-control, and the devastating effects of isolation. ‘The more a man restricts himself the closer he is, conversely, to infinity.’ I’ve never thought about it like this before. But then again, getting close to infinity isn’t quite my goal, I’d rather be with people and open myself up to experience the world. This is also a surprisingly eerie parallel to our reliance on AI and the subsequent involuntary self-isolation. One must know the limits as Dr B did so wisely. 

Μια αναγνωστική απόλαυση! Ο αναγνώστης εισάγεται σε αυτόν τον φρενήρη ρυθμό με τον οποίο ξετυλίγεται η ιστορία του δρα Μπ. και δεν σταματάει να διαλύεται από τη "σκακιστική δηλητηρίαση" μέχρι το τέλος, που καταφέρνει στο χείλος του γκρεμού να διασώσει τον Μπ. από τα χειρότερα. Η μονομανία και το μυαλό του ανθρώπου σε μια παρτίδα σκάκι όπου το ματ είναι ακόμα αμφίβολο...
challenging dark emotional reflective fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Zweig’s “Chess Story” is a short novella which focuses on the clash between two distinct characters. On one side is the rural unthinking greedy shameless brute Czentovic and on the other urban imaginative cultured humanistic intellectual Dr. B. In the case of Czentovic, he rises out of an unnamed poor Yugoslavian village, his genius unexplained and unexplainable. In contrast, Dr. B’s genius emerges from the isolation of the Nazi takeover of his homeland of Austria where a chess book and the game itself becomes his sole focus driving him to madness. They are driven to a clash by a host of surrounding characters who lead to his clash between two very different characters. 

The book is well-written and flows very well as Zweig writing — with random side tangents and twists and turns. As some others have discussed, Dr. B likely has some relation to Zweig’s own character as an Austrian intellectual in exile suffering poor mental health and who ultimately took his own life the next year.
In some way, like Dr. B, the distress of the game was too much and so he removed himself from the game against the impossible brute.
I honestly would not have minded reading this as a whole novel, I really like Zweig’s writing and his psychological approach. I was left a bit unsatisfied by the end as I was craving more and the book though good felt to lack greater lesson or meaning (not that great books need that).  Nevertheless, I acknowledge Zweig’s skill. 

Ich bin mir unsicher, was genau mich an Zweigs Werken greift.
Seine Prose ist tatsächlich einfach fantastisch und er ist ein unheimlich guter Geschichtererzähler!

In Schachnovelle stellt er uns vier schachbegeisterte Männer vor, wovon Dr. B stark eraussticht. Seine Hintergrundgeschichte - ehemaliger Gestapo-Gefangener - war so gut umgestaltet, dass ich die Anfangserzählung auf dem Boot kaum noch auf dem Schirm hatte.
emotional sad fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

02/07/2025

2025 reads book 33

“People and events don't disappoint us, our models of reality do. It is my model of reality that determines my happiness or disappointments.”

I can't comment on how correct or incorrect the chess-parts are, since I have no idea how to play chess and would be beaten within 3 moves if I actually would try. Luckily the story is about way more than just chess.

What an interesting way of looking at the effects of fascism/Nazism and how isolation influences the human mind! Where the one thing that can save you can also turn into obsession and trauma, and what breaks you in the end. I only read up on the author (and found out what happened to him) after finishing the story, which makes me want to go back and reread to really see all the connections to the author's life and thoughts.