Bobby Fischer passed away. He was a chess genius and a certifiable nut.
I vividly remember seeing him when I attended the Fischer-Petrosian match in Buenos Aires in 1971 where I lived at the time, which he won allowing him to challenge Boris Spassky for the World Championship.
That is one of the memories from childhood that I never forgot as I was a chess-enthusiast at a young age.
Update: Jason Rosenhouse has the best article and remembrance on Fischer I've read.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Bobby Fischer passing
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I was deeply saddened to read this morning of Bobby Fischer's passing. I just recently had gotten "back into" chess, and like many boomers my age, Bobby was a big reason I became interested at all. He is a cultural icon who, despite his latter-year "paranoid rants", changed the face of chess forever. He was, in my opinion, the strongest player ever and in his prime, I seriously doubt even Kasparov could have beaten him.
ReplyDeleteHis anti-American and anti-Semetic remarks should be overlooked as a by-product of mental illness, which surely was the case. History, and America, should view Bobby for what he really was - the greatest chess player ever who gave this country a great boost when it needed it most. True genius is almost always misunderstood.
RIP, Bobby, you will be missed
I have to agree with you. Even though I left Chess in 1976 (when I discovered the Game of GO, which I have played since), I was still fond of Fischer's game. He was one of the greatest, no doubt.
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