Semiotics of chess in the literature of the 19th century: to the interpretation of Nikolay Aksharumov “The Player”

The paper is devoted to the investigation of the semiotics of chess-game in the literature and culture of the 1st part of the 19th century. The formation of the semiotics of chess is considered in European and Russian literature. It can be stated that the semiotics of chess is reflected in 1) special literature and periodicals; 2) literary mode of life (chess as QR-code of the 19th century); 3) the plot of the narrative prose. The last aspect is of particular interest since it allows one to judge the formation of a reader’s subculture, consisting of amateur chess-makers and professionals. This principle was reflected in the epistolary novel of Goethe’s younger contemporary, W. Heinze, in his novel “Anastasia und das Schachspiel” (1803). Melodramatic intrigue, by virtue of its triviality, becomes secondary, giving way to the intrigue of another level related to the study of the fundamentals of chess. The second part of the paper is devoted to the investigation of the plot and narration features of the novel “The Player” (“Igrok,” 1858) of Nikolai Dmitrievich Aksharumov. In particular, three levels of the plot organization of “The Player” are considered. Firstly, the level of allusions and reminiscences composing the “German” background of the story and accumulating the most common plot situations is analyzed. Secondly, the reflection of the aesthetic program of esthetics is considered. Thirdly, the system of references forming the “closest circle” of reading is studied. In conclusion, the hypothesis is made that the category of “ideal reader” was more closely matched by a real person - chess-master A. D. Petrov.

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