#GermanLitMonth Stefan Zweig “Chess Story”
by 
Stefan Zweig
Finish date: 10.11.2025
Genre: novella
Rating: A++++
#GermanLitMonth25
Good News: Stefan Zweig’s “Chess Story” (aka “The Royal Game”) refers to an obsessive fixation of Dr. B. for the game of chess. He suffers extreme mental torment during solitary confinement by the Gestapo. Dr. B. becomes consumed by chess pieces King (leadership), Queen (strategy), Bishop (wisdom), Knight (chivalry) and Rook (protection).
Good News: Zweig himself felt ever more isolated (…as did his main character Dr. B) and was aware that the European world he knew and loved was lost forever…with his forced displacement during the Nazi era.
Personal: I read a Zweig’s biography in 2022 
by 
George Prochnik. This book won the National Jewish Book Award for Biography/Memoir 2014.
It is the best book to read before entering into Zweig’s bibliography. So much torment about his personal life is in his writing. I’ll never forget the photo in the biography of
of Zweig and his wife, Lotte who were found dead in each other’s arms. The couple committed suicide by taking a lethal dose of pills. (February 22nd 1942). Haunting….and now to have read is final work….published only days before killing himself made an impact on me.
Last thoughts: This novella …it was beyond excellent! Zweig draws the reader into the “madness” of chess poisoning in the mind. I was totally absorbed in the story and the tone reminded me of reading a tale by Edgar Allan Poe. Dr. B describes his mental torture so vividly ….it was scary. Definitely add this novella to your #NovNov25 reading list!
NancyElin.blog 
I was very impressed by Confusion, my first by Zweig, and definitely want to read this one
Hope you enjoy it!
It is one of the novellas on my TBR I am hoping to read this month. You’ve certainly given it a good wrap!
It was excellent!
Yes, this is an excellent novella, one I’ve read many times, and it’s one that’s hard to put down once you’ve picked it up…
…addictive!
I loved this one
…Me too!
I loved this novella! It was the first thing I ever read by Zweig and I then went on to read more or his works.
I’ve not read anything about Zweig himself, but hearing what you just shared about his childhood sheds a lot of light on the works that I have read by him so far. Thanks for sharing!