First published in 1987 to overwhelming international acclaim, Jeremy Gaige’s Chess Personalia has been called “one of the most useful chess books ever published” (Edward Winter in New in Chess). The book is an invaluable resource for researchers and enthusiasts, and original copies are highly sought after by chess collectors. Long out of print, the original work is available here for the first time in a softcover format.
This biobibliography contains around 14,000 worldwide entries, each entry offering full name, date and place of birth and death, FIDE title, country of citizenship and citations to mentions in the world’s media. Variants in names are cross-referenced. Those knowledgeable in the chess world will recognize the author’s name and be completely assured as to the comprehensiveness, accuracy, lack of bias, and sedulous research this extraordinary reference work represents.

The late Jeremy Gaige (1927–2011) was a well-known chess archivist and journalist. His reference books have become standards for chess historians and journalists all over the world.

Compiled and edited by Jeremy Gaige
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 527
Bibliographic Info: abbreviation key, appendix
Copyright Date: 2005 [1987]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-2353-8
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      viii
Introduction      ix
Abbreviations of Bibliographic Sources      xv
Abbreviations of Nations and States      xxi
The Biobibliography      1
Appendix: Index to Obituaries in the British Chess Magazine, 1881–1986      483

Book of the Year—Chess Notes
“bound to become a standard work…takes one’s breath away at contemplating the magnitude of the task”—British Chess Magazine; “Gaige is a brilliant sifter of evidence…an indispensable reference tool…one of the most useful chess books ever published”—New In Chess; “our standard reference…provides a rich vein of information”—Chess Life; “valuable…immensely useful”—The Washington Post; “useful”—IM John Donaldson (JeremySilman.com); “most welcome…invaluable…four stars”—Chess Horizons; “awe-inspiring…a brilliant achievement”—Edward Winter, Chess Notes; “indispensable”—Inside Chess; “a monumental work that is an indispensable reference for any student of chess”—Arpad E. Elo, FIDE Honorary Member; “incredible…its high quality is evident from the sources cited, the detailed explanations about its preparation, and its overall excellence…highly recommended”—ARBA.