»When playing chess we constantly have to solve the problems our opponent sets for us. That makes the game so charming. For we hate problems, but we love to solve them.« When Sebastian Raedler starts playing online chess, he is immediately captivated by the game’s intense struggle, its clever tactics and the unexpected beauty that results when the pieces join into an irresistible attack. Raedler, who has studied philosophy and politics at Cambridge and Harvard, starts questioning the game as well as his own infatuation with it. What it is about the universe of the sixty-four squares that has allowed it to beguile the human mind for centuries, seducing the likes of Napoleon, Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin and Samuel Beckett? Raedler takes us on a journey that leads from the frustrations of the beginner to the most brilliant moments of chess history. Along the way, he discovers chess as a mirror of life, in which the fallibility of our thinking, the joys of overcoming resistance and our need for community are all equally reflected. This book is a declaration of love for a delightfully multifaceted game. It will enchant experienced chess players and novices alike.