My Great Predecessors Vol.3

The turbulent sixties galloped by when a deaf genius like Beethoven reminded us that the beauty of chess is not only found in romantic sacrifices. Many of Tigran Petrosian's games are impressive because a melodic thread runs through the moves until the almost always elegant denouement. Although the Armenian usually listened to Chaikovski before his duels, another world champion, Mijail Tal, compared his art with that of Liszt, perhaps because of the great complexity that binds them: the Hungarian's piano sonatas are as difficult to interpret as Petrosian's subtle maneuvers. Feints to the left to be launched to the right, long-term material surrender and pre-emptive prophylaxis even before the thought of the opponent define a genius, unfairly labeled for his non-fighting draws. Something similar happens with his successor, Boris Spasski, whom we can compare with Mozart for the immense talent of both, although the Austrian was hyperactive and the former Soviet, now French, a master of idleness. However, and despite that we almost always talk about him as a supporting actor in the great Bobby Fischer movie, Spasski is one of the greatest in history, the tenth world champion, deserving all the credit. His work and that of Petrosian can be heard in this book under the wonderful baton of Gary Kasparov, who also does justice to four who were not champions but virtuosos: Gligoric, Polugaievski, Portisch and Stein, the luxury opening acts of a masterful concert.