Robert Fischer

Today is a black day for chess. Chess legend Robert James (Bobby) Fischer, the 11th World Chess Champion (1972-75) and one of the greatest players of all time, died today in Iceland. He was 64 years old.

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francis

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I think you have your dates mixed up.  Bobby Fischer died on January 17th of this year.

I miss bobby fischer too, he was the greatest.  It's cool you posted this francis but today isn't when mr.chess died, he died january 17, 2008.

It wasn't a black day for chess when Bobby Fischer died.  Fischer at his death had long ceased to represent chess.  It was a black day when he gave in to his terror of competing, and forfeited his title in 1975.  It was a black day when he decided to return to chess in a region that was -- at that moment -- slaughtering innocent civilians.

To me, it was a black day when Carl Schlecter, one of the greatest early 20th century masters, died at 44 from starvation during World War I.  It was a black day when Richard Reti died at the age of 40, with his intellectual powers at their peak.  It was a black day when Vera Menchik, the female world chess champion, was killed at the age of 38 during a World War II bombing.

Depending on who you ask, Bobby Fischer was anything from an eccentric to a schizophrenic.  What is clear is that he gave up comptetitive chess; how one assesses Fischer's personal traits is more reflective on the person doing the judging, than on Bobby Fischer himself.

Einstein wasn't a nut either. Isn't it a bit wishfull thinking to ascribe self doubt to him being a brilliantly creative physist?

einstein was very humble and liked others to put their two cents in

fischer was a great chess player but you have to admit that he went kinda nuts, and he didn't care what anybody else thought or said

JUDGE YE NOT, LEST YE BE JUDGED

FORGIVE, AND YOU SHALL BE FORGIVEN,

FORGIVE NOT AND YOU SHALL NOT BE FORGIVEN

Such sayings and thoughts always enter my head when I read people's comments on Robert James Fischer.

 That convenient and dated shield is itself very judgmental. The principle of self-government requires the public to judge public figures.

 Is Mel Gibson a nazi in your book too for the movie he made? This word is slung around these days so much ( like racist, homophobe, and a few others) that it has lost its true impact/meaning. Ever hear the story of the boy who cried wolf too much ? 

Fischer was an amazing player and he is a huge inspiration to me, although i find people mistake the brilliance of morphy(the 1st world champion(unoffical)) he was also another epic american player.

Matthew

Yes, Reb, one can cry wolf too much, but when "wolf" is answered with wolf, it is then like the clock striking 25. All of the clock's strikes are then called into question. Answering wolf with wolf indicates one of them is not wolf. Haus in saying Nazi should not be used for "anyone who dislikes Jews or is critical of American foreign policy" is revealing a wolf. If an American criticizes American foreign policy, which is a right, that doesn't make that person a Nazi or an anti-Semite. However, if that person always supports American foreign policy except when that policy is good for Israel, even if then being a critic is not good for America, the motivation seems to be anti-Semitism.

JUDGE YE NOT, LEST YE BE JUDGED

FORGIVE, AND YOU SHALL BE FORGIVEN,

FORGIVE NOT AND YOU SHALL NOT BE FORGIVEN    i am pretty sure this is from the bible or at least paraphrased from it.

Consider some genetic component to Fischer's mental illness. His bio-father was seriously mentally ill as well as Bobby's half-brother (was pushing a shopping cart around town wearing oven mitts just before his death).

I'm not too keen on the picture (comment 15). It dipicts the 'story' of the man. Chess King, then lonely outcast. From what I read he still had friends, people around him. The image of him wandering around with a carrierbag, massive unkept beard and what appears to be a tin. Well, I'm not sure this is so accurate.

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=4410

These images make him look like any old dude you see going about everyday. I think his public comments were always an exaggeration of his personality but I'll never really know.

There are definatly more shades of grey to his personality, life and contributions to chess than that picture offers. I think it's lazy.

Fischer had 2 parents that obviously didnt care about him, this is bound to warp anyone. The people who attack him now like to say he's crazy but if this is true why take the rantings and ravings of a crazy person seriously? If he isnt crazy then why try to paint him as crazy? He was a tortured person his entire life and in the end even his personal belongings were confiscated and auctioned off too, even family photos and chess memorabilia he had collected in his life. I dont know about you but this would make me HATE those responsible as well. The US govt had him followed for many years, I guess believing he was some sort of spy? This couldnt have had a good influence on him either. Then you have his aborted match with Reshevsky in which the contract Bobby had signed to play was broken and in anger/disgust he walked out of the match yet many blame him for the end of the match when it wasnt he who broke the contract ! He should have sued for breach of contract ! Those who attack him now are not beyond making up lies about him either..... The truth is that he never physically harmed anyone.....he said some hateful things because he became consumed by hatred and bitterness. As an American myself I do not take personally his hateful remarks concerning Americans. I believe he was referring more to the govt and the rulers of America than the normal/common citizens. Could I be wrong? Sure, I suppose I could, but thats what I feel/believe.

Reuben Fine, a psychologist as well as a world class GM in his time, had ample opportunity to scrutinize Fischer in the NY chess scene from early on. In his opinion Fischer needed serious help and he offered it.

If you browse through random unmoderated chat sites no doubt you'll come across dozens of hateful comments of one form or another.  Fischer was/is not the only person to have an unnatural hatred of something.  He just spat out his bitterness in front of the media, but there are thousands, probably millions of people harboring an underserving hatred of something or other who just carry on their daily lives, as he probably did when the journalists and photographers weren't following him around.  God knows, every time I watch a video on youtube, regardless of what it is, a little scroll down will find someone trolling about something.  Fischer is made out to be this complete Satan but there are people with chips on their shoulders everywhere.  I have adult students in Japan who would cause all manner of fan-shit-hitting if some of the things they said about the Chinese were said in public.  They just don't, that's the only difference.

Fischer was the greatest..  a fruit bat, perhaps, but that added to his character.  Try judging people by their actions rather than there opinions.  I find the venom and passion behind peoples negative put downs of bobby on this forum more disturbing (but not surprising) than ANY of the opinions he held himself.  He would have easily beaten anybody on this website.  The king is dead...LONG LIVE THE KING

It wasn't a black day to me.  In my opinion he was a great chess player; perhaps the greatest of all times.  He also had alot of hate in him, some real controversial opinions and I don't miss him at all.

Maradonna wrote, "From what I read he still had friends, people around him." Some of Bobby's friends who were also my friends, were clinically, to use the lay term, crazy. I am sure you can think of other people who were not nice but had friends. Reb wrote, "I believe he was referring more to the govt and the rulers of America than the normal/common citizens." What would you call the people in the World Trade Center that Fischer referred to? Were they the govenrment or rulers?