The Jamaican Observer recently ran a book review on  Ian Wilkinson's "Magnificence in Bled: The 35th Chess Olympiad. The review amounts to a resounding endorsement and described its importance to Jamaica and the worldwide chess community. In the review, Balford Henry recounted Wilkinson's beginning with Jamaica's chess community and how he rose to be the island's "chess don." He also spoke about how the book project was conceived and its evolution.

The book is a valiant effort to chronicle the history of the Olympiad extending back to 1924 up until 2002. What is more amazing is the detail given in game analysis, commentary and Wilkinson's entertaining prose. On November 16th, the book was launched at the Governor's Mansion to a packed house. The book received rave reviews in Mallorca and Wilkinson later told The Chess Drum that a few hundred have already been ordered by different organizations. This book will certainly be a collector's item one day.

Posted by The Chess Drum: 23 November 2004