One of the world’s top chess journalists in the world explores why, after 1,500 years of existence, chess has never been more relevant than now. Chess is not just one of the greatest games ever devised. It has inspired writers, painters, and filmmakers, and was a secret mover behind technical revolutions like artificial intelligence that are transforming society. In this fascinating pop culture history of the game and its impact, acclaimed Chess.com journalist Peter Doggers (also their news and events director), reveals how computers and the Internet have further strengthened the timeless magic of chess in the digital era, leading to a new peak in popularity and cultural relevance. Doggers explores chess as a cultural phenomenon from its earliest beginnings in ancient India to its biggest stars and most dramatic moments to the impact of the internet and AI. The book is illustrated with approximately 40 photographs and artworks.

Since the Cultural Revolution, data have been uncovered to illuminate that tumultuous decade. In this volume 13 scholars examine the gap between the ideology of the Revolution and the harsh and contradictory reality of its outcome. They focus particularly on the violence, coercion, and constant tension between the need for centralization to enforce policies and the need for decentralizing decision-making if those goals were to be achieved.

In My System, he expounded his theories of prophylaxis, blockade and much more, while providing ground-breaking insights in pawn structures. In the sequel Chess Praxis, Nimzowitsch demonstrated how he had successfully tested his theories in his games. Without reading Nimzowitsch your chess education cannot be complete. Perhaps not all of his convictions have stood the test of time, but even today, any chess student will deepen his understanding while enjoying the author’s insights and witticisms. Part of the charm of Nimzowitsch’s prose was his idiosyncratic use of the German language, which has been very carefully preserved in Robert Sherwood’s new translation. Added in this edition are the influential essays The Blockade and On the History of the Chess Revolution 1911-1914.

Although his career lasted barely ten years, Gyula Breyer (1893-1921) was a highly successful and imaginative chess player. He won the championship of his native country Hungary as a teenager and achieved remarkable results against the leading players of his day. But first and foremost, Breyer was a revolutionary in his chess thinking. He promoted the idea of dynamic chess and formulated many of the Hypermodern concepts, long before others started their investigations. After his death, however, he was omitted from most of the chess history books, or relegated to a one line reference. Today he is only known for the Breyer variation, an ever popular defence against the Ruy Lopez. Jimmy Adams has unlocked Breyer’s legacy from the archives and made it accessible to the chess world at large, with translations from Hungarian into English. This monumental book presents 242 of his games, annotated by Breyer himself and many others. It features a large number of articles, columns and fragments from newspapers, magazines and books, sparkling with chess and literary wit. The majority appear in English for the first time – and indeed in any language other than Hungarian. By piecing together this material in chronological order, Jimmy Adams has constructed a mesmerizing biography, covering Gyula Breyer’s intense, unconventional and ultimately tragic life. Also included is a collection of his chess problems, some of which are truly amazing.

'Chess is a staggering invention, if indeed it was invented. Maybe it just evolved. It is still evolving, now faster than ever, and Peter Doggers has traced and tracked its never-ending development with wit, vigour and insight. Nothing artificial about his intelligence' - Sir Tim Rice Despite being 1,500 years old, chess has never been more relevant than it is today. But how did it become the most prominent game in Western culture? Chess is arguably the greatest game ever devised. Since ancient times it has inspired writers, painters, mathematicians and scientists alike, and played an instrumental role in technological developments that have transformed society, such as artificial intelligence and the internet. In The Chess Revolution, the acclaimed Chess.com journalist Peter Doggers explores chess as a cultural phenomenon from its influence on popular culture, the arts and science to its biggest stars and most dramatic moments, culminating in its meteoric rise in the digital age and a new peak in popularity. Discover how the 'game of kings' became the king of games.

A Companion to Sport brings together writing by leading sports theorists and social and cultural thinkers, to explore sport as a central element of contemporary culture. Positions sport as a crucial subject for critical analysis, as one of the most significant forms of popular culture Includes both well-known social and cultural theorists whose work lends itself to an interrogation of sport, and leading theorists of sport itself Offers a comprehensive examination of sport as a social and cultural practice and institution Explores sport in relation to modernity, postcolonial theory, gender, violence, race, disability and politics

Winner of the 2020 European Walter Benjamin Prize, The Revolution is the Emergency Break is a rich discussion of Walter Benjamin’s lesser-known writings by renowned social scientist Michael Löwy. Translated into several languages but available in English for the very first time, Löwy’s book brings together the philosophical, literary, theological and cultural aspects of Benjamin’s writings, including his relation to figures such as Gershom Scholem and Franz Rosenzweig, his interpretation of historical materialism, surrealism, anti-fascism and anarchism, his contribution to understanding capitalism as a religion, and his relevance for Latin America and ecology today. The concept of revolution in his writings – not only the political ones but also those that deal with art, literature or theology, run through the work, connecting the various chapters. The Revolution is the Emergency Break also features four new chapters in this collection. Written in a clear-eyed, accessible language, The Revolution is the Emergency Break is a must-read for researchers, teachers and students interested in the works of this influential German intellectual.