Masterpieces and Dramas of the Soviet Championships: Volume III (1948-1953)

You get quite the insight of USSR Chess politics plus some excellent battles over the board. After reading this book I know know why Petrosian made the famous statement--Yes I could play more exciting games and win more but I could also lose more games. For Chess history fans this is a gotta get book. For those who do not know Chess history, get this authors first two books in this series, then get this one. They are quite pleasantly enjoyable.

Historisch interessantes Buch, Stalinismus in allen Bereichen des Lebens, eben auch im Schach.

This is an excellent book showcasing an amazing amount of historical research. Too bad English translation is not always perfect (e.g. "ethnicity" translated with "nationality" early in the book).

With the USSR (and the modern resulting countries) always being the main source of top chess players, it seems logical to have an accounting for its chess championships. I imagine that it has been covered within the country(-ies), but I for one (English speaking) haven't had the chance to review them. So I have enjoyed this series and this 3rd volume covering 1948-1953 has maintained the quality.Chess in the USSR has always had political intrigue, so the author has mixed the country's history with its chess history, including some biographical snippets along the way. Including lightly-annotated games from the championships with insider background rounds out a complete coverage of the Soviet Championships. Fascinating stuff !