Title: Battle of the Minds – How Vishwanathan Anand became the King of Chess (The Magic Makers Series)
Author: Mamta Nainy
Illustrations: Mihir Joglekar
Publisher: Puffin Books
Type: Paperback
Length: 40 pages
Genre: Non- Fiction
Age recommendation: 6-8/9 years
Here is a review by my 13 year old daughter Ayesha.
Vishwanathan Anand is the 1st Indian Chess Grandmaster and 5 times World Chess Champion. When I started playing chess at the age of 5 years the first person I was told about was Sir Vishwanathan Anand. He is the one who put India in the World Map in the field of chess. So, for every Indian chess Player he is a role model. In the current years Chess has gained a lot of attention and is played by many players from a very young age.
‘Battle of the Minds’ by Mamta Nainy is a perfect book to introduce the young curious minds to the world of chess. What can be more inspiring than to know about the legend himself?
Theme & Language
Written in delightfully simple language, the book centers on a game of chess between a young Anand and his mother. In fact, it is narrated in a way that we are transported to the battleground full of action. As we dive deeper into the book all the chess pieces vividly come to life. It feels like a wizard’s game of chess as read in Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone. The emotions, the excitement, the adventure are brilliantly expressed.
In the end the “Chess Army” has been explained in a very grand manner as if we are in a white/black kingdom watching a massive army mobilize for war.
Illustrations
What really stands out is the Illustrations. Mihir Joglekar’s superb illustrations have truly breathed life into this book, making it multi-dimensionally interesting. Every single page is so beautifully presented that it keeps you hooked, creating an experience where you just want to read and re-read it over and over again.
Major Takeaways –
- Vibrant & Immersive Illustrations
- Simple lucid Language
- A cinematic breakdown of a complex game
Overall, this book is a must have for all young curious minds who want to explore the game of chess. Go grab the book and get ready to yell – CHECKMATE
“The pieces looked like lifeless soldiers. But in Vishy’s mind they were alive”
Other books in this series:
Jivya’s Talking Hands: How Jivya Soma Mashe Found His Voice Through Art (Sindhuja’s review)
That Big-Voiced Girl (you can read Mona’s incredible review here!) ,
Roshan’s Road to Music (Achira’s review),
Hands That Wrote History – How PREM BEHRI NARAIN RAIZADA calligraphed the Indian Constitution (Pooja’s review)
The Magic Makers: Looking For Inspiration: How Rabindranath Tagore Penned his Favourite Poem! ,
If you enjoyed this review and wish to order the book from Amazon (kbc affiliate link),
CLICK & BUY NOW!Disclaimer: Ayesha is a part of the #kbcReviewerSquad and received this book as a review copy from the publisher via kbc.
