In the Appendix to "The Stories of Vladimir Nabokov" we read:"Bakhman" was written in Berlin in October 1924. It was serialized in Rul', November 2 and 4 of that year, and included in my Vozvrashchenie Chorba collection of short stories, Slovo, Berlin, 1930. I am told that a pianist existed with some of my invented musician's peculiar traits.I wonder if this pianist wasn't the Odessa-born Vladimir de Pachman (1848-1933)?In certain other respects he [Bakhman] is related to Luzhin, the chess player of The Defense (Zashchita Luzhina, 1930), G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1964.On the other hand, Vladimir Pachman (1918-84) was a Czech chess composer.Alexey SklyarenkoAll private editorial communications are read by both co-editors.