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In the 'Toronto Star' issue of Sunday, May 17, an article was published, on page IN1, announcing a new 2026 chess book by Canadian Jordan Himelfarb.
Mr. Himelfarb is the head of the newspaper's editorial board. The book's title is a bit of a mouthful: "Interregnum: Inside the Grueling and Glamorous Battle to Become the Next King of Chess."
The article is an excerpt from the book itself. The piece, with two newspaper-sized pages including illustrations, on pages IN4-5, recounts in brief detail the history of the World Chess Championship, with a paragraph or so on each past champion. It provides a lead-in to the title match, with some pre-match coverage of the combatants Ding and Gukesh. And it also covers some of the political dealings around the championship, over its 140-year history.
From the article, I found it difficult to get a real, essential understanding on what the book would provide. I didn't really learn anything new from it, beyond what a lifelong chess person who follows the game's major developments fairly closely, would already know.
Another problem is that the 'Star' online policy blocks non-subscribers from accessing the full article online. This limits the potential 'reach' for the new book's potential buyers.
That said, I will certainly buy the book in the next few weeks. I do want to support Canadian chess authors. It is available from House of Anansi Press.
Two more constructive chess suggestions for the 'Star', and Mr. Himmelfarb:
1) How about, ASAP, restoring the previously-published weekly chess column to the newspaper's print edition!? IM Lawrence Day wrote this column weekly, from 1976, for several decades, and it was a highly popular feature, and a great resource for Canadian chess!!!
2) How about publishing, in print and online editions, the collected, archived historical 'Star' chess columns!?
Respectfully submitted,
Frank Dixon
NTD, Kingston
Chessplayer since 1965
Mr. Himelfarb is the head of the newspaper's editorial board. The book's title is a bit of a mouthful: "Interregnum: Inside the Grueling and Glamorous Battle to Become the Next King of Chess."
The article is an excerpt from the book itself. The piece, with two newspaper-sized pages including illustrations, on pages IN4-5, recounts in brief detail the history of the World Chess Championship, with a paragraph or so on each past champion. It provides a lead-in to the title match, with some pre-match coverage of the combatants Ding and Gukesh. And it also covers some of the political dealings around the championship, over its 140-year history.
From the article, I found it difficult to get a real, essential understanding on what the book would provide. I didn't really learn anything new from it, beyond what a lifelong chess person who follows the game's major developments fairly closely, would already know.
Another problem is that the 'Star' online policy blocks non-subscribers from accessing the full article online. This limits the potential 'reach' for the new book's potential buyers.
That said, I will certainly buy the book in the next few weeks. I do want to support Canadian chess authors. It is available from House of Anansi Press.
Two more constructive chess suggestions for the 'Star', and Mr. Himmelfarb:
1) How about, ASAP, restoring the previously-published weekly chess column to the newspaper's print edition!? IM Lawrence Day wrote this column weekly, from 1976, for several decades, and it was a highly popular feature, and a great resource for Canadian chess!!!
2) How about publishing, in print and online editions, the collected, archived historical 'Star' chess columns!?
Respectfully submitted,
Frank Dixon
NTD, Kingston
Chessplayer since 1965
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