Book Reviews Counterplay: An Anthropologist surprising cross-cultural analogies and at the Chessboard comparisons. One comes to understand Robert Desjarlais that in this book, as in the Taimonov and Berkeley, CA: University of California in chess itself, much is possible. Press, 2011. Illustrations, appentices, In the opening chapter, called “Blitz- glossary, notes, bibliography, index. 251 krieg Bop,” Desjarlais introduces readers to pp. $50.00 cloth. ISBN: 9780520267398 his study as an example of the anthropol- ogy of passion, or of obsession, the two are In his recent book on chess, anthropolo- not easily distinguishable. Then in chapter gist Robert Desjarlais, himself an expert 2, “Notes on a Swindle,” Desjarlais treats player, speaks of how he tired of the his match with Mr. Grechikhin—a mas- regular “repeating geometries” Svesh- ter-level Russian immigrant and regular at nikov defense, a chess opening, and turns their chess club in Manhattan—as a proto- instead to another: “This time, though, I typical example of how chess can become hooked up with the Taimonov Sicilian, a “exquisite violence” between competi- dependable, shape-shifting mesh of coun- tive “weekend warriors.” In “Psych-Out” ter-attacking strategies. The Taimonov’s (chapter 3), the author explores players’ ways in the world, its sinuous forms and emotional involvement in chess, the way possibilities, fitted well with my own pre- they put their egos on the line and struggle dilections” (p. 100). to improve their ratings and to advance in Counterplay: An Anthropologist at the the game’s skill-based social hierarchies. In Chess Board reminds me of the Taimonov. “Sveshnikov Intrigues” (chapter 4), Des- To transport readers into the culture of jarlais shows us the game’s “mathematical chess, and in particular into the lives of sublime,” delving into players’ attempts to individual players, Desjarlais sinuously master mind-bogglingly complex opening, meshes descriptions of his own chess middle, and end-game tactics and strate- experiences and firsthand observations gies. Chapter 5, “Son of Sorrow,” focuses with ethnically diverse player accounts, on how John Riddell, a highly rated player snippets from online blogs and forums, from the Bronx-Yonkers Chess Club, uses philosophical and literary musings on competitive chess to enter special states chess from the game’s luminaries, and of consciousness and indeed to inhabit 378 Book Reviews 379 alternate, focused realities, effacing nor- manic healing. Readers might therefore mal time and self and keeping sorrow and think Desjarlais has strayed beyond his distress at bay. In “Ambivalence” (chapter expertise, but I would suggest otherwise. 6), Desjarlais further explores the positives As former chess champion Bill Hartson and negatives of chess: its victorious highs, says (p. 148): “Chess is not something rewarding “flow” states of consciousness, that drives people mad; chess is something social engagement and even “communi- that keeps mad people sane.” Counterplay’s tas,” its pettiness, clash of (typically) male author does not always agree with this egos, and autistic obsessiveness. Chapters statement, as he also traces paths toward 7 (“Cyberchess”) and 8 (“24/7 on the ICC” compulsive and even addictive play. Nev- [Internet Chess Club]) trace the changing ertheless, this quote draws attention to the contours of contemporary chess. First, we book’s central concern with mental well- hear about the movement of chess from being. Chess players’ psyches are put on human art to “cyborgean” calculation, as display in Counterplay, and one begins to players become ever more deeply entangled understand how competitive cognition can with chess-teaching programs like “Fritz” form the basis of a life well lived (or not). and with classic chess matches archived on Stylistically, Desjarlais has written computers. Then, we learn about sleep- an absorbing book, a fitting tribute to deprived human zombies entering trance- his absorbing subject. The book’s diverse like states as they jet from one lightning palette and self-consciously playful and match to another in the wee hours of the metaphorical language (just look at the morning on an always available Internet. chapter titles) keep readers guessing and Finally, the conclusion (Chapter 9, “End- interested. Each chapter is bookended game”) traces the demise of the author’s by an opening philosophical or literary own love affair with chess, as he leaves a epigram (for example, Bobby Fischer’s “five-year reverie” spent in the small world “To get squares, you gotta give squares” anchored to the chessboard. and H.G. Wells’s “No chess player sleeps Though not dominated by a single well”) and ends with profiles of players theme, Counterplay does revolve around encapsulated with their own pithy quotes an exploration of a passion requiring (like American John Watson’s “Things players to demonstrate cognitive mastery are not getting resolved” and Sri Lankan and expertise in competitive clashes. In Sunil Weeramantry’s “I have tried to quit approaching this topic which we might twenty-five times”). The author’s own label “enskilment,” Desjarlais fuses two personal reflections—his chess obsession classic themes from psychological anthro- coincides with a midlife, existential cri- pology, emotion and cognition, showing sis—are a nice touch. I must say I found how they work together to fuel motivated myself eager to learn the outcomes of the selves. The author is better known for his matches he describes, which serve as the studies of mental health and healing in narrative grounding of each chapter. I U.S. and world contexts, having written, wondered how they would affect his self- for example, persuasively and elegantly on perceptions and shape his analysis. Like- U.S. homelessness and South Asian sha- wise, the cross-cultural comparisons push 380 A M ERICAN JOURNAL OF PLAY s W INTER 2012 readers to identify deeper levels of mean- readers would delight in this book’s at ing and healing in the game. One comes times magical, almost mystical treatment to believe that just as the Nepali Yolmo can of chess. Scientists, too, if they are patient, reconstitute their selves in more satisfy- will find many a hypothesis to test in this ing ways through visualization of their overflowing work. deities and just as Sinhalese Buddhists Counterplay, then, is perhaps two (or might recover souls devastated by sorcery many) books in one: a thoughtful and through shamanic practice, so can chess invariably interesting analysis of chess players find solace and rejuvenation in the from a largely psychological-anthropo- game’s magical grid and ritualized combat. logical perspective, but equally a personal I did find myself wishing the author memoir. Some of Sveshnikov’s regular had engaged the more structured and geometry remains in the analytical bits. even quantitative studies of games and But in the end, an authorial style more play now coming out of psychology, com- Taimonovian dominates and encompasses munication, sociology, and other disci- both the regular analytical and the some- plines. For example, there exsts a rich, what irregular personal parts in its diverse burgeoning literature on Internet and mesh of shifting strategies. gaming addiction in venues like the jour- nal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social —Jeffrey G. Snodgrass, Colorado State Networking, much of it mixing struc- University, Ft. Collins, CO tured survey analysis with other forms of inquiry. Likewise, Desjarlais frequently speaks of addiction, and also of engage- ment, as matters of brain circuitry and The Trouble with Play neurochemistry. Yet his language remains Susan Grieshaber and Felicity McArdle suggestive at these points rather than sys- Maidenhead, England: Open University tematic, despite a growing literature in Press, 2010. References, indices, neuroscience and other fields on precisely illustrations.144 pp. $96.00 cloth. ISBN: these topics. 9780335237906 This book will appeal most to humanists, especially anthropologists of While readers might assume The Trouble a certain ilk, but also games-studies types with Play presents an analysis of the siege housed in departments of philosophy, on play in schools, authors Susan Griesha- history, literature, education, and the like. ber and Felicity McArdle, in fact, offer a Desjarlais can be indirect in his analysis. perspective on play that departs radically For example, each chapter’s opening epi- from the assumed truths of early-child- gram and closing player profile are not hood education. Early-childhood educa- explained. Rather, they are deliberately tors, influenced by developmental theory left to linger in readers’ minds. Readers, dating back to Jean-Jacques Rousseau and like the chess players Desjarlais profiles, Friedrich Froebel, believe that play is natu- are pushed to guess the meaning of their ral, holistic, and innocent. The authors author-opponent’s moves. I would think argue, instead, that play is not always inno-.