In Black and White (Hardcover)

This In Black and White: The Chess Autobiography of a World Champion Candidate is Paul van der Sterren’s English-language hardcover chess autobiography, combining a personal career story with more than 300 deeply analysed games and fragments.

What this book covers

Van der Sterren traces his path from his first moves on the board to the Candidates match against Gata Kamsky in 1994, when he was only four steps away from a world championship challenge. He writes openly about the pressures of professional chess, the doubts that come with competing at the top, and the work behind steady improvement.

The book also looks beyond the peak years of tournament play and shows how his competitive career gradually changed over time. That wider perspective gives the autobiography a broader reach than a standard sports memoir and makes it a record of a chess life lived over more than two decades.

What you will find inside

This edition brings together autobiography and study material in one volume. The annotated games and fragments make it useful not only as a personal account, but also as a source of instructive analysis for readers who want to learn from practical chess.

It will appeal to club players, coaches, chess book collectors and anyone interested in the pre-computer era of top-level chess. The themes are familiar and practical: how to improve, how to handle pressure and how a player’s style develops over time.

About the author

Paul van der Sterren was a professional chess player for more than twenty years. He won the Dutch Championship in 1985 and 1993, represented the Netherlands at eight Chess Olympiads and played the 1994 Candidates match against Gata Kamsky. He is also the author of Fundamental Chess Openings.

Edition information

• Language: English
• Binding: hardcover
• Page count: 768

Key details

• Product type: hardcover chess autobiography
• Title: In Black and White: The Chess Autobiography of a World Champion Candidate
• Author: Paul van der Sterren
• Content: more than 300 deeply analysed games and fragments
• Subject: chess autobiography
• Perspective: professional chess career and life beyond competitive play
• Page count: 768