The Ultimate Chess Story: Stefan Zweig's Classic Novella in EPUB Format
A Chess Story by Stefan Zweig: A Review and Guide to Download the EPUB Version
If you are looking for a short but powerful novel that explores the human mind and the game of chess, you should read A Chess Story by Stefan Zweig. This novella, also known as The Royal Game, is one of the last works of the Austrian writer, who committed suicide in 1942. In this article, we will give you a brief overview of Stefan Zweig's life and works, a summary and analysis of A Chess Story, and a guide on how to download the EPUB version of this classic for free or with a small fee.
Introduction
Who was Stefan Zweig?
Stefan Zweig was born in Vienna in 1881, into a wealthy Jewish family. He studied philosophy and literature at the University of Vienna and became a prolific writer of poetry, essays, short stories, biographies, and dramas. He was one of the most popular and widely translated writers in the world in the 1920s and 1930s, especially in Europe, America, and South America.
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Zweig was fascinated by psychology and history, and he wrote many biographies of famous literary and historical figures, such as Balzac, Dickens, Dostoyevsky, Fouché, Mary Stuart, and Marie Antoinette. He also wrote historical studies of decisive moments in history, such as the fall of Constantinople, the discovery of America, and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
Zweig was also a pacifist and a cosmopolitan, who traveled extensively and befriended many intellectuals and artists across Europe. He was opposed to nationalism and fascism, and he supported the idea of a united Europe. However, after the rise of Nazism in Germany, he had to flee his homeland and go into exile. He first moved to England in 1934, then to New York in 1940, and finally to Brazil in 1941. There, he settled in Petrópolis with his second wife Lotte Altmann. He wrote his memoirs The World of Yesterday (Die Welt von Gestern), which is considered one of the best accounts of life in Europe before World War I and II.
However, Zweig became increasingly depressed and disillusioned by the war and the fate of Europe. He felt isolated and hopeless in his new surroundings. On February 22, 1942, he and his wife committed suicide by taking an overdose of barbiturates. They left a note saying: \"We have decided to leave this world at a time when we still love each other... We send greetings to our friends... May they live to see peace.\"
What is A Chess Story about?
A Chess Story is one of Zweig's last works, completed in Brazil shortly before his death. It was published posthumously in 1942. It is also known as The Royal Game or Schachnovelle (Chess Novella) in German. It is a short novel that tells the story of two chess players who meet on an ocean liner traveling from New York to Buenos Aires.
The first player is Mirko Czentovic, the world chess champion. He is a dull-witted but ruthless prodigy who learned chess as an orphaned peasant boy in Eastern Europe. He has no interest or talent for anything else but chess, which he plays for money and fame. He is arrogant and contemptuous of his opponents, whom he easily defeats without much effort or emotion.
The second player is Dr. B., a mysterious and cultured Austrian gentleman who challenges Czentovic to a game of chess. He reveals that he was a lawyer and a chess enthusiast before the war, but he was arrested by the Gestapo for his involvement in a plot against the Nazi regime. He was imprisoned and tortured in a hotel room, where he had no contact with anyone or anything except a book of chess games that he found hidden in the ceiling. He became obsessed with studying and memorizing the games, playing them over and over again in his mind. This helped him to survive the ordeal, but also drove him to the brink of madness. He was eventually released and fled to America, where he recovered from his trauma and forgot about chess. However, when he sees Czentovic playing on the ship, he feels a sudden urge to challenge him and prove his superiority.
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The novel follows the two games of chess that Dr. B. plays against Czentovic, with the help of some bystanders who act as his partners. The first game ends in a draw, after Dr. B. surprises Czentovic with his brilliant moves. The second game is more tense and dramatic, as Dr. B. risks his sanity by playing alone against Czentovic, who is determined to crush him. The outcome of the game is not revealed, but it is implied that Dr. B. sacrifices himself to defeat Czentovic, or at least to prevent him from winning.
Why is A Chess Story a masterpiece of psychological fiction?
A Chess Story is widely regarded as one of the best examples of psychological fiction, a genre that explores the inner workings of the human mind and its relation to reality. Zweig uses chess as a metaphor for the mental struggle between two opposing forces: reason and emotion, order and chaos, sanity and madness. He also uses chess as a symbol of the political and moral conflict that engulfed Europe during World War II, when fascism and democracy clashed in a deadly game of power and ideology.
Zweig creates a contrast between the two main characters, who represent different aspects of human nature and intelligence. Czentovic is a cold and calculating machine, who has no empathy or imagination, but only a mechanical skill for chess. He is like a Nazi soldier, who follows orders without question or remorse. Dr. B., on the other hand, is a warm and creative human being, who has a rich and refined culture, but also a fragile and vulnerable psyche. He is like a victim of Nazi oppression, who suffers from trauma and isolation, but also resists with courage and dignity.
Zweig also creates a suspenseful and captivating plot, that keeps the reader engaged and curious about the outcome of the chess games and the fate of the characters. He uses flashbacks, dialogues, descriptions, and narration to create a vivid and realistic picture of the settings and the emotions of the characters. He also uses irony, humor, and symbolism to convey his message and his critique of the society and the times he lived in.
How to download the EPUB version of A Chess Story
What is an EPUB file and why should you use it?
An EPUB file is an electronic publication file format that can be read on various devices such as e-readers, tablets, smartphones, computers, etc. It is designed to be flexible and adaptable to different screen sizes and resolutions, allowing for optimal readability and accessibility. It also supports features such as bookmarks, annotations, hyperlinks, images, fonts, etc., that enhance the reading experience.
If you want to read A Chess Story on your device of choice, you should download it in EPUB format rather than PDF or other formats that are less compatible or customizable. EPUB files are usually smaller in size than PDF files, which means they take up less space on your device and are faster to download and open. EPUB files are also easier to edit or convert to other formats if you need to do so for any reason. Where can you find the EPUB version of A Chess Story online?
There are several options to download the EPUB version of A Chess Story online, depending on your preferences and budget. Here are some of the most popular and reliable sources that we recommend:
Free download from the Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library that offers free access to millions of books, movies, music, software, and other media. It also preserves and archives historical and cultural materials for future generations. You can find the EPUB version of A Chess Story on the Internet Archive by following this link:
To download the file, you just need to click on the EPUB icon on the right side of the page, and then choose the option \"Download\" or \"Open in browser\". You can also read the book online on the same page, by clicking on the \"Read Online\" button. The Internet Archive also allows you to borrow the book for 14 days, by creating a free account and lo