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There have been 14 Chess World Champions between the start of the first World Championship match in New York 1886 and the latest in Brissago in Switzerland. That means 14 extraordinary personalities, heroes in the history of chess. Each of them has enriched the game in his own inimitable way and influenced the style of generations. They will all be portrayed in this book, starting with Wilhelm Steinitz, the first World Champion, and going all the way through to Vladimir Kramnik.
We shall meet child prodigies and scientists, artists and eccentrics - all men who devoted themselves to chess passionately and sometimes obsessively. We shall follow these exceptional thinkers step by step down the paths of their sometimes ill-fated lives. Annotated games and brilliant combinations will remind us of some of the most important moments in their careers.
The second part of the book deals with the exciting autumn in Brissago 2004. All the World Championship games between World Champion Vladimir Kramnik and his challenger Peter Leko are deeply analysed and thoroughly annotated by Grandmasters Artur Yusupov and Christopher Lutz.
A portrait of the challenger Leko, interviews and tables offer further information about the World Championships of today and yesterday.

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Martin Breutigam is an International Master and his profession is that of a freelance journalist. He writes for various German newspapers (including Süddeutsche Zeitung, Der Tagesspiegel) as well as for Magazin 64. Breutigam has published a number of books and openings CDs (including 64 Monate auf 64 Feldern, Meyers Schachturnier, The Chigorin Defence, King's Indian with b3). Since the mid 80s he has played chess in the German Bundesliga.

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Artur Yusupov was born in Moscow on 13th February 1960. He was awarded the title of International Grandmaster in 1980. He has reached the semifinal of the World Championship on three occasions (1986, 1989, 1992). Artur Yusupov has also made a name for himself as a trainer. The quality of his training is reflected in the success of his chess academy in Germany. He is well-known as an author too, having written severals books.

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Christopher Lutz became an International Grandmaster in 1992. Ever since he has been a member of the German national team, winning the German championship twice. He has crossed swords with the world's top players and has been a personal assistant of Vladimir Kramnik in his match against DEEP FRITZ. Furthermore, Lutz is a well-known writer and author of a highly-acclaimed book about endgames.

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