Böhm: The Art of Living: Memories of Two Chess Friends - Jan Timman & Hans Böhm (paperback)

Autor: Böhm, Jan Timman & Hans
Verlag / Hersteller: Elk and Ruby
Erscheinungsjahr: 2026
Sprache: Englisch
Buchumschlag: paperback
Seiten: 309

Two Chess Careers and the Decades That Shaped Them

Grandmaster Jan Timman and International Master Hans Böhm look back on their lives in The Art of Living: Memories of Two Chess Friends.

The book suits readers interested in autobiographical chess memoirs and in post-war Dutch chess history. Both authors started as promising players and later went on to success at home and abroad.

Timman rose to world number two in 1982, behind Anatoly Karpov. Böhm built a media career and brought chess to a broad audience through television, radio and print.

Highlights

• Insider view of the 1972 Fischer–Spassky World Championship match
• Flower Power era and Cold War chess as experienced by two contemporaries
• The rise of the chess computer, from the perspective of two active players
• Post-war Dutch chess history and the federation's challenge to Soviet and Russian dominance
• Grassroots chess for young people and the public promotion of the game
• Ten of Jan Timman's games and ten of his own studies
• Recollections from ten people who shaped different stages of the authors' lives

A personal account of two chess lives, told with their adventures, successes and setbacks.

FAQ

Which periods of chess history does the book cover?
The authors look back on the Flower Power era, the Cold War period with the 1972 Fischer–Spassky World Championship match, and the rise of the chess computer. They also describe post-war Dutch chess history.

Does the book include games and studies?
Yes. Ten of Jan Timman's memorable games and ten of his own studies accompany the autobiographical chapters. Ten people who played a role in the authors' lives also contribute recollections of their own.

Who are the authors and what are their chess backgrounds?
Jan Timman is a grandmaster who reached world number two in 1982, behind Anatoly Karpov. Hans Böhm is an International Master and one of the Netherlands' best-known chess personalities, and he has long written a chess column for De Telegraaf.