Achieving the Aim

by Mikhail Botvinnik, Bernard Cafferty (Translator)

English, Russian (translation)

Genres: Chess, Nonfiction, Biography

230 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1981

Reviews

[Killua · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me first say that as a chess player I am a huge Botvinnik fan. His style of play and his approach to the game are something I admire a lot. I was therefore very excited to read this book.
Although I have enyojed it from the informational point of view, it was still kind of a mess. There are many abrupt jumps from different names and events to some completely new places and points in time.
To be fair in conclusion Botvinnik admits that himself, but that does not change the fact that I would have liked the book much more had it been written at a slower and more detailed pace.
I am, despite all that, very glad that such book exists as it offers a more personal glimpse into the life of a chess great.

[Alberto · Rating 2 out of 5]

Self-serving and disingenuous.

[Tom Ewald]

Written in 1978, translated from Russian in 1981. Botvinnik's memoirs. I'm halfway through and he's mentioned very little that a non-chess player couldn't understand. No games scores. Quick read.

[Logan Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5, mostly a story of his life, not to complicated to read for chess beginnings. I want more soviet chess books that have been translated.