Book excerpt: The Reliable Past is the eagerly awaited sequel to Russian Silhouettes, Genna Sosonko's marvellous collection of portraits from the golden age of Soviet chess. In this new book, the author again shows himself a perceptive chronicler of a time when chess occupied a unique position in his native country, but he also wanders across its borders with his memories of Dutch World Champion Max Euwe and a touching tribute to the first ever British grandmaster, Tony Miles. From the preface by Garry Kasparov: The Reliable Past presents the reader with a gallery of wonderful pen-portraits that radiate the author?s love of and devotion to chess, yet are tempered by a due measure of objectivity and detachment. Look, it says ? this is the chess world and its heroes, warts and all!