本书为纳博科夫第三本小说，讲述一个象棋天才由于长期沉溺于棋局而逐渐精神失常的故事。主人公卢仁小时候是个不引人注目、性格孤僻忧郁的孩子，对父母来说他就像一个谜，是同班同学嘲笑的对象。现实生活总是让他感到焦虑，于是他把象棋作为逃避现实生活的避难所。事实证明，他是个象棋天才，并一跃成为象棋大师。然而，他也为此付出了代价：象棋棋局渐渐取代了他的现实生活。在一次比赛中，他精心设计的防守之策因为对手出其不意的着法而变得一文不值，这样的现实让他的精神世界最终崩溃。尽管有体贴的妻子的帮助，但是他沉湎于在想象中与一个未知的力量对弈，不能自拔，最终他使用唯一的解决方法“退出比赛”来结束这场比赛，也结束了自己的生命。故事情节紧凑，引人入胜，读者不仅能感受到卢仁作为象棋大师的魅力，更会对卢仁的遭遇感到深切的同情。( This dream has been re-showing his real chess life from beginning to end, sometimes fuzzy, and sometimes clear. Finally, the dream passed, and the reality is only thinking for the chess, sleepless for the chess at night in the hotel……when he touches with the world around him and cannot fully understand, his light of reason often will drop off and half of his power also leaves away. Since the surrounding world has become a fantasy dream, he would not need to worry about it and his intelligence will be gathered again and be stronger and stronger. The difference between the real life and chess life is clear and filled with adventurous color. Lu Ren is quite proud to note that in chess life, he could control everything easily and everything would follow his idea and listen to his arrangements. That night, faced with this slow and elegant attack, he was more ……than ever before. )