Seven Games: A Human History

Seven games traces 7 common games: checkers, chess, backgammon, go, poker, scrabble and bridge. For each, the history is covered. Most of the games have been around for a long time, with no real "inventor". Instead, they had involved throughout history. For each, the author explores the history and the world of the competitive masters. Some games involve more luck (such as poker), while others (like Chess) rely just on the work of players.

The books spends a lot of time covering the computers. People attempt to program computers to "solve" the game and beat humans. Computers have provided new insight into game strategies. Initially, computers struggled to beat humans. However, now they can do a better job. The computers have also "solved" games to determine the outcome based on each player performing ideally. (Checkers would be a draw. the player that goes first would win Connect Four.) 

Initial attempts to program game playing computers relied on entering various preferred moves and strategies. Today, the focus has been on automatic learning. A computer is programmed to play against itself and "learn" the best strategies in the process.

Games provide a great means of testing computer work as well as developing new technology. They may have started with some practical application (such as chess for warfare), but evolved to focus on the game themselves. The concrete ruleset makes them an easier target for computer technology.

Luzhin Defense

The Luzhin Defense is one of Nabakov's earlier novels, originally published in Russian in 1930 and not translated into English until 1964. The title character, Luzhin is an awkward, likely autistic man who is an excellent chess player. As a youth, he does not have friends, but develops a passion for chess after he has been introduced. He reaches grandmaster level and becomes engaged to a girl (much to her parent's chagrin.) However, during a high level tournament, he has a nervous breakdown. Chess appears to be the cause of his problems, and he must ween himself from it to be healthy again. He does, and soon makes a recovery. However, he later encounters people and events from his past, eventually having his mental health fade again.
In the introduction, Nabakov claims he structured the novel like a chess match, complete with surprises and rapid turns. It does have a focus on chess, yet understanding of the game is not required to understand the novel. Nabokov does seem to enjoy picking something external (like a chess game or literary criticism) as a vehicle for structuring novels. In the Luzhin defense he is successful in creating an accessible story out of a chess match.