After early studies in molecular spectroscopy, he continued research on the structure and reactivity of single-crystal metal surfaces, and then on the high-temperature strength of superalloys.
His study of the history of games was stimulated in the 1980s by chess historian Adriano Chicco, who convinced Pratesi that unknown documents could be discovered among the many ancient books and manuscripts kept in Florentine libraries.
[3] In the 1970s and 1980s Sylvia Mann and Michael Dummett published pioneering works in England and established the International Playing-Card Society; a further contribution came from Paris with Thierry Depaulis.
Many ancient documents and deeds of the local administrations have been kept in Florence, and moreover account books of retailers from the 15th century have been preserved there (and in a few other towns of Tuscany, such as Arezzo and Prato) with surprising detail.
Pratesi found most of the relevant literature in the collection of Theo van Ees in Leiden and with his collaboration, books have been published on Go history and bibliography in Europe.