Thanks!! <Whiskeyrebel> There is no doubt about Fischer immense ability (I have revised my view of Fischer not because he died - but in part, as death does "wonderfully concentrate the mind") and his great personality especially as a youngster - I was in fact jealous of him! But he wasn't the reason I stopped chess (temporarily I do go the bug again stopped for some years then started again!) just one more reason...but when I was playing chess as a youngster Tal was the World Champion and my hero. I also played Alekhine's games and so on. I have beside me a book that very few people in the world will have - it is Fischer's first book - it has my father's signature inside it so it is not for sale - it is "Bobby Fischer's Games of Chess" by Bobby Fischer, Museum Press, London 1959. First Edition. First printing. The dust jacket has photo of Fischer at about the age of 15 looking at chess board. He annotates the US Championship in N.Y. December 17, 1957, to January 78, 1958. There is a forward by Golombek and Fischer describes his early life and chess career up to that time. The games are fascinating -I had only played a few over but was looking at some last night I saved some to WINBOARD - his tactics are great and his attacks and he already at 15 has a great grasp of strategy and endings. He won that championship when he was 14. The diagrams are unique. There are not many copies of this first book by Fischer. My father bought it about 1961. I may have been playing for about 3 years then. (There are, as well as his "The Game of the Century" (Hans Kmoch's label) v Byrne - he played 2 actually - but he was only 13 when he played that one!!) also all his games of the Interzonal at Portoroz - unannotated - I played over his win over Larsen - brilliant!! Larsen essayed a Dragon.)

Later I got quite a number of books by and about Fisher more recently "The Wandering King" (picked up for $2.50 (!!) at The Warehouse book sale!!) That is quiet fascinating. It is biographical - Seirawan talks about how he wanted to interview Fischer when he was playing Spassky in Yugoslavia (he got to him BTW) and Korchnoi got angry and after few words refused to talk about Fischer - Kasparov wont talk about him at all - I mean he will talk about the Chess playing Fischer but not the anti-Semite who always referred to Kasparov as Weinstein (his father's name I think).

Fischer's father was not Fischer - his real father was a Hungarian Jew, a physicist working for the Manhatten - project and his mother was a Jewish intellectual and a radical. I would be interested to know more about her and his sister.

Fischer's mother, who I feel was probably very responsible, probably had a very tough life raising 2 children on her own. All mothers love their children deeply - and hopefully all fathers. But there are or were other facts of Fischer early life we cant know. Perhaps he needed a father - a good father. He had a step father - he needed more love as child.

Given his "crankiness" he still achieved an immense amount - he invented the methods of variable times and ardently advocated excellent playing conditions and payments for prizes - Spassky said to us when he gave a simul (1986 or so? I have the score sheet signed by Spaasky here of my game) - that he "loved" Fischer - his great ability was his courage, strength and his individuality - his great passion for Chess - his drive.

If Hillary and Hone Tuwhare are great NZrs he was a great American - Hone the poet and communist I knew - he died the other day - Hillary I didn't know. What Fischer lacked enough was saving humour and a tolerance to others...Pal Benko still valued him a lot even though they had a fight once - but Benko stood aside for Fischer so he could make his way to the World Champ's.

We need a very great and deeply researched chess-biography of Fischer - with the Chess and personal aspects intertwined.

Bah, humbug. Coincidences happen, and hidden meanings generally have nothing to do with it.>

The strange thing was that at first I thought that I wouldn't have been affected by Fischer's death; but I agree also with the insights of <Whiskeyrebel> also wonderfully written -that Fischer is like a "sliver" inside (us -him ) remember Pound - there are similarities...a great American (great person, generous to many of his peers, a genius, writing his Cantos written for 40 years(!), looking to the East (but to the past-present unlike Fischer) - but very flawed like us all) - self exiled - hating "usury" and Jews and attacking the US (during the war from Italy!) but, while he was deeply reviled by many: in the end getting support from many people, , including Jewish writers!! Jewish people who were his greatest fans and realised he was just a crank - not a Hitler...quite... Fischer went on similar path so to speak - much of what he said - heard by people was very terrible - but he was deeply troubled I think - he needed some wake up - I don't know what. He - as a Chess player was extraordinary we all know...

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Na5 6. d3 h6 7. Nf3

click for larger view

below is a tournament game, but black is apparently shocked and screwed up. not much of a reference, but you might want to see how black could go wrong. by the way, would you be able to post your whole game?

Just to note, I had played in my game h6, Nf3, e4 (not really sure whether this was the best way of going through the mess I was in), but he responded with Ne5. This seems to be a potent move. I don't like leaving large holes in my opening play if I can help it, so what would be advisable here?

God, I hate opening theory...