A collection of thought-provoking essays on a wide range of chess-related issues which Howard Burton encountered while being a “tourist” in the chess world during the production of the 4-part docuseries, Through the Mirror of Chess: A Cultural Exploration.
These essays provide insightful and playful reflections on the (ab)uses of the history of chess to the birth of the modern game.
Howard questions several of the long-held assumptions about its widely acclaimed benefits while highlighting the many surprising contemporary applications of chess to AI, prison reform, social inequality, and more and makes sharp observations on what chess reveals about current attitudes to gender, technology, sports, entertainment and the nature of play.
Publisher: Open Agenda Publishing
Paperback ISBN 978-1-77170-333-8 – available on Amazon, Bookshop & Ingram
Hardcover ISBN 978-1-77170-333-2 – available on Amazon, Bookshop & Ingram
Ebook ISBN 978-1-77170-331-4 – available on all stores below or visit the Libraries Book section above for order details.
Praise for Chessays:
“In an age where cookie-cutter chess books are a dime a dozen, Burton’s Chessays is a refreshingly different read. The collection is well researched and entertaining, simultaneously (and expertly) giving the perspective of an insider and a newcomer to the chess world.” – GM David Smerdon, University of Queensland
“…enjoyable and provocative and discusses all that is right as well as what could be fixed within the chess world.” – Ben Johnson, Perpetual Chess Podcast
“The essays are passionate and full of zest with strong opinions. I enjoyed the book very much. Burton writes with a high level of skill in portraying his opinions and ideas. The humor used throughout even made me laugh out loud a few times.” – Mark Capron, The Chess Journalist
“Chessays is one of the most profound, interesting, entertaining, humorous, and thought-provoking books I have ever read. Not only if we are talking about chess books, but about books in general.” – Vjekoslav Nemec, Chessentials Best Books of 2022
“I was left most impressed by both Howard’s extensive research and understanding of complex issues within the chess community while highlighting practical ways that our chess community can expand the reach and impact of chess.” – Russ Makofsky, The Gift of Chess
“Burton is new to this world which allows him to approach the arena of chess with a fresh perspective and enables him to debunk in his typically humorous and sardonic style many of the long-held assumptions about the game.” – GM Daniel Gormally
“Reading Chessays is very much like having a chatty and delightful dinner guest provide entertaining and sharp philosophic insights. ” – Wang-Sheng Lee, Monash University
“The essays are well written and well structured. The substance of the essays is intriguing and most readers, both chess players and others, will find many points of interest.” – John Knott, co-author of Blindfold Chess
“Well written and absorbing…I’d certainly recommend this book. Chessays has the capacity to help all of us think. That is a very useful thing indeed.” Ben Graff, Chess Moves English Chess Federation
Read an excerpt of Chapter 2 of Chessays in an article by Frederic Friedel at ChessBase (here).
A captivating documentary film examining the remarkable impact of chess on culture, art, science, social advancement, prison reform and more.
The film takes the viewer on an exhilarating journey across a wide range of times and places touching on cultural history, the nature of competitiveness, AI, psychology, game theory, chess variants, art, literature, gender bias, education, social empowerment, prison reform, and much more to comprehensively address the question of what makes the game so unique.