Bobby Fischer dies

[Athers]

Now I wasn't about in 1972 like most TW users, but I was also a fan of Fischer as a young chess player (I rarely play these days) and it's a sad day that he's gone. It's sadder though that in his endgame years he appeared to be a total nutter with his anti-Semitic views (his mother was Jewish) as well as strong anti-Americanism ("They deserved 9/11")

Centre of the political world in the Match of the Century against Spassky anyway, shame he disappeared after that, resurfacing only to play a re-match for money in 1992 and then playing blitz online (and beating the likes of Short 8-0).

Everyone has a different view but personally I put his genius as the brightest spark in the game's history, but with Kasparov the stronger player ultimately.

Anyone remember '72?

[Batman]

sure he was a nice bloke, but come on, it's chess.

[Athers]

He wasn't really a nice bloke.

Noble art mate.

[Batman]

i remain unconvinced

and had i read it properly i wouldn't have said anything nice about him

sounds like a c*nt

[Montreal Wanderer]

He wasn't really a nice bloke.

Noble art mate.

He was a paranoid delusional genius, but most chess grandmasters are very odd individuals. I remember Iceland in 1972 (and the end of Russian domination of the sport) but recall there was more concern about Bobby's chair than the actual chess. Brilliant chess belonged to an earlier era IMHO (I was a Capablanca fan).

[General Mannerheim]

Wasnt she a character in home & away?

[Dujon]

Yes, Bobby was a pretty good chess man but I doubt he was anyone's pawn, despite some of his (to me) outrageous comments.

He was a Whinger of the First Order, with bar, when it came to venues and conditions. People used to call him eccentric, I thought he was simply an odd-ball.

[Bruce Rioja]

Yes, Bobby was a pretty good chess man but I doubt he was anyone's pawn, despite some of his (to me) outrageous comments.

He was a Whinger of the First Order, with bar, when it came to venues and conditions. People used to call him eccentric, I thought he was simply an odd-ball.

Was it him that kept having secret messages sent to him via his yogurt, or was that someone else?

[sluffy]

Yes, Bobby was a pretty good chess man but I doubt he was anyone's pawn, despite some of his (to me) outrageous comments.

He was a Whinger of the First Order, with bar, when it came to venues and conditions. People used to call him eccentric, I thought he was simply an odd-ball.

Was it him that kept having secret messages sent to him via his yogurt, or was that someone else?

That was Viktor Korchnoi complaining about Anatoly Karpov.

I remember the 1972 Fischer - Spassky match very well. I used to play a great deal of chess back then, and I recall following the matches by studying the moves that were being printed in the Bolton Evening News on a daily basis.

No question in my mind that Fischer was a chess genius - to my mind the greatest there as ever been - but the Spassky match was his last great game before the demons he had finally took over.

As for Capablanca, Monty, I would agree with you that he was indeed a brilliant player and I would recommend (if you did not know already) the games of Paul Morphy if you wanted to study other breathtakingly brilliant games.




Bobby Fischer R.I.P

[marshall_42]

anyone play chess on chess.com?

[Montreal Wanderer]

As for Capablanca, Monty, I would agree with you that he was indeed a brilliant player and I would recommend (if you did not know already) the games of Paul Morphy if you wanted to study other breathtakingly brilliant games.

I would agree, Sluffy, that Morphy's games are fun to play over as he initiated many of the the great combinations and sacrifices that later masters adopted. However, most of the people he played, with the possible exception of Paulsen, were not very good. His most famous game was played against two aristocrats (Duke of Brunswick and Count Isouard) in a Paris opera box during a performance of the Barber of Seville. Conversely, Capablanca's greatest games were against people who were really, really good players like Lasker and Alekhine.

[Bruce Rioja]

anyone play chess on chess.com?

I'm absolutely shite at chess, a situation that isn't help by my goldfish-esque attention span or my dreadful lack of patience. It's the only game that I've ever lost on purpose just to get it over with.

[sluffy]

As for Capablanca, Monty, I would agree with you that he was indeed a brilliant player and I would recommend (if you did not know already) the games of Paul Morphy if you wanted to study other breathtakingly brilliant games.

I would agree, Sluffy, that Morphy's games are fun to play over as he initiated many of the the great combinations and sacrifices that later masters adopted. However, most of the people he played, with the possible exception of Paulsen, were not very good. His most famous game was played against two aristocrats (Duke of Brunswick and Count Isouard) in a Paris opera box during a performance of the Barber of Seville. Conversely, Capablanca's greatest games were against people who were really, really good players like Lasker and Alekhine.

Totally agree Monty.

The Morphy game - if anybody wants to play it (by just clicking on the little arrow things) -

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1233404

[Athers]

The yogurt story is one of my favourites. "Offer a draw when the yogurt arrives" was the accusation. They later agreed that a yoghurt would be delivered at a certain time.

Reminds me of when I started as a kid, the first thing I was taught was to memorize the position before I left the board. The second was to watch out for the opposition kids going to talk to their parents for advice on opening theory. You really had to watch out if the parent came for a look. Bloody southerners.

Good call on Morphy's opera game, it really illustrates the beauty of the game.

[TANGODANCER]

I always lost at draughts.

[Verbal]

Played chess over christmas for the first time since school in t'scythe over Christmas. Failed miserably.

[H. Pedersen]

I have sympathy for Fischer. People were always trying to use him. From the U.S. trying to present him as a Cold Warrior, then trying to make an example of him for the Yugoslavia game, to his final years when journalists tried to exploit his mental illness to sell papers or push certain political views. He did whatever he wanted to do, and that was always going to get him in trouble.

[freeindeed]

Fischer's achievment from 1970-72 is unparallelled in chess history. After teaching himself the game he overcame the entire 'russian chess school' in the midst of the cold war. It has been documented that the KGB orderered all the Russian grandmasters to take it easy against each other with quick draws then fight to the death against fischer. He was bugged by the KGB and when he threatened to pull outta the 72 match Henry Kissinger flew in to plea with him to play. A battle to be considered the most intelectaully superior country.
He had an estimated IQ of 180! Just because you are paranoid doesnt mean theyre not after you - as Kurt Kobain sang. In his case they were. In later years he was a tax exile and treated disgustingly by the US authorities and became very embittered towards them. About 4 years ago, he was apprehended in transit in Japan and almost extradited, but Iceland (the scene of his great triumph against Spassky) came to his rescue and offered him citizenship. So he managed to live out his last years in dignity surrounded by friends.
It took him 32 years to reach the pinnacle and become World Champion. After 32 years of decline he died aged 64 of kidney failure. Poetically - there are 64 squares on a chess board.

He was the;

- Youngest ever Grandmaster
- Youngest US Champion. He won every US Championship he played in, 8 total
- Scored 11-0 in the 1963-1964 US Championship

Over 80% of grandmaster games are drawn. Matches are usually close. In the candidates matches to find Spassky's opponent, Fischer so determined to prove himself the best beat:-

Mark Taimonov 6-0 !
Bent Larsen 6-0 !
Ex world champ Tigran Petrosian 6.5 - 2.5 !

Then thrashed Spassky to become the 11th World Champion.

Kasparov is probably the 'greatest' because he maintained his standard for 15 years. But while Bobby's energies were directed his star shone the brightest of all.

Bobby Fisher R.I.P

[Montreal Wanderer]

I think "unparalleled in chess history" maybe an overstatement, freeindeed. For example, Capablance (World Champion 1921-1927) never lost a game from 1916-1924, a run of 63 tournament and world championship games. Only one master ever had a plus score against him in his life - this was Keres, who at 22 beat Capa when he 50. Others had brilliant and dominating careers, but these were before grandmaster ratings and IQ tests. Fischer's achievements can only be considered "unparalleled" in the sense that only Fischer faced those particular circumstances at that particular point in time. IMHO, of course.