Alexander Alekhine — The Mystery of Life and Death - Every move of a chess game can be reconstructed with absolute precision. But can a human life be reconstructed with the same accuracy? #1015303

Alexander Alekhine — The Mystery of Life and Death is an extensive historical and criminological investigation into the extraordinary life and controversial death of Alexander Alekhine (1892–1946), the fourth World Chess Champion and one of the most influential figures in chess history.
On 24 March 1946, Alekhine was found dead in his hotel room in Estoril, Portugal. Eight decades later, questions surrounding the circumstances of his death, the medical documentation, contemporary testimony, and the political environment remain subjects of historical debate.
In this illustrated, 24-chapter study, Serge Germanovich Kolesnyak examines Alekhine's career, his experiences during the Second World War, the international campaign against his reputation, the records associated with Park Hotel, and competing explanations of his final days.
Drawing on historical publications, archival references, witness accounts, photographs, medical discussions, and comparative analysis, the book explores the relationship between chess, wartime politics, intelligence institutions, historical memory, and the interpretation of evidence.
The investigation considers several competing hypotheses, including natural death, accidental death, and possible external intervention. It develops a historical-criminological framework for evaluating these scenarios while identifying unresolved questions and avenues for further archival research.
The complete English edition includes 24 chapters, an introduction, an epilogue, methodological reflections, a bibliography, and 248 illustrations, including historical photographs, digitally restored images, and original historical-artistic reconstructions.
Written for chess historians, researchers, biographers, and readers interested in twentieth-century European history, this book offers a detailed re-examination of one of chess history's most enduring mysteries.