Life and Games of Carlos Torre

This is what’s new in this edition: More accurate and more extensive annotations, computer-assisted. Every game has beenexamined under Stockfish 14, probably the best analytical engine available forhome computers at this time. For the first edition we had only Fritz 4 and 5,which compare to Stockfish like a Model T Ford to a Ferrari, and many gameswere given no computer examination at all. Thus owners of the first editionwill find most annotations here substantially different (and substantiallybetter). However, many general assessments and heuristic notes proved valid andhave been retained.·       Torre’s own annotations to several games have been unearthed and added. These come fromseveral sources: the American Chess Bulletin, his book of the 1926Mexican Championship tournament, and his instructional booklet Developmentof Chess Ability.·       Several games have been added. Some, frankly, are Torre losses, which we give in theinterest of presenting a more complete, balanced picture of his play. The firstedition, to some extent, looked at Torre through rose-colored glasses; here weaim only for untinted clarity. Also added are the six games between players otherthan Torre that he annotated for the Mexican Championship tournament book (seeChapter VIII).·       There are many more diagrams and photographs than in the first edition. Also morethumbnail bios of Torre’s opponents.·       More ancillary material about Torre’s life and career: pictures, anecdotes, interesting facts,opinions, bits of trivia etc., drawn from the ACB, the WienerSchachzeitung, the film Torre x Torre, and other sources.·       A 1927 interview with Torre, published in the Yucatán magazine Anahuac, inChapter III.·       Chapter IV, excerpts from the book 64 Variaciones Sobre un Tema de Torre by hisfriend Germán de la Cruz.