Hi, Folks

I received an email advertising this site today, so I said to myself, what the heck, I'll sign up. I'll also use it as an opportunity to get the word out about my new book.

Engaging Pieces: Interviews and Prose for the Chess Fan is the title, out June 19. It's available for pre-order at Amazon.

Amazon.com: Engaging Pieces: Interviews and Prose for the Chess Fan: Books: Howard Goldowsky

Below is a cut and paste from a promo I did at the ChessNinja forum:

Although I'll be self-publishing this book, I've hired a professional graphics/layout artist for the cover and interior layout; also, every article (save two) has been previously published -- usually at either Chess Cafe or Chess Life, so I hope that Engaging Pieces rivals the quality (in both content and appearance) of books published by more mainstream publishers. I've done my best to make a quality product and an enjoyable read.

Here is a summary of the Table of Contents. The book is written in four sections. The first section contains interviews and profiles I've done over the last six years. (Especially noteworthy to this message board would be the profile I wrote of Mig Greengard, back in 2002.) The second section contains short chess fiction that I've written. Three of these stories have appeared at Chess Cafe. (I'm hoping that a forth will appear in June, when Chess Cafe plans to excerpt from the book.) The third section contains a number of essays I've written -- some of my best (and, I admit, worst) writing is here. The Appendix contains a list of all chess related novels and anthologies published since 1933 that contain a significant amount of chess. This is a subjective list, but I believe that it is the most up-to-date list of its kind (83 entries). Every book that contains just a hint of chess, or, say, just a single chess scene, has been omitted. The book is rounded out with postscripts following each article, which bring the reader up to date with related events that have happened since the article was published.

INTERVIEWS/PROFILES
Michael de la Maza ('400 points in 400 days')
Mig Greengard
Paul Hoffman (chess writer and TV broadcaster)
Hikaru Nakamura
Charles Katz (former VP of Edge TV -- planning to have chess on cable TV )
Chrilly Dollinger and Muhammad Nasir Ali (Team Hydra)
Jennifer Shahade
Greg Shahade (President of the U.S. Chess League)
Joe Block (chess playing Beauty and the Geek star)
David Shenk (author, Immortal Game)
Mark Glickman (Ratings Committee Chair, USCF)
Michel Weinreb (author, Kings of NY)

FICTION
En Passant: An Opportunity Lost
Chess as a Sport
Chess Doesn't Care
Inspiration for a Young Chess Master
A Conversation with Anthony Meters
When the Balance Be in Your Favor

OPINION
The Chess Journalist Letter
Tournament Entries: A New Perspective
Computer Chess: Looking Back, Looking Forward
Chess and the Art of Negotiation: A Review

APPENDIX
A bibliography of contemporary chess fiction


I'll be happy to answer any questions about the book. The best way to contact me is by personal email: howard.goldowsky@yahoo.com.

No, I don't mind. Your site looks promising. Who are you guys, anyway? Where do you come from? Is this a full-time gig, or what? I hope you don't mind me asking.

howard

Yes, it does answer my Qs. It's nice to know that this is a UK forum. ChessNinja has an American slant, although there are many UK members. I've had some inquiries about where my book will be availalbe. My hope is that the British chess book retailers will agree to carry it. I'm still considering whether or not to sell it at amazon.co.uk.

My book has a slight American slant, but plenty of interesting stuff for everybody, especially if you're interested in chess fiction or want to read author interviews about some of the more popular literary non-fiction chess titles recently published.

Howard

Engaging Pieces is at the printer.

It's just a low-res image I made from the real cover, to fit the maximum bytes upload requirements. Still set for June 19, and, to my relief, now available at not only Amazon, but also bn.com, Barnes & Noble and Borders stores. As of today, the book can be ordered at brick & mortar stores; I'm still working on getting them to stock it.

Howard

It's on the back burner for now...I'm busy trying to get the book into the UK chess stores. I'm also trying to secure a general European distributor. If all fails, I'll probably turn to Amazon.co.uk. (You know, this is all being done using time found between the cracks -- time that's left over after a full-time job, and familial obligations.)

Don't ask me how this happened, but Amazon.co.uk decided to stock my book, Engaging Pieces. Now all the UK folk don't have to pay outragous international shipping fees.

If you haven't seen my book yet, I urge you to check it out. Here are links to some reviews:

Washington Post (Lubomir Kavalek): CHESS - washingtonpost.com
Worcester Telegram (Stephan Dann): Worcester Telegram & Gazette News
Best Friend Blog: Let me tell you about my best friend: Engaging Pieces...
About.com (Mark Weeks): Book Review : Engaging Pieces

Howard Goldowsky