Yes, that's a pretty good documentary, although it glosses over the actual games, but it's interesting regarding all the shenanigans surrounding the match.

Lol, I would definitely pay to see that. Sometimes your comments kill me.

<harrylime>
<The only reason these guys were playing is because of Bobby and FIDE>

True, and Karpov said that it robbed him of an opportunity to become an even better player. Although after winning the title via forfeit he went on a super-tournament blitzkrieg for the next 10 years dominating very strong fields, usually finishing 1st and cementing his position as the world's best for the next decade, until the emergence of that other famous K, of course. As a top-tier competitor Karpov remained in the mix for the next 20 following the aborted Fischer match. He may have lost to Short in the Candidates cycle in '93 but then promptly turned around to beat Jan Timman for the FIDE WCC, (and defending it twice more in '96 and '98) and then taking a clear 1st in Linares 1994 at the age of 42 against a super-strong field in one of the best performances in chess history.

But back to Karpov -- Fischer '75. I feel like Fischer was a better crusader-knight when he was waging his holy war against the whole Soviet Chess Establishment, but when he finally snared the crown, was a poor King. His egomania, paranoia, and inflexibility got the best of him. The requirement of first to nine wins, draws discounted, and the champion retaining the title on a 9-9 tie was grossly unfair, essentially requiring the challenger to win two more clear wins than the sitting defender, as well as no decent ceiling to match length (Just look at 1984's "first to six wins" match which dragged on to an interminable 48 games before Campo cancelled). I think he was daring FIDE to turn him down so he wouldn't have to play. Not because he feared Karpov, necessarily, but according to some twisted martyred Fischer logic, the same that had him turn down all other offers to play for money or prestige during his "Wilderness Years" and live off his mother's SS check instead.

<HeHateMe> mentioned Fischer's too readiness to quit. Spassky would have been in his rights to deny Fischer's demands of FIDE after game 1 and history could have easily had just as anticlimactic an end in '72 as it was in '75.

<HeHateMe: I'm ready to see a well made chess movie. I don't really want to see Toby Maguire kicking at the beach sand, wailing about his place in life. I hope the Russians aren't all Boris Badunov caricatures.>

The original Fischer biopic pre-development movie adaptation talk had Ryan Gosling tentatively cast as Fischer I believe, around '08 or '09. That would would have been a lot more logical, as Fischer's tall, blonde, lanky swimmers' build, as well as his laser-focused intensity, was part of his "presence" that caused so many lessor mortal players to crumble before him. Certainly a lot more resemblance than Tobey does.

Indeed. Due to gaining the title by forfeiture Karpov felt that he needed to prove to the world that he really was the best. And, I believe, he was right. In the end he not only proved it, but rather left no doubt that there could be any other conclusion. This combined with how he did it (i.e. the games themselves) are the reasons why he’s a favorite of mine and a top five player of all-time.

<But back to Karpov -- Fischer '75. I feel like Fischer was a better crusader-knight when he was waging his holy war against the whole Soviet Chess Establishment, but when he finally snared the crown, was a poor King. His egomania, paranoia, and inflexibility got the best of him. The requirement of first to nine wins, draws discounted, and the champion retaining the title on a 9-9 tie was grossly unfair, essentially requiring the challenger to win two more clear wins than the sitting defender, as well as no decent ceiling to match length (Just look at 1984's "first to six wins" match which dragged on to an interminable 48 games before Campo cancelled). I think he was daring FIDE to turn him down so he wouldn't have to play. Not because he feared Karpov, necessarily, but according to some twisted martyred Fischer logic, the same that had him turn down all other offers to play for money or prestige during his "Wilderness Years" and live off his mother's SS check instead.>

Did he indeed. Fischer put his conditions for play up long before anybody even thought about Anatoly Karpov, when his most likely challenger would have been Spassky again. He just did the same thing he did when he wouldn't play in the US Championships again. Generally speaking, you're not afraid of people you outrank by 100 Elo points or more.

It doesn't matter <when> Fischer put up said conditions for 1975. He would have kept moving the goal posts until FIDE finally had to forfeit him. If FIDE had given in to every single one of Fischer's early demands then BF would have demanded the match be played on the moon.

< I think he was daring FIDE to turn him down so he wouldn't have to play.>

indeed. This was, sadly, the Fischer experience for the the next ten years. Every lucrative commercial offer went unfilled. Fischer would demand more and more, each time, until the businessmen walked away, realizing that no deal could be made. He could have written another book on his own games, written a tournament book on any big event, done a book on Karpov v. Korchnoi, speaking engagements, simul exhibitions. Fischer could have printed money.

Instead, he lived in poverty, on the handouts from anonymous donors, good people trying to help a disturbed man.

I really think that had BF lived in this day and age and admitted that he had a problem, seen a medical doctor, he would have been diagnosed with a minor level of schizophrenia:

"I'm gonna build a big house on the upper east side of Manhattan, shaped like a Rook."

"Jeremy Schaap jr. is another jewish snake."

"I hope the whole USA gets blown up."

Are these the words of a rational man, a guy with his head screwed on right?

While I haven’t seen the film yet (though I hope to soon), that’s a very interesting comment. I don’t know a whole lot about the KGB but is there actual precedence for them doing something that drastic? Is there prior evidence of them instigating the death or disappearance of such highly regarded sportsmen? Genuinely curious. And keep in mind I’m asking these questions from a place of ignorance about the KGB and with a desire to learn.>

The film implied that certainly Korchnoi's life was in danger from the KGB, but even their golden boy Karpov would have suffered a dramatic fall from grace had he lost the match. And who knows what might have happened to him.

The idea that the "traitor" Korchnoi would win the match and thus humiliate the Soviet communist state was unthinkable to them. And Karpov would certainly have been punished, perhaps even eliminated altogether to remove the shame.

It's just speculation of course, but apart from all the other bizarre things going on at Baguio City, there was the astonishing offer by Max Euwe to Ray Keene to call off the match at 5-5. Maybe Euwe had serious suspicions and wanted to avoid such a scenario.

<HeMateMe: Was Korchnoi living in Switzerland in '78? I imagine the KGB could easily have killed him, had they wanted. Horrific PR, it could never happen. Karpov, communist party member, was a part of the establishment, they were his patrons. There's no reason to harm him.>

If Karpov lost he would have been disowned by the Soviet communist establishment. Who knows where he might have ended up.

It's just speculation of course, but apart from all the other bizarre things going on at Baguio City, there was the astonishing offer by Max Euwe to Ray Keene to call off the match at 5-5. Maybe Euwe had serious suspicions and wanted to avoid such a scenario.>

https://www.chess.com/news/view/the...

A 47 yold Soviet defective defeating the icon of communism... He would have been the cold war hero of the western block. Also, he would have been mythicized as: his youth has been wasted for political reasons as he was a Jew by one side and came from a Catholic family. Had he had been free to win in his youth he would have been world champion too early, he would have remained champion for decades.

The only phase is, Korchnoi should have done it on the opening ceremony of the match. "If my family is not released, I abandon the match."

Thus, challenger being replaced by the loser of candidates would have been stalled. A new organization would have been needed, Spassky would have needed time to prepare.