As well as annotating every game played, Keene also explains his new ideas on the history of the world championship and presents evidence that Labourdonnais, Anderssen, Morphy and Staunton should all be regarded as champions in the lineage that is conventionally begun with Steinitz.

"This strange divide we have built up around 1886 mainly serves to do a terrible injustice to Steinitz -- his reign was longer than Lasker's and he contested nine matches for the title against the best possible opposition over 28 years: an average of one match every three years! "

As in 2000, the Internet is buzzing with ideas, analysis and comment about the match. Keene has been watching and taking part in debates in the online chess communities, e.g. chessgames.com, and will include the best of the live kibitzing in the book.

Raymond Keene is a British Chess Champion, and the first British Player to achieve a FIDE (World Chess Federation) Grandmaster norm. He was awarded the OBE for services to chess in 1985. He is Chess Correspondent of The Times, The Sunday Times, The Spectator, and The International Herald Tribune. He is a prolific author of chess books, several of which are classics of the genre. He has organised three World Chess Championships.