The Unknown Capablanca

Rating:
Summary: Good Capablanca literature
Review: Capablanca is out of fashion nowadays, so this book may remain out of print. Modern chess is highly analytical and its work ethic at odds with the style of a Capablanca who reportedly did not even keep a chess set at home.
The book's main focus is on the man's supposedly less competitive games: chess tours and exhibitions, consultation games, and simultaneous play for example. Therefore, you the depth of analysis present in some prominent game collections today is inappropriate. Some less interesting games are presenting very compactly, whereas the more interesting have verbally-oriented annotations. The book is pleasing to read because it always mentions the circumstances in which the games were played, and it turns out that Capablanca was a proud man who had a need to play strongly to encourage a meeting for the world championship, which was not governed by a regulatory body at that time.
In 1919 he played a simultaneous match against members of England's parliament in Westminster. He won 36 games, drew 2 and lost none.
"During the display one member tried to put in an extra move, as is the way with politicians; but the Cuban, who had spent six years in his country's diplomatic service, was not outwitted. No international incident followed his tactful correction.
[...] For the rest he displays his infallible technique notwithstanding the need to watch thirty-seven politicians at the same time."
The printing and feel of the book is pleasing and doubtless the book is worthwhile to those interested in Capablanca.