The story revolves around a chess player and narrator who becomes obsessed with a mysterious opponent, known only as "the Russian." As their games unfold, Krabbé skillfully ratchets up the tension, plunging the reader into the intense, almost hallucinatory world of competitive chess.

4.5/5

The writing is economical, precise, and evocative, much like a well-crafted chess problem. Krabbé's prose possesses a distinctive, pithy quality that mirrors the concise, logical universe of chess. As the story hurtles toward its climax, the boundaries between chess, fiction, and reality begin to blur, leaving the reader pondering the essential mystery at the heart of the game.

Through the narrator's obsessive pursuit of the Russian, Krabbé elegantly illustrates the ways in which chess can serve as a microcosm for life itself. He deftly exposes the reader to various chess strategies and concepts, yet never at the expense of the narrative's momentum or emotional resonance.