'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'An entertaining and instructive overview of a game in the throes of reinvention.' - Financial TimesHow the game of kings became the king of games...

Every winter, the world's strongest chess players and most promising chess prodigies travel to a small seaside village in the Netherlands to immerse themselves for two weeks in chess and chess only. Usually, the World Champion is there, vying for victory. Garry Kasparov won three times, Vishy Anand won five times, and Magnus Carlsen won a record eight times.The tournament is a gift of the local steel company to their neighbours, the shops, restaurants and B&Bs, and the global commu...

'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 RiceDespite being 1,500 years old, chess has never been more relevant tha****n it is today. But how did it become the most prominent game in Western culture?...