A beautiful statement!

The beginning of the novel left me a little perplexed. In this book, the author makes us a portrait of a chess player at retirement, through 11 rounds of a qualifying tournament for the world title. My question was soon the question of how Ilf Eddine was well able to hold me until the end of the 195 pages of the novel by not talking to me in this tournament. Finally, it is not so much this particular tournament it evokes but above all the others, and all that was the life of this champion. Very quickly, the suspense takes shape and invites us to travel the 11 tournament games. Not only to know the final result, although it is made significant by life unfolding before our eyes over the pages. But especially to know what eye can see this champion on his life, success and well done quickly frustration, stress and disillusionment.

This champion touched me enormously. We perceive its sensitivity through each memory, each part. One feels his solitude, tournaments tournaments. It aims, even if some of his choices are questionable. One feels some pain to hear this story, born to both champion himself and his solitude, but also its history and disappointments which were often hers.

Still, Ilf Eddine forcefully conveys the passion of the player, the pleasures he finds playing and share this appetite. A lifetime devoted to chess! It also left me a little taste bitter after the last completed line: so much solitude for what finally ... A whole life dedicated to a unique passion and so little love in return ... J admit that this book left me a little melancholy, and that's not a criticism at all! It is also evidence of a neat handwriting.

This book also allows us to rub the greatest champions of chess, Botvinnik young French champions are Lautier, Bacrot, Nataf or Vachier-Lagrave, passing by Karpov course whose champion was the seconding Kasparov , Topalov, Fisher, ... All are there, there is no shortage probably not.