Chess Novella: Stefan Zweig (Library of World Literature)

Chess Novella - Stefan Zweig's literary farewell letter, a novella of great literary artistry. The Chess Novella is the last and also the most famous work by Stefan Zweig (1881-1942). It showcases his remarkable talent for novellas, is full of symbolism, and serves as Zweig's literary farewell. The novella reflects the experiences of Dr. B. against the backdrop of the terror regime of National Socialism. Zweig fled to England in 1939 to escape book burnings, persecution, and the Second World War, and emigrated to Brazil in 1940. He could not bear a world at war. In February 1942, overwhelmed by the impact of German military successes and exhausted from involuntary migration, he took his own life with his wife Lotte.

Content: On board a passenger liner from New York to Buenos Aires, the wealthy civil engineer McConnor challenges chess world champion Mirko Czentovic and loses. In the rematch, a stranger named Dr. B. intervenes and manages to draw the game. For B., chess is both a curse and a blessing. He was once a wealth manager for the Austrian nobility and fell into the clutches of the Nazis, who sought to seize their possessions. During weeks of isolation, B. was subjected to grueling interrogations and psychological torture, teetering on the brink of madness. A chess book helped him endure the torment. By playing blindfold chess against himself, he achieved great mastery. However, this led to the creation of two independent mental entities, resulting in a split personality, a "chess poisoning." Now, he faces the challenge from Czentovic, the chess world champion. B. cannot resist this challenge and risks sinking once again into psychological abysses.