Five years ago our member Fabrizio Zavaratelli published his impressive biography of a now hardly known, but nevertheless rather mythological chess master from the 19th century, Ignaz Kolisch. His book Ignaz Kolisch The life and chess career was introduced on our website by webmaster Ralf Binnewirtz (see Zavatarelli on Kolisch).

This year Fabrizio Zavaratelli, together with our member Luca D’Ambrosio and with Michael Burghardt, have published a kind of complementary work Die Feuilletons von Ignaz Kolisch (544 p., Edition Marco, ISBN 978–3-924833-82-4). On the website of the Glarean Magazin Ralf Binnewirtz, now a former member, has published an extended review of this new publication on and of Ignaz Kolisch. You will find it on F. Zavatarelli u.a: Feuilletons von Ignaz Kolisch.

By the way, on these Swiss website Ralf Binnewirtz reviewed in depth many chess books, for instance recently the biography of Hein Donner by the late Alexander Münninghoff.

Below the first paragraph of the review is shown.

Bob van de Velde

Das schachjournalistische Phänomen Ideka

von Ralf Binnewirtz

Drei Schachhistoriker und -autoren haben sich zusammengetan, um die 92 sonntäglichen Feuilletons von Ignaz Kolisch – erschienen 1886-1888 in dessen eigener Wiener Allgemeinen Zeitung – in einem kompakten Band zu vereinen, der weit über die Schachwelt hinaus Interesse beanspruchen darf. Denn diese Feuilletons tangieren und reflektieren nahezu alle Bereiche der Gesellschaft und vermitteln in der ausgefeilten Prosa des Autors ein Zeit- und Sittengemälde Westeuropas aus der zweiten Hälfte des 19. Jahrhunderts.

Read more …

The book Il codice Vittorio Emanuele 273 della Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Roma: analisi storico-culturale e codicologica (The Vittorio Emanuele code 273 of the National Central Library of Rome: historical-cultural and codicological analysis) published for the publishing house Itinera progetti di Bassano del Grappa is the latest in chronological order of the great research work on the history of chess carried out by Dr. Diego D'Elia, among the world's leading experts in this sector.

In this essay, accompanied by a large and well-documented critical apparatus, a detailed and in-depth overview of the late medieval chess literature is provided, based on the direct study of the sources, in a process that culminates in the analysis of an important 15th century codex, kept at the National Central Library of Rome, guiding the reader in a study path that will allow him to learn about the fascinating world of board games such as chess, backgammon and the game of filet (derived in part from the Arab tradition), which were widespread in our society throughout the centuries of the late Middle Ages, seen and interpreted in their historical and cultural context.

It will thus be understood the late medieval chess literature, which will form the basis for the training of world-class chess players both Italian and Spanish in the Renaissance era, among the first to apply the current rules of the game of chess, among which the Venetian champion is also included the priest Lorenzo Busnardo. A book that is, let us be permitted, a very important text for the history of the most widespread game in the world, and which finally puts order, correcting some historical and methodological errors, in one of the most compelling fields of study in the context of the most characteristic of knowledge and our culture.

Stefano Zulian gensiuliastoria@tiscali.it

For any information and any purchases write to info@itineraprogetti.com or look at Itinera Progetti

Tom Gallegos and Luann Woneis gave further information about the CCI meeting in St. Louis. The message also contains photos of the display shelves at Link, bulging with sets, just to whet your appetite.

AUCTION REMINDER

Greetings CCI Members and other Chess Friends,

Just a quick reminder: Don't forget to bid on Chess SETS, Chess BOOKS and much more at Link Auction Galleries in St. Louis, September 5, 2020 at 10:00 in the morning, Central Daylight Time. That’s 16:00 (4 pm) for the UK; and 17:00 (5 pm) for most of the rest of Europe.

Tom Gallegos and Luann Woneiss, the organizers of the scheduled meeting of the CCI in St. Louis in September, write us:

Dear CCI Members and Friends,

We hereby announce that CCI’s 19^th Biennial will be what is called a “hybrid” event – part in-person, and part online. We cordially invite you to attend, from the comfort of your own home.

PLEASE ATTEND OUR SCHEDULED WEBINARS, 9 am to noon, CDT, September 3 and 4, 2020.

It breaks our hearts that so many of our friends and fellow collectors cannot be with us in St. Louis for our meeting in September.  We’d been hoping to welcome as many as 60-80 of you on the originally scheduled date, back in May.  Now, with our September postponement date just around the corner, and the pandemic grinding on and on, it looks like the actual number of attendees will be much closer to 10. (And we need every last one of these folks!)