Monday, September 23, 2013

[tuneocxc] Censorship of 61 Memorable Games

Reviews of this purported update or sequel to Fischer's "60 Memorable Games" seem to agree that the content of the new book is objectively good: the commentary is sound and cogent, the production is fine.  Thus, it is a good chess book.

Thus, the interesting and important mystery is what thwarted wide publication of a good book.  Fischer had powerful enemies (e.g., the U.S. government, the Israeli government).  Were they able to censor the book to prevent Fischer from earning royalties or respect?  If so, how, and are the same techniques being used against other people and books?

That the author remains a mystery is itself mysterious.  Had there been wide publication, it would have been a simple matter to follow the money to discover who wrote it.

Personally, I think the book is genuine, because anyone else willing to put that much work into something could have legitimately published it or something similar under his or her own name.  (Taking advantage that game scores cannot be copyrighted, and probably not analysis moves either.)

However, if genuine, and we assume the truth of the adage about malice and incompetence, then the most likely reason for the lack publication is that the book sunk in a quagmire of self-inflicted financial disputes between Fischer and publishers, and the available copies are piracy of a manuscript.

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