Bobby Fischer - Biography - IMDb Bobby Fischer Biography Showing all 27 items Jump to: Overview (5) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (2) | Trade Mark (1) | Trivia (16) | Personal Quotes (2) Overview (5) The Bad Boy of Chess Height 6' 1" (1.85 m) Mini Bio (1) Bobby Fischer was the greatest American chess player in history and might have been the most talented chess player ever to play the game. His career and legacy were marred by eccentricities that developed into what likely was full-blown mental illness that made him an exile from his country of birth that he represented in the greatest proxy battle of the Cold War and from the game he loved. The chess legend was born Robert James Fischer on March 9, 1943 in Chicago to Regina Wender Fischer. His mother was a Jew who had been born in Switzerland but raised in St. Louis who became a naturalized U.S. citizen. The actual identity of his father is unknown.

Regina listed German biophysicist Hans-Gerhardt Fischer, her first husband, as the father on Bobby's birth certificate, but they had been separated since 1939. Bobby's actual father likely was Hungarian physicist Paul Newmenyi, who like his mother, was Jewish. As his mental stability broke down late in life, Bobby became a vicious anti-Semite, insisting he wasn't Jewish. The young Bobby grew up without a father with his mother and older sister. It was his sister who whet his appetite for chess when she bought a chess set when Bobby was six year old. Reportedly possessed of a super genius I.Q. of 180, Bobby had a remarkably retentive memory. A monomaniac when it came to chess, his memory combined with an uncanny knack for the game and a determination to win transformed him into the greatest chess player in the world. Bobby became a National Master at the age of 12 and won America's Junior Chess Championship at the age of 13, making him the youngest Junior Champ in history.

The 13 year-old Bobby defeated 26-year-old Donald Byrne, winner of America's chess championship, in a 1956 game heralded as "The Game of the Century." By this age, Fischer was showing gifts for improvisation and innovation that marked him as a chess genius. As a 14 year-old on the cusp of his 15th birthday, he won the U.S. Chess Championship in 1958, giving him the title of International Master. Later that same year, he broke future opponent Boris Spassky 's record to become the youngest World Chess Federation Grand Master; Bobby was 15, and Boris was 18 when he set the distinction. The two names would become linked forever in chess history. (When the two first played each other in 1960, Fischer lost during an Argentine tournament, though the two tied and were co-winners of the tourney. He would not beat Spassky until their famous world title match in Iceland in 1972.) Bobby quit high school at the age of 16 to earn his daily bread by the sweat of his brow as a chess player.

In a 1961 match against American champ Samuel Reshevsky, Bobby dropped out of the match claiming a scheduling dispute with the match organizer after tying Reshevsky in 11 games. Such eccentric behavior heralded his future. By '62, Fischer was considered the best non-Soviet chess player in the world. Bobby came to hate the Soviet players, who he claimed colluded with each other to him at a disadvantage. In 1966, Bobby placed second behind Boris Spassky in a super-tournament held in California. A year later, he withdrew from the tournament cycle that culminated in the World Championship, again over a scheduling dispute. The cycle ended in 1969 with Spassky crowned as the World Chess Champion. In 1968, Fischer began an 18-month-long sabbatical from the game, which included sitting out the '69 American Championship tournament as he was dissatisfied with the prize money and the tourney format. Failing to compete should have disqualified him from the 1969-72 Championship cycle, but he was able to compete for the world title when an American Grand Master surrendered his own spot for Fischer.

Starting with the 1970 USSR v. Rest of the World tournament in which he beat former World Champion Tigran Petrosian, the master who had been defeated by Spassky in '69, Bobby began his march to the world championship. Through 1971, he had won 20 straight games in international tournament play, the second-longest win streak in the history of the game. Petrosian broke the streak but was in turn defeated by Fischer to win the right to challenge Spassky, a player he had never beaten, for the world title. Though he hated Soviet players for what he considered collusion (drawing matches between themselves so they could concentrate on beating non-Soviet players like Fischer), he liked and respected Boris Spassky. Spassky returned the affection and esteem. By 1972, he was in the position to make good his boast that he was the greatest chess player in the world. His difficult nature when it came to setting match and tournament conditions flared up again, and though he wanted to play in Yugoslavia, he accepted Spassky's suggestion of Iceland for the world title match.

Negotiations were so prickly, President Richard Nixon 's national security adviser, Henry Kissinger intervened, personally contacting Bobby to ensure that he did not drop out of the match, which was seen as a proxy battle in the ongoing Cold War between America and the Soviet Union. Though he later denounced the United States, at the time, Bobby embraced the Cold War rhetoric, declaring the match was "the free world against the lying, cheating hypocritical Russians." Held in Reykjavik, Iceland from July through September 1972, the drama of the world championship boosted the image and popularity of chess to new heights. Bobby lost the first two games, the first on a bad end move and the second by forfeit when he refused to participate. Because of his eccentric demands, he came close to forfeiting the match, but Spassky agreed to his demand to play in a new room with no TV cameras, the presence of which had upset Fischer. Fischer won the third game of the match, the first time he had beaten Boris Spassky in 12 years.

For the rest of their play in 1972 and their 1992 rematch, Fischer never fell behind Spassky in terms of play or points. Spassky was baffled by Fischer's innovative moves, as he played new lines and combinations that Boris had never encountered before. Fischer won the match and became World Chess Champion by a score of 12.5 points to 8.5 on seven wins, one loss and 11 draws in 19 games. His championship was heralded by the U.S. media as a victory for the individualistic America over the collectivist U.S.S.R., whose players had dominated chess since the end of the Second World War. It was front page news, and it made Bobby Fischer a celebrity. He reportedly turned down a $1-million offer to endorse a chess set brand as he faded from the public spotlight. Fischer did not play competitively for the next three years, and in 1975, he forfeited his title by refusing to defend it when the World Chess Federation did not meet one or two of his many demands (estimated at between 64 and a hundred).

The world title went to Anatoli Karpov by default, though Fischer continued to insisted he was the world chess champion. Fischer did not play competitively until 1992 when he met Boris Spassky for a rematch on the resort island of Sveti Stefan in in Montenegro, which was part of all that remained of Yugoslavia along with Serbia. The match was held in defiance of United Nations sanctions against Slobodan Miloseviæ's Serbia for war crimes. Bobby beat Boris, winning $3.35 million in prize money (approximately $5.65 million in 2012 dollar, when factored for inflation), but because the United States intended to enforce the U.N. sanctions, he had violated American law and could have served up to 10 years in jail upon returning to America. A defiant Fischer went into exile instead, living in Hungary before moving to the Philippines and then Japan. It was while living in the Philippines during the opening days of the new millennium that Bobby Fischer established himself as a world-class crank. After the 9/11 attacks on the United States, he praised the attacks and spewed forth anti-Semitic drivel on radio broadcasts.

The Soviet hater of the Cold War era had become a rabid America hater and Jew-basher at the start of the global war on terror. His anti-Semitism became so extreme, he renamed himself "Robert James" and insisted he wasn't Jewish. During a stop-over in Japan, Fischer was arrested for traveling with an invalid U.S. passport. He promptly renounced his American citizenship. The arrest meant he could not leave Japan as he was a stateless person wanted by the United States. Facing a potential extradition to the country of his birth, Iceland came through and granted him citizenship, which allowed him to leave Japan. The country was still grateful for the publicity he had brought to its then-unknown capital of Reykjavik. Thus, Fischer moved to Iceland, the place where he had became part of not only chess lore, but of world history Bobby Fischer died on January 17, 2008 in Reykjavik after having been gravely ill. He made it to his 64th year, which was symbolic, as a chessboard has 64 squares. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Jon C.

Hopwood Spouse (2) Only American to win the FIDE World Chess Championship (1 September 1972). Awarded the title of Chess Grandmaster in 1958. In 1953, he played his first chess tournament at the age of ten at the Brooklyn Chess Club Championship. He came in fifth place. Fischer was wanted in the United States for violating economic sanctions against the former Yugoslavia by playing a chess match there in 1992. He fled to Japan and was arrested in July 2004 for trying to leave Japan on a revoked U.S. passport. Thus, he was detained in Japan awaiting deportation to the United States. He renounced his U.S. citizenship and tried to become a German citizen, but was denied. Finally, in March 2005, Iceland's parliament voted to grant him Icelandic citizenship. He remained a fugitive in the U.S. until his death. Due to his anti-American and anti-Semitic statements, he became a controversial figure in the final decades of his life.

He, for example, asked the editors of Encyclopedia Judaica to remove his name from the publication because he was, and has never been, Jewish (1984) and denied the Holocaust in several interviews. On a radio show shortly after the 9/11 attacks, he proclaimed them "a wonderful news" (2001). The episode Law & Order: Criminal Intent: Gone (2005) was inspired by his biography (2004). Attended Erasmus Hall High School together with Barbra Streisand . Has an older sister, Joan. Born to Regina Wender, a naturalized American citizen of German Jewish descent, he was considered the son of her first husband, Hans-Gerhardt Fischer, a German biophysicist. They were married from 1933 to 1945, but some sources claim that his biological father was Hungarian physicist Paul Nemenyi. Died at the age of 64, ironically the number of fields on a chessboard. Inducted into the World Chess Hall of Fame in 2001 (one of five charter inductees). Inducted into the U.S.

Chess Hall of Fame in 1985 (one of two charter inductees). The last movie Fischer saw before his death was Ridley Scott's American Gangster (2007). Became a citizen of Iceland. [March 2005] Being deported to U.S. for violating U.N. sanctions. [July 2004] Even though he had a very high IQ, it is reported that he was a very poor student in high school and dropped out at fifteen. Personal Quotes (2) All that matters on the chessboard is good moves. Chess is life. Fischer - Spassky World Championship Match (1972) Fischer vs Spassky 1972 The Match of the Century The name Bobby Fischer , at least to Americans, is synonymous with chess. A prodigy in the 50s, a world class player in the 60s, the 70s saw Fischer at his pinnacle. He earned the right to challenge Boris Spassky in a title run without comparison, defeating Mark Taimanov and Bent Larsen with perfect scores of 6-0, and ex-champion Petrosian 6½-2&#189.

Now the stage was set, and the only thing standing between Fischer and Spassky was Fischer himself. Fischer vs Spassky, 1972 The match was mired in political overtones, during the height of the Cold War. The Soviet chess system had a monopoly on the title since 1948, and the expectations on Spassky were enormous. While Fischer studied chess virtually in seclusion, Spassky had the full resources of the USSR. Victor Baturinsky, head of Soviet Chess Sports Committee, said: "Basically, the Soviet leadership and the powers that be in sport, were interested in just one issue: how to stop Fischer from becoming World Champion." [1] With the match set to begin in Reykjavik, Iceland, Fischer (who had not signed any documents confirming his participation) began to make a number of demands, including a percentage of television rights, a larger prize fund, and all manner of conditions covering everything from the lighting to the chair cushions. To satisfy Bobby's demands of a larger prize fund, British chess promoter James Slater donated a dazzling $125,000 to be added to the prize fund.

Fischer still needed more convincing by Bill Lombardy (Fischer's last-minute choice as second), and one famously persuasive telephone call from Henry Kissinger. Mere hours before he would be forfeited, Fischer arrived in Iceland. On July 11th, the "Match of the Century" had begun. Whether it was a blunder, or a passion to win at all costs, the first game saw Fischer uncharacteristically lose a simple drawn endgame. Game 2 was awarded to Spassky by forfeit when Fischer failed to appear in a dispute over the presence of cameras in the playing hall. With the score 2-0 in Spassky's favor, Fischer refused to play unless TV cameras were removed from the playing hall. Only a last minute agreement by Spassky to play away from the cameras permitted the third game to be held. This turned out to be a huge psychological mistake by Spassky. In game 3 , in a small room backstage, Fischer beat Spassky for the first time in his life. The games then returned to the main stage, but without cameras. Winning again in games 5, 6, 8, and 10 the Fischer juggernaut had become unstoppable.

On September 3, 1972, Robert James Fischer became the 11th World Chess Champion. click on a game number to replay game Jan-15-16 Petrosianic : <the pairings weren't done by drawing names out of a hat.> I believe they WERE, at least into the 1980's. Jan-15-16 Howard : Let me check Kasparov's MGP---I believe in Volume 4 or Volume 5, he states that they weren't done at random---there was a certain way the pairings were made. Besides, it would only make sense. Otherwise, in the 1977 Candidates (just to give an example) you could have had Korchnoi and Hort playing in the finals---talk about anti-climatic ! Or in the 1980 version, it could have been Korchnoi-Adjoran (sp) in the finals---hell, talk about a foregone conclusion ! diceman : <CygnusX1: Can you imagine Wimbledon (say) being delayed for 10 days because Andy Murray doesn't turn up on time?> If Andy Murray was Fischer, there'd be a chance.

There was talk in 72, of moving New Years Eve to January 10, because Fischer was "busy." Feb-20-16 A.T PhoneHome : <diceman> I doubt Wimbledon would be delayed like that simply because it isn't the kind of political must Fischer's participation in 1972 was. I wonder if Fischer felt himself purposeless after this match, having won the title. No idea what to do afterwards. Feb-20-16 Joshka : <A. T PhoneHome> Well he seemed to be in a very relaxed mood when talking with Dick Caveat, and when the question was asked of him he said something like "well first things first, I want to win the title first, then I'll think about (girlfriend other things non chess) all the other things in life." In a way, he did exactly as he kind of really wanted. He won the title, then he started doing other things. Except they were done in private, and we didn't have the 24 hour news format that we all see now.

Feb-20-16 A.T PhoneHome : Well yes, I give you that, but part of me can't help but feel that to Fischer living life after chess wasn't such an obviousness. diceman : <A.T PhoneHome: <diceman> I doubt Wimbledon would be delayed like that simply because it isn't the kind of political must Fischer's participation in 1972 was.> Well, that was the point of my somewhat tongue-in-cheek response. It was really about Fischer. Folks say things like it only had a lot of publicity because of the "Cold War." ...but Spassky vs. Evans, Byrne, or Benko, wouldn't seem to cut it. Feb-20-16 A.T PhoneHome : Cold War did have an effect on the popularity of chess (say, Soviets saw it as a way to promote communism). But Fischer also contributed greatly, not only with his playing, but also by making demands etc. which benefited players and made chess appear more serious plus other stuff which I'm too tired to list here.

Stonehenge : Nov-20-16 maelith : �In his book Chess Duels Yasser Seirawan has drawn attention to the fact that the legend of the apparently lone fighter Fischer is a myth. In reality Fischer had all the relevant people from the US federation behind him for support. Leroy Dubeck, president of the USCF from 1969 till 1972, had agreed with the executive director Edmund Edmondson that all the resources of the federation should be gathered for the project �Fischer plays for the World Championship�. For this purpose they also used all membership subscriptions of the USCF. In addition Fischer had the support of Fred Cramer, also from the federation, as his legal adviser. Amongst the chess players on whose help Fischer could count were the grandmasters Bill Lombardy, Lubomir Kavalek as well as Fischer�s close friend the international master Anthony Saidy. A special role was played by Lina Grumette, who was a sort of mother substitute for Fischer and whenever necessary offered him refuge in her house.� In addition to many people at home, Bobby had considerable help from the president of the FIDE, during the championship match itself.

Fact is, according to the agreed upon match rules, Fischer ought to have been forfeited, but wasn't. Even Spassky managed to help Fischer, by accepting these "accommodations" to the challenger's many "demands." Nov-20-16 boz : Yes but the USCF was not the Soviet chess machine of the 50s 60s and 70s. What Fischer did was mostly on his own if you measure by chess ideas. Nov-21-16 maelith : <Yes but the USCF was not the Soviet chess machine of the 50s 60s and 70s. What Fischer did was mostly on his own if you measure by chess ideas.> Still Fischer has the full support of the US chess groups. Regarding chess ideas,you can't not say on his own as there are gms who helped him. Nov-21-16 alphamaster : What a nonsense. Wimbledon is not about only 2 persons playing one against the other.

Also Fischer for sure had support from American Federation (after 1969) but had not any support in chess from any first class GM (mainly because he didn't want it). Nov-21-16 Petrosianic : <Howard: Let me check Kasparov's MGP---I believe in Volume 4 or Volume 5, he states that they weren't done at random---there was a certain way the pairings were made.> In 1971, there were some grumblings in the Eastern bloc that the pairings had been done in private. There were 4 Soviets, but the way it worked out, three of them were in one group, meaning that Taimanov was the only thing standing in the way of a non-Soviet making it into the Finals. And as Euwe was known to personally support the idea of a world championship match between the top Western and top Eastern players, it caused some idle speculation. You didn't think we were the only ones with conspiracy theories, did you? Fischer was involved in something similar.

For his second US Championship, he objected to the fact that the pairings were drawn in private and threatened to withdraw unless they were re-done in public. The USCF answered that they'd do it that way in future but couldn't change them for this year. Fischer backed down and played anyway. Dec-04-16 maelith : According to his second, Krogius, Spassky played tennis and went sightseeing instead of preparing during the days immediately before the match. Karpov has stated that he had been brought in as a sparring partner for Spassky prior to the match, and that he and Spassky played only one offhand game. Other Soviet sources are on record, including Spassky himself, as to how cavalier Spassky was in preparing for this matc.

Dec-06-16 MissScarlett : <By Bill Hormann, 13abc | Posted: Sat 2:25 PM, Nov 12, 2016 NEW YORK (AP) - The historic 1972 title chess match between American Bobby Fischer and the defending Soviet champ, Boris Spassky, was as much about Cold War politics as it was about pawns and bishops. Now, a chess board used in the "Match of the Century" is slated to be auctioned off in New York City on Friday, in a memorabilia sale timed to coincide with the FIDE World Chess Championship, which began in the city this past Friday. Fischer and Spassky used the board in games 7 through 21 at the world championship in Reykjavik, Iceland. It replaced a stone board - likely substituted because of Fischer's unpredictable and demanding demeanor - that had been used in the earlier games and now resides in the National Museum of Iceland. Heritage Auctions has set an opening bid of $75,000 for the board, now owned by an unidentified New York collector.

[...] The chess board, which both players signed in black marker after the legendary match, is on view at Heritage's New York offices. It is being offered with the table and two matching chairs that the players used during the match. Also in the sale is a set of 1959-1960 Bobby Fischer handwritten U.S. Chess Championship score sheets.> This AP report, or rewrites thereof, appeared in many other news outlets. The auction seems to have been scheduled for Friday, November 18th. However, when I tried to find the result of the sale, these same news outlets had all apparently lost interest. But I did find this: <NEW YORK � The signed chessboard by both Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky, offered by Heritage Auctions, has been pushed to a two-week post-auction buying option, after it failed to meet the reserve price during regular bidding. The highest reported bid was $119,500. The board was used in games 7 through 21 during the 1972 World Chess Championship in Reykjavic, Iceland. It replaced a stone board used in the earlier six games.

The reserve price on the lot is $150,000. Heritage places an estimate of $300,000-plus on the item. Fischer won �the Match of All Time� and broke the Big Bear�s grip on the sport. Chris Ivy of Heritage said a key game played on the board was Game 13, in which Spassky �committed a very famous blunder that sealed his fate and the match. �This board is the symbol of one of the most important moments of the century and a crucial moment in world affairs.� The board was designed by Icelandic furniture designer Gunnar Magnusson and produced by cabinetmaker Ragnar Haraldsson. It once was owned by the Emperor of Iran, and currently is owned by an unidentified New York collector. In addition to the 19 x 19-inch board is the game table, plus two extra tables built after the tournament. The total weight of the lot exceeds 250 pounds. Also part of the lot are the original Staunton chess pieces, which were held in reserve, though never used for the 1972 tournament and a Garde chess clock like the one, but not the one, used in the Fischer/Spassky match.

Also in the sale is a set of 1959-1960 U.S. Chess Championship score sheets handwritten by Fischer.> Dec-09-16 MissScarlett : I (finally) received a reply confirming that the lot remains unsold, and wondering if I'd like to make an offer... Dec-10-16 savagerules : Karpov said Spassky spent most of his training time for the 1972 match playing tennis. Spassky was undefeated against Fischer and lazily convinced himself that Fischer would continue to play the Gruenfeld or Kings Indian and Spassky was prepared for those. diceman : <maelith: According to his second, Krogius, Spassky played tennis and went sightseeing instead of preparing during the days immediately before the match.> <savagerules: Karpov said Spassky spent most of his training time for the 1972 match playing tennis.> Well somebody did something, because he had a new line against Fischer's Sicilian in Game 4, and against the poisoned pawn. Problem was, Fischer was too much of a moving target playing a different line almost every game.

Dec-10-16 morfishine : <diceman...Well somebody did something, because he had a new line against Fischer's Sicilian in Game 4, and against the poisoned pawn. Problem was, Fischer was too much of a moving target playing a different line almost every game.> Well put, especially referencing Game 4. I think in Game 11, Spassky admitted this idea came to him OTB, but maybe I'm wrong on that. No doubt, Spassky was off balance being hit with so many different openings/variations ***** Dec-10-16 Joshka : <A. T PhoneHome> Think his attitude was , I'll cross that bridge when I get to it, for now it's just winning the title.

Life is funny, any little deviation from what happened and another whole universe is played out.......Spassky beating Karpov in their Match in 1974......you'd have to agree it would almost be 100% that Bobby and Boris have another Match in 1975!!........or Korchnoi beating Karpov in 1974, I'd say Bobby and Victor work things out CAUSE Victor was all ready planning his defection so....you could have a match with Korchnoi for sure in a western country......in fact WHY oh WHY oh why didn't Spassky have a rematch clause in the 1972 match??!!.......oh well..... Jump to page # Game 6: Fischer vs Spassky - 1972 World Chess Championship - YouTube Game 6: Fischer vs Spassky - 1972 World Chess Championship Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.

Published on Jul 16, 2012 Game 6 between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky from the 1972 World Chess Championship (Match of the Century) was the greatest one of the entire battle. It includes a rare beginning of the game by Fischer with 1.c4, a masterful game best described by International Master Anthony Saidy as "It was like a symphony of placid beauty.", and has attributed to it a wonderful act of sportsmanship by Boris Spassky who, after the game, stood up and applauded Fischer for the masterpiece he just played. Game 6 propelled Fischer into the match lead, one that Spassky would never overcome. The match was held in Reykjavik, Iceland. Translated in Portuguese (Brazil) by: Leonardo Louro Justino Category Bobby Fischer - Chess.com Chess.com Jun 21, 2009, 12:00 AM 11,250 Reads 8 Comments Chess Players Bobby Fischer’s real name is Robert James Fischer and he was a famous chess player. He represented the United States and Iceland in all of his chess matches.

Fischer was born on March 4, 1943 in Chicago, Illinois and he died on January 17, 2008 in Reykjavik, Iceland. He was 64 years old. Bobby Fischer held the title of World Chess Champion in the years 1972-1975. (Fide) His highest achieved ranking was 2785 in July 1972. Robert James Fischer was a chess Grandmaster and was the 11 World Chess Champion. Robert was born as an American citizen but later in his life he renounced his United States citizenship and received full Icelandic citizenship. In the year 1972, he became the first and so far only American in history to win the official world chess championship. In his later years, Fischer lived in Hungary, Germany, the Philippines and Japan. Bobby Fischer learned to play chess around the age of 6 and as a teenager he was a chess prodigy. Before matches he used to drink orange juice and eat a sandwich. At a very young age Fischer was involved in The Game of the Century.

This title refers to a chess game between Donald Byrne and the 13 year old Bobby Fischer in the Rosenwald Memorial Tournament in New York City on October 17, 1956. In this game, Bobby Fischer had played black and Byrne, white. Bobby’s moves in this game demonstrated brilliance, innovation, and poetry. After Byrne made a few standard opening moves, he makes a minor mistake on move 11 by moving the same piece twice. Fischer used that mistake to his advantage and in move 17 he made an incredible Queen sacrifice. Byrne then captured the Queen, but Fischer responded by taking back many other pieces of Byrnes. The ending in this game demonstrated pieces working together to get checkmate…result….Fischer wins. Fischer’s victories in the U.S. qualified him to participate in the 1958 Portoroz Interzonal, the next step toward challenging the World Champion. The top six finishers in the Portoroz Interzonal would be able to enter the Candidates tournament. In 1960, Fischer tied for first place with the young Soviet Union star Boris Spassky at the Strong Mardel Plata Tournament held in Argentina.

A few years later, he declined an invitation to compete in the 1963 Piatigorsky cup tournament in Los Angeles, which had a world class field. Instead, he went to the play in the Western Open in Bay City, Michigan which he won. He also won the 1963 New York State Championship at Poughkeepse another very minor event in which he achieved a perfect score. After a few more wins, he decided to take a break and except for a win at a New York Metropolitan League team match he took the next year and half off. This much needed break readied him for his next match in 1972 which is known as the The Match of the Century. The Match of the Century was the World Champion Match between challenger Bobby Fischer and defending champion Boris Spassky in Reykjavik, in 1972. This is probably the most known world chess championship match and also the most dramatic. The match was played during the Cold War. For a very long time the Soviet Union chess organization had held a monopoly on chess at a high level and a very highly eccentric young Fischer had been outspoken in his criticism of that Soviet system.

He believed that USSR players had gained unfair advantages by making draws among themselves in tournaments. Endowed with a very fierce fighting spirit and a very strong hatred of draws, Fischer had campaigned about this very act. He viewed the Soviets to be liars and most of all hypocrites. The majority of expectations on Spassky winning were very high because for the Soviets chess was a part of the political system part of life. Fischer, in fact, was no patriot, yet he too carried the burden of expectation because of the political significance of that match. Fischer most of all was very shy of the press. He did not make it to Iceland for the opening ceremony. For a long time it looked doubtful that the match would even be played at all as it was proving impossible for FIDE to accommodate Fischer’s demands. Some of his demands were to ban all the TV cameras and a 30% share of revenue from spectators. He opposed Spassky’s proposals because…well…of course…they were Spassky’s and Bobby would, at times, be difficult when his rivals wishes happened to just coincide wit6h his very own. Bobby’s behavior was very full of self-contradictions.

He badly wanted to play this match but would let it go over trivial issues. Finally, after a surprise doubling of the prize money and much persuasion, Fischer agreed to play in the match. Many commentators, mainly from the USSR, have suggested that all this was part of Fischer’s plan to psych out Spassky. Many of Fischer’s supporters say that winning the World Championship was the mission of his life and simply made the setting perfect for his arrival. Bobby ended up winning that match and he became the World Chess Champion. Bobby Fischer is well known for his openings and some of his most common are: with white pieces are the Sicilian played 173 times, the Ruy Lopez played 115 times, and the Ruy Lopez, closed played 74 times. With black pieces he used the Sicilian a total of 116 times, the Kings Indian played 111 times and the Sicilian Najdorf a total of 77 times. For all his eccentricities, Bobby Fischer was an amazing chess player who won an astounding 415 games, made 248 draws and had only 85 losses out of 748 matches.

His play of the game has inspired many others, perhaps even myself, to become the next Grand Master. bobbyfischer.net Updated the site to add the sad news of Bobby's death. Updates removed to compact this list: 1995-2007 This site was created October 6, 1995 Disclaimer: This web site is a Fischer fan site. Mr. Fischer had no contact with this author. Surprisingly, Bobby denounced this website on his own personal site as being an impersonation of him. I never once claimed to be Mr. Fischer and feel a little saddened that he looked down at the dedication this site attributed to his life. Mr. Fischer moved around a lot after he failed to appear to defend his title in 1975. Bobby has lived in Hungary, Brazil, Philippines, England, Japan and finally, Iceland where he lived out his final days. He was incarcerated in Japan for an invalid passport which was revoked and as he had no legal citizenship, Japan held him there for 8 months. He applied for Icelandic citizenship and was granted it in March of 2005. Fischer has long been regarded as an eccentric genius.

One of the world's greatest chess players, with a reported I.Q. of 180, he wrested the world chess championship away from the Soviet Union's Boris Spassky in a 1972 match. But he lost the title when he refused to show up to defend his title three years later. Mr Fischer, who has been a Grandmaster since the 1950s, became the first - and so far only - American world champion in 1972. He disappeared for the best part of 20 years before surfacing in 1992 to play against his old opponent Spassky for $5 million. The match broke sanctions imposed by the United Nations and in a controversial move he was indicted in the United States. President George H.W. Bush gave his personal approval for the legal action. Since then, he's been a recluse. Fischer's 1992 non-title rematch against Spassky, which Fisher won despite having been away from professional chess competitions for two decades. At that time, he said he had not paid U.S. income taxes for 15 years and asked why economic sanctions were not being imposed against Israel.

At a press conference on June 19, 1996 in the Argentine capital, Fischer was received by hundreds of journalists and chess fans, many of whom had come from all over the world. The object of the conference was to publicize the launch of Fischer's new game, Fischer Random Chess. Fischer pointed out, that with his new improved chess variant chess creativity and talent would be more important than memorization and analysis. He stated, that many games are prearranged before the players begin the game, and that even the so-called world championship between Russian players Kasparov and Karpov had been prearranged, this would be impossible in Fischer Random Chess. He also pointed out, that due to such long hours in front of the computer screen, many top players today, such as Anand and Kramnik, wear thick glasses. He also mentioned, that all of the study necessary to play conventional chess made it hard work, and that he had gotten into chess in order to avoid work! Fischer stated, that without access to databases of the millions of opening variations in traditional chess, computers do not really play chess all that well.

On January 13, 1999, Bobby Fischer conducted his first live radio interview in Hungary. He has given a total of 35 live radio interviews from Hungary, Philippines, Columbia, Russia and Iceland. They are available in .mp3 format. It appears that Mr. Fischer's personal website has been removed from the internet. FISCHER VS. FIDE Many readers still wonder why Bobby Fischer wouldn't defend his title against Anatoly Karpov in 1975 despite a $5 million purse offered in the Philippines. Some fans blame Fischer's refusal to compromise; others accuse a Soviet-dominated FIDE of coddling its Russian challenger at all costs. Whatever the truth, here is an excerpt from Fischer's letter to the world chess body in 1974 giving his side of the story. FISCHER'S OWN WORDS The first player to win ten games, draws not counting, with unlimited number of games wins the match. If the score is nine wins to nine wins, draws not counting, the champion retains title and the match is declared drawn with the money split equally.

Versus the old system of the best of 24 games wins the match (12½ points) and if 12-12 the match is drawn with the champion retaining the title and prize fund is split equally. Draws do count in this system. The unlimited match favors the better player. This is the most important point -- because in the limited game system the match outcome can turn on a very low number of wins, giving the weaker player a chance to "luck out." Also, in the limited game system the player who takes a game or two lead has an advantage out of all proportion. This creates an added element of chance. The player who wins the match should be the player who plays best over the long run -- not the player who jumps off to an early lead. The player that is behind must give his opponent "draw odds" every game until he catches up (if he is the champion) or takes the lead if he is the challenger. Giving "draw odds" to a Grandmaster is a great handicap and the player who must do so must eventually (because time is "running out") take serious risks, possibly causing further defeats and getting "deeper in the hole" from which there will probably be no escape.

On the other hand, should the player who falls behind manage to "pull out of it" and take the lead or tie the score, his opponent may be put at the same unfair disadvantage. How do you explain Smyslov's 1957 victory over Botvinnik in seemingly convincing style with his disastrous defeat in the following year? Could it be just the situation explained -- because in the 1958 match Smyslov lost the first three games! And he never caught up. As explained, losing a game is a very serious event in the limited game match and this explains the string of draws in the Karpov-Korchnoi match, the Petrosian-Korchnoi match in 1971, and the Petrosian-Huebner match in 1971. The percentage of draws in this type match is increasing -- sometimes dramatically. In the 24-game title match, you must realize, it was always to the advantage of one of the two players to play for a draw! Is it therefore any wonder there are many draws? Spectators hate draws -- spectators bring in the money -- no money.

In the unlimited system there will be draws but there must also be many wins (at least ten in total); draws benefit neither player -- it is reasonable to expect a lower percentage of draws in the unlimited match, and overall this has proven to be the case. Comparing the first player to win ten games system with the limited 24-game system. Question: Which system gives the champion a greater statistical advantage? Answer: The old 24-game system gives the champion a greater advantage....It was grossly unfair to the challenger. "The match could drag on forever." Theoretically true -- practically untrue. For example, a chess game itself could theoretically drag on forever; every 50 moves or so one player moves a pawn or exchanges something -- the game could drag on for thousands of moves!....But practically this is ridiculous -- in the same way an endless match is ridiculous -- and if one player has "had enough" he can always resign the match. There is precedent for this in the Capablanca-Lasker match [1921]. But if the match takes a long time, so what? It takes place only once in three years and the point is to determine who is the best player.

But past experience has shown that the unlimited match does not drag on endlessly. "Giving in will destroy FIDE." The question should be decided on its merits. If FIDE feels the match system proposed by Fischer is the best system, they should accept it. If not, they should reject it -- period. "What people think or say" should not enter into it. A player should not be allowed to "back into" retaining or winning the title by drawing the last game, the way he could in the old odious limited 24-game system. In the unlimited system, the champion must keep or take the title like a man by winning the last game. Bobby Fischer Chess Products | The Life, Chess Games and Products of World Champion Bobby Fischer More... In 1958 it was time for major international competition and Bobby Fischer was invited to a qualifying stage for the world championship. The tournament, known as an Interzonal, was held in Yugoslavia. He managed a very impressive tie for fifth and sixth place. Then he came back to New York and won the U.S. championship again, something which is going to be quite routine for him.

He did it again in 1959 and in 1960 and1962. Bobby won the Interzonal tournament in Stockholm qualifying him to move on to a tournament of world championship candidates in Curacao .He finished fourth in that event, and then went off to win the U.S. championship yet again. In 1963 Bobby Fischer achieved a result never matched in the history of American chess. He not only won the United States championship again, he won all 11 games, no draws, no defeats! To win a 12 player tournament with a perfect score is an almost impossible achievement, especially when all of the opponents are qualified chess masters. It was time to make a serious bid for the world championship. In 1966 he took on many of the world's top players in the famous Piatigorski Cup in Santa Monica , California .He finished second there, then dominated the chess Olympiad in Havana scoring 14 wins, two draws and only single loss. Then it was off to win yet another United States championship in New York so the stage was sacked for him to participate in a qualifying stage is for the 1969 world championship.

That started with the Interzonal tournament in Sousse , Tunisia .Things were going quite well but after winning seven games and drawing three Bobby withdrew from the event. Fortunately, in 1970 he was able to participate in the Interzonal tournament in, Palma de Mallorca, Spain. He tore through the field winning 15 games, drawing seven and losing only won two to take first-place. Now he had to defeat three of the world's strong chess players in individual matches before he could challenge World Champion Boris Spassky.. Bobby Fischer not only achieved the goal, but he did so in a way that has never been duplicated an almost certainly never will. He smashed Mark Taimanov, a top Russian player, 6-0 with no draws. That remarkable achievement was followed by shutting out Bent Larson, the highly talented Danish player, by the same score. Against Tigran Petrosian, the world champion who held the title until Spassky took it away, he did lose one game, but won five and drew three to easily take the match. The stage was set for the dramatic confrontation between the famous Russian Boris Spassky world champion from Communist Soviet Union and Bobby Fischer the brash, unpredictable American.

When Bobby defeated Spassky by winning seven drawing 11 and losing three, he drew attention from the entire world. The Communist side in the Cold War considered themselves invulnerable at the chess board. A single American smashed all that and although Russia has continued to more or less dominate the world chess scene, the domination could never again be complete. Of the first ten world champions, the Soviet Union had produced five in a row. The defeat was a major psychological blow to the Soviet government. Bobby Fischer had clobbered the Soviet “army”. In a dispute over regulations for his title defense, Bobby Fischer had the title taken away from him by the World Chess Federation. He did not show up to defend his title and so it went to the winner of the Candidates’ match between two Russian players, with Anatoly Karpov becoming the twelfth world champion. Unfortunately Karpov never played Fischer. Bobby went into self-imposed exile from the game, not to play chess for 20 years. When he was an active player he stuck to a fairly narrow set of chess openings, being an advocate of the Ruy Lopez as White and Najdorf Sicilian as Black.

In 1992, Bobby did play a match against his old nemesis Boris Spassky and defeated him handily. He didn’t play another serious game, and died in exile in Iceland, site of his greatest triumph, in 2008. Shop By 1972 World Chess Championship - Home 1972 World Chess Championship Credits The Match of the Century Twenty-nine-year old Robert Fischer of the United States defeated thirty-five year old Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union in the world chess championship match in Reykjavik, Iceland. It took Fischer twenty-one games out of a scheduled twenty-four games to become the new world chess champion. The final score was 12½-8½. All eyes were on the so called "Match of the Century". The chess and the non-chess world were waiting in great anticipation for this great battle, expecting to see chess of the highest calibre. Every game was expected to be an outstanding struggle, replete with brilliant combinations and masterful strategy and tactics. True, there were several excellent games, but the match as a whole was disappointing. It was marked by blunders by both players. The blunders committed by Spassky were incredible.

In two games, for example, Spassky overlooked a one-move combination. In the first, he was compelled to resign immediately, and, in the other, he threw away all chances for a win. Fischer was also not in his best form. He made errors in a number of games. His play lacked brilliance, but his defence was excellent. He coasted along toward the end of the match, probably because of his commanding lead, being satisfied with draws. Spassky’s poor performance was on the surface inexplicable. He won the first game. He gained a point in the second, when Fischer failed to show up for the game. He then began to play badly, making one error after another. Why? I believe there are a number of reasons for Spassky’s poor showing. First, there was the psychological factor. Fischer’s public declarations before the match started that he was not going to show up for the match and his arrival at the last minute must have had an adverse effect on Spassky. Fischer’s behaviour and antics during the match were of no help to Spassky’s morale, either.

Second, Fischer’s great record of the past, especially against Soviet stars Taimanov and Petrosian, could have dampened Spassky’s confidence. Third, Spassky’s preparation for the match was ostensibly inadequate. He expected his opponent to play only the King’s Pawn opening when Fischer conducted the White pieces. But Fischer surprised him when he switched to the Queen’s Pawn opening. Spassky was definitely not at all prepared for the latter. Spassky was also not well prepared with the White pieces. His handling of the Queen’s Pawn opening was comparatively weak. When playing White, he invariably obtained inferior positions in the opening. It was not before the later part of the match that Spassky finally realised that he was not getting anywhere with the Queen’s Pawn opening and switched to the King’s Pawn opening. He had relatively better success with the latter, but he was not sufficiently prepared with White, either. He was unable to make up the deficit of three points. Finally, Spassky was very slow in making decisions. He spent a lot of time in positions which did not require great consumption of time. Consequently, he found himself in time trouble frequently in situations where more time was essential.

This is the story of the World Chess Championship match which made 1972 a year of unprecedented publicity for chess. Bobby Fischer - temperamental, brilliant; totally dedicated to chess; America's challenge to Soviet supremacy versus....Boris Spassky - masterly, strong; groomed for championship in the rigorous Soviet school. 2011 Trevor Milner Brilliant Games : Fischer vs Spassky 1972 - Chess.com Chess.com Oct 16, 2012, 4:57 AM 12,763 Reads 7 Comments As part of my improvement program I am looking at some of the greatest games in history. The games are taken from the book, Winning Chess 'Brilliancies' by Yasser Seirawan. Yasser gives a thorough examination of each move which I have shortened for this blog. The whole game will be broken down into separate diagrams to make the process more manageable. Making History The 1972 World Chess Championship between the controversial figure of Bobby Fischer from the USA and the reigning Champion Boris Spassky from the USSR caught the attention of the World Media. This was the Cold War being played out on a chessboard.

The pressure on each player was enormous, the weight of two great opposing Nations on their shoulders. Described by a close friend of Fischer's as a 'Symphony of Placid Beauty', Game 6 is the most celebrated of the match. Bobby Fischer vs Boris Spassky - World Championship Match 1972 - Game 2 (Chessworld.net) - YouTube Bobby Fischer vs Boris Spassky - World Championship Match 1972 - Game 2 (Chessworld.net) Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Oct 13, 2012 ►Kingscrusher's Greatest Hit Videos!

: ►Play FREE online chess at or realtime at Robert James Fischer vs Boris Spassky Fischer-Spassky World Championship Match 1972 · Uncommon Opening (A00) - he World Chess Championship 1972 was a match between challenger Bobby Fischer of the United States and defending champion Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union for the World Chess Championship. The match took place in the Laugardalshöll arena in Reykjavík, Iceland and has been dubbed the Match of the Century. Fischer became the first American to be the official World Champion since Wilhelm Steinitz (the first world champion) became a naturalized American citizen in 1888. Fischer's win also ended 24 years of Soviet domination of the World Championship. The first game started on July 11, 1972. The last game began on August 31 and was adjourned after 40 moves. Spassky resigned the next day without resuming play. Fischer won the match 12½--8½, becoming the eleventh official World Champion.

- Robert James "Bobby" Fischer (March 9, 1943 -- January 17, 2008) was an American chess grandmaster and the eleventh World Chess Champion. He is considered by many to be the greatest chess player who ever lived. A chess prodigy, at age 13 Fischer won a "brilliancy" that became known as The Game of the Century. Starting at age 14, he played in eight United States Championships, winning each by at least a point. At age 15½, he became both the youngest grandmaster and the youngest candidate for the World Championship up to that time. He won the 1963--64 U.S. Championship with 11/11, the only perfect score in the history of the tournament. His book My 60 Memorable Games, published in 1969, remains a revered part of chess literature for advanced players.

In the early 1970s he became one of the most dominant players in history—winning the 1970 Interzonal by a record 3½-point margin and winning 20 consecutive games, including two unprecedented 6--0 sweeps in the Candidates Matches. He became the first official World Chess Federation (FIDE) number-one rated chess player in July 1971, and spent 54 total months at number one. In 1972, he captured the World Championship from Boris Spassky of the USSR in a match widely publicized as a Cold War confrontation. The match, held in Reykjavík, Iceland, attracted more worldwide interest than any chess match before or since. In 1975, Fischer declined to defend his title when he could not reach agreement with FIDE over the conditions for the match. He became more reclusive and did not play competitive chess again until 1992, when he won an unofficial rematch against Spassky. The competition was held in Yugoslavia, which was then under a United Nations embargo.[1][2][3] This led to a conflict with the U.S.

government, which was also seeking income tax from Fischer on his match winnings. Fischer never returned to his native country. After ending his competitive career, he proposed a new variant of chess and a modified chess timing system. His idea of adding a time increment after each move is now standard, and his variant Chess960 is gaining in popularity.[4] In his later years, Fischer lived in Hungary, Germany, the Philippines, Japan, and Iceland. During this time he made increasingly anti-American and anti-semitic statements. After his U.S. passport was revoked over the Yugoslavia sanctions issue, he was detained by Japanese authorities for nine months in 2004 and 2005 under threat of deportation. In March 2005, Iceland granted him full citizenship.[5] The Japanese authorities then released Fischer to Iceland, where he lived until his death in 2008.[6] ►Subscribe for my regular chess videos: ►Support the channel by donating via PayPal: Category

Question: Who did Bobby Fischer defeat to win the World Chess Championship in 1972?
Answer: BORIS SPASSKY