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Bobby Fischer
Fischer 
The Championship Season: Bobby Fischer in 1972.  

Number of games in database: 1,101
Years covered: 1953 to 1992
Last FIDE rating: 2780
Highest rating achieved in database: 2785
Overall record: +432 -87 =248 (72.5%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games in the database. 334 exhibition games, blitz/rapid, odds games, etc. are excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS
With the White pieces:
 Sicilian (202) 
    B90 B32 B88 B44 B77
 Ruy Lopez (128) 
    C92 C69 C95 C98 C97
 French Defense (80) 
    C19 C18 C11 C16 C10
 Ruy Lopez, Closed (79) 
    C92 C95 C98 C97 C89
 Caro-Kann (52) 
    B11 B10 B18 B13 B14
 French Winawer (47) 
    C19 C18 C16 C15 C17
With the Black pieces:
 Sicilian (126) 
    B92 B99 B90 B97 B93
 King's Indian (117) 
    E80 E62 E97 E60 E67
 Sicilian Najdorf (83) 
    B92 B99 B90 B97 B93
 Nimzo Indian (23) 
    E45 E46 E40 E43 E34
 Grunfeld (20) 
    D86 D79 D98 D80 D85
 English (18) 
    A16 A15 A10 A19
Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   D Byrne vs Fischer, 1956 0-1
   R Byrne vs Fischer, 1963 0-1
   Fischer vs Spassky, 1972 1-0
   Fischer vs Benko, 1963 1-0
   Fischer vs Myagmarsuren, 1967 1-0
   Fischer vs Fine, 1963 1-0
   Fischer vs Petrosian, 1971 1-0
   Letelier vs Fischer, 1960 0-1
   Fischer vs Tal, 1961 1-0
   Fischer vs Panno, 1970 1-0

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: [what is this?]
   Spassky - Fischer World Championship Match (1972)

NOTABLE TOURNAMENTS: [what is this?]
   Stockholm Interzonal (1962)
   US Championship 1963/64 (1963)
   Havana Olympiad Final-A (1966)
   Solidarity Tournament (1967)
   Rovinj / Zagreb (1970)
   Palma de Mallorca Interzonal (1970)
   Vinkovci (1968)
   Buenos Aires (1970)
   Netanya (1968)
   Fischer - Spassky (1992)
   Mar del Plata (1960)
   Bled (1961)
   Zuerich (1959)
   Havana (1965)
   Bled-Zagreb-Belgrade Candidates (1959)

GAME COLLECTIONS: [what is this?]
   -ER RJF by fredthebear
   1964 Fischer simul exhibition tour by gauer
   Fischer vs The Russians by wanabe2000
   Match Fischer! by dwinco
   Match Fischer! by amadeus
   Bobby Fischer: Selected Games from 1955-1992 by rpn4
   Bobby Fischer: Selected Games from 1955-1992 by rpn4
   Bobby Fischer: Selected Games from 1955-1992 by Sergio X Garcia
   Bobby Fischer: Selected Games from 1955-1992 by igiene
   Bobby Fischer: Selected Games from 1955-1992 by wanabe2000
   Bobby Fischer: Selected Games from 1955-1992 by fernando.laroca
   0ZeR0's Favorite Games Volume 31 by 0ZeR0
   Bjelica_125 by Gottschalk
   book: Russians versus Fischer by Baby Hawk

GAMES ANNOTATED BY FISCHER: [what is this?]
   Petrosian vs Pachman, 1961
   Unzicker vs Fischer, 1962
   Fischer vs Bolbochan, 1962
   Korchnoi vs Fischer, 1970
   Zukertort vs Steinitz, 1886
   >> 16 GAMES ANNOTATED BY FISCHER


Search Sacrifice Explorer for Bobby Fischer
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BOBBY FISCHER
(born Mar-09-1943, died Jan-17-2008, 64 years old) United States of America (federation/nationality Iceland)

[what is this?]

Robert James ("Bobby") Fischer was a chess prodigy born on March 9, 1943 in Chicago.

At 13, he won the stunning brilliancy D Byrne vs Fischer, 1956, which Hans Kmoch christened "The Game of the Century." At 14, he won the United States Championship (1957/58), making him the youngest U.S. Champion ever.

Fischer's victory qualified him for the Portoroz Interzonal (1958). He tied for 5th-6th, which sufficed to advance him to the Candidates Tournament to decide the challenger to World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik. This made the 15-year-old Fischer the youngest candidate for the World Championship. It also made him the youngest grandmaster ever - a record that stood until Judit Polgar broke it in 1991. At the Bled-Zagreb-Belgrade Candidates (1959), Fischer finished fifth out of eight, the top non-Soviet player.

Fischer won the US Championship all eight times he played, in each case by at least a point. In the US Championship (1963/64) he achieved the only perfect score (11-0) in the history of the tournament.

Fischer won the Stockholm Interzonal (1962) 2½ points ahead of Efim Geller and Tigran Petrosian. This made him a favorite to win the Curacao Candidates (1962), but he only finished fourth, behind Petrosian, Geller, and Paul Keres. In a famous article in Sports Illustrated magazine, The Russians Have Fixed World Chess, he accused the Soviets of cheating: Petrosian, Geller, and Keres had drawn all 12 of the games among themselves at Curacao, most of them quickly.

Because of this, Fischer refused to play in the next Candidates cycle. He did play in the Sousse Interzonal (1967), but left it while leading, because of a scheduling dispute occasioned by Fischer's refusal to play on Saturday, his Sabbath.

He won the Palma de Mallorca Interzonal (1970) by a record 3½ points. The following year, he shocked the chess world by sweeping the Fischer - Taimanov Candidates Quarterfinal (1971) and Fischer - Larsen Candidates Semifinal (1971) by identical 6-0 scores, the only perfect scores in the history of the Candidates Matches.

Fischer also won the first game of the Fischer - Petrosian Candidates Final (1971) against former World Champion Tigran Petrosian, giving him a modern record of 20 consecutive wins at the highest level of competition. He won the match by 6½-2½ to advance to the World Championship match against reigning champion Boris Spassky. This also gave him a FIDE rating of 2785, making him at that time the highest-rated player in history.

In Reykjavik, he won the Spassky - Fischer World Championship Match (1972) by 12½-8½ to become the 11th World Chess Champion. In 1975, Fischer forfeited his title after FIDE refused to meet his conditions for a World Championship match with Anatoly Karpov. He then virtually disappeared from the public eye for nearly 20 years.

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 "Fischerandom" (or "Chess960") is gaining in popularity.(2)

Fischer resurfaced in 1992 to play a match against his old rival Spassky in Yugoslavia. Fischer won Fischer - Spassky (1992) 10-5 with 15 draws. The United States considered that Fischer, in playing this match in Yugoslavia, violated U.S. Treasury Department regulations that forbade transacting business with Yugoslavia. Fischer evaded authorities for twelve years until July 13, 2004, when he was arrested in Japan. On March 22, 2005, he was granted Icelandic citizenship and finally freed from Japan. He died of renal failure in Iceland on January 17, 2008 at the age of 64. Gravestone photo: http://www.sjakkfantomet.no/wp-cont....

Fischer's anthology, My 60 Memorable Games, was published in 1969. It has been described as a "classic of objective and painstaking analysis,"1 and is regarded as one of the greats of chess literature.

(1) Hooper & Whyld. The Oxford Companion to Chess. 1992

(2) Wikipedia article: Bobby Fischer

(3) User: jessicafischerqueen 's YouTube documentary of Fischer http://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...

Last updated: 2025-03-27 21:53:15

Try our new games table.

 page 1 of 45; games 1-25 of 1,101  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. D Mayers vs Fischer 1-0171953Blitz gameC33 King's Gambit Accepted
2. J Altusky vs Fischer 0-181954Offhand gameC71 Ruy Lopez
3. Fischer vs J Altusky 1-0121954Offhand gameE90 King's Indian
4. A W Conger vs Fischer 1-0121955corrE70 King's Indian
5. Fischer vs S Greene ½-½111955US Amateur ChB77 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack
6. A Humphrey vs Fischer ½-½331955US Amateur ChE61 King's Indian
7. Fischer vs K Warner 0-1281955Lincoln ch-US jrB58 Sicilian
8. W Whisler vs Fischer ½-½251955Lincoln ch-US jrE80 King's Indian, Samisch Variation
9. J Thomason vs Fischer 0-1231955Lincoln ch-US jrE90 King's Indian
10. Fischer vs D Ames ½-½281955Lincoln ch-US jrC47 Four Knights
11. Fischer vs V Pupols 0-1441955Lincoln ch-US jrC40 King's Knight Opening
12. Fischer vs F Saksena 1-0221955Lincoln ch-US jrC53 Giuoco Piano
13. Fischer vs M Pavey 0-1521956Manhattan CC chA07 King's Indian Attack
14. J Tamargo vs Fischer 0-1401956Manhattan CC chB22 Sicilian, Alapin
15. A Turner vs Fischer 1-0531956Manhattan Chess Club Semifinal BE68 King's Indian, Fianchetto, Classical Variation, 8.e4
16. Fischer vs K Vine ½-½361956Manhattan Chess Club Semifinal BB32 Sicilian
17. Fischer vs S Baron 1-0531956Manhattan Chess Club Semifinal BC98 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin
18. Pat Smith vs Fischer 0-1231956Casual gameC48 Four Knights
19. Fischer vs I Spector 1-0351956Casual gameB95 Sicilian, Najdorf, 6...e6
20. J R Florido vs Fischer 0-1261956Capablanca CC - Log Cabin mC50 Giuoco Piano
21. Fischer vs J A Casado ½-½481956Simul, 12bB32 Sicilian
22. A Jenkins vs Fischer 0-1181956North Carolina - Log Cabin CC mB20 Sicilian
23. Fischer vs J Fermoselle-Bacardi Sr 1-0281956US Amateur chA04 Reti Opening
24. Fischer vs E Nash 0-1511956US Amateur chA05 Reti Opening
25. R Riegler vs Fischer 0-1341956US Amateur chB20 Sicilian
 page 1 of 45; games 1-25 of 1,101  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Fischer wins | Fischer loses  

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 11 OF 160 ·  Later Kibitzing>
May-21-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  Ron: <Diocletian:...
Now with respect to copyright or ownership of the scores of grandmaster chess games, I say it's time these resources are monetized. Where's Rogoff right now?..>

I don't favor the idea of copyrighting the score of chess games. I, and others, expressed our reasons here, starting on the March 18, 2007 posts: Evgeni Ellinovich Sveshnikov

May-21-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  Diocletian: It is a matter of record that Bobby's IQ was 2785.
May-21-16  Howard: Without beating this issue to death, the late Larry Evans once stated in one of his mid-70's CL&R columns, "You an bet your bottom dollar that Fischer's IQ is nowhere near 180" (contrary to Frank Brady's book).
May-21-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  OhioChessFan: I think it's nonsense to suggest copyrighting the score of games. While it's a rule in chess that one must keep the score, that doesn't entitle one to proprietary rights. Major League Baseball could hypothetically require all hitters to record their at bats, pitch by pitch. How could you possibly argue that means a sportswriter couldn't over the event and include his own record of the at bats in his column? Just because chess scoring is standardized doesn't give the players themselves some unchallenged standing to the recording of the event.
May-21-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  HeMateMe: <You an bet your bottom dollar that Fischer's IQ is nowhere near 180" (contrary to Frank Brady's book).>

How would Larry know?

Is that Patti smith interview mentioned above real? It's just crazy enough to be possible. they were both angry outsiders.

Still, I just can't imagine her bumping into this smelly old tramp and having an hours long conversation. She would have been at the best hotel in the city. He would have been hiding in the corner kiosk at the library or Starbucks, worrying about plots by people who "Want to GET me!"

sounds phony, but I hope it was real.

May-21-16  Party Animal: <Petrosianic: ... So she says, but isn't that exactly what she did? Closed in a dark corner of an empty hall, guards at all the entrances, the list of admissible topics of discussion carefully regulated. Few people here are that delicate and that vulnerable.> Few people here if any had that kind of genius.
May-21-16  Howard: How would Larry know Fischer's approximate IQ ? Well, there was a time for years when he knew Fischer better than almost anyone else !
May-21-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  AylerKupp: <<HeMateMe> Is that Patti smith interview mentioned above real?>

The interview with PBS is real enough. Whether the events she described were real or not, who knows? But you should watch the interview. It indicates why she was in Iceland and that it was Fischer's bodyguard who contacted her and why. She didn't bump into this "smelly old man". So that part at least (and what followed) does not seem implausible.

May-21-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  Diocletian: I wonder how an IQ of 160 or 180 is measured. I looked this conundrum up once, but I remember nothing of what I read - except that it was all nonsense. And who would be qualified to measure an IQ of 180 or more? Some bureaucrat? A teacher? ( I share more than one bad attitude with Fischer, and that's why I love him.)

I took an IQ test once. There were 140 questions on it. So it's pretty obvious how this thing was probably scored. But let us reasonably suppose that my IQ is, say 180, like Fischer's - nah, let's say more like 197. Now how is my intelligence to be measured with a test of 140 questions?

I'm telling you it's all nonsense, all crap, and I bet Fischer would agree. Some questions are best settled over the board. If you start talking to me, I'm going to know right away if you're stupid and if I want to hear any more. I have as little use for IQ scores as Fischer did for high school.

May-21-16  john barleycorn: IQ? We have the ones of Goethe (Fischer like) or Einstein (measly 145 or so) who never took a test. and of course, we have many books and courses how to pass an IQ test with honours.

Simply said: IQ ratings are more than questionable.

May-21-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  Joshka: <AylerKupp> This was the first time I had seen this interview with Patti describing her meeting with Fischer. I read somewhere a few months ago that her description was all made up?? This was supposed to be from the person who was acting as Bobby's body guard in Iceland when Patti was there? Anyway, her story seems very plausible, what would she have to gain by inventing a story like that? Based on her interview I'd have to bet the details she described seem very real/truthful.
May-22-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  HeMateMe: but why would a meeting take place at all? Is she a chess enthusiast? I think she grew up on Long Island or New Jersey, not too far from NYC. It's possible she read about Fischer's exploits while growing up. Perhaps she's a closet Bobby fan, without knowing anything about chess? All things are possible.

Anyway, I think we can all agree that Fischer is the smartest homeless man ever.

May-22-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  AylerKupp: <Joshka> Her story certainly does not seem implausible, at least not to me. I even checked when Fischer moved to Iceland (2005) and when the story supposedly happened (2007) so there is no inconsistency there. I also don't know what she would gain by inventing a story like that since I doubt that many chess players would be induced to buy her new book, "M-Train", where the story was told, regardless of whether it was true or not. So I have no reason to doubt her.
May-22-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  MissScarlett: < I even checked when Fischer moved to Iceland (2005) and when the story supposedly happened (2007) so there is no inconsistency there.>

Superb detective work.

May-22-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  Joshka: <AylerKupp> Agree 100%
May-22-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  HeMateMe: I heard that John Lennon and Yoko had him over at the Dakota for tea and to discuss conspiracy theories.

If enough people say something, it becomes true...

May-22-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: <HMM....If enough people say something, it becomes true...>

Or if a falsehood regarding race, religion or other personal aspects is uttered often enough by the same poster(s) over at Rogoff....no names need be mentioned.

May-22-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  AylerKupp: <MissScarlett> Why thank you. It's nice to know that my skills are noticed and sppreciated. :-)
May-22-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  MissScarlett: I have no idea who Patti Smith is.
May-22-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  harrylime: <MissScarlett: I have no idea who Patti Smith is.>

I hope you are joking ... lol

Get your ass in the cafe and complete your top ten .

May-22-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  MissScarlett: Well, I've heard the name, but without using Google, I couldn't tell you anything about her, except perhaps that she's a singer.
May-22-16  Howard: Strange coincidence! I was listening to a May, 1978 AT40 show this morning on the radio, and they had the song "Because the night" by Patti Smith Group.
May-22-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  HeMateMe: She was relevant for about 3 years, late 70s, first chick singer to look dirty and unkept, and shout at the audience, and crawl around on stage on all fours (but not use profanity). Think: Beatnik with a band behind her. When you're first, you get notoriety.

I think she "jumped the shark" when she covered the Who's My Generation.

May-22-16  drnooo: gobble gobble gobble, anyone believing fischer's intelligence to range beyond a great memory with little usefullness is pretty stupid themselves. You don't hire somebody like Evans to do your asides on your 60 memorable games if you have a sparkling English. Why can't we just say he played a pretty decent game of chess without going overboard. In fact it may be that he was so downright stupid in other areas that he HAD to compensate in chess. In further point of fact maybe someone can tell me other than winning the championship was there ever ONE smart thing he ever did. Maybe getting married in the Philippines, was about it. But other than that his life was almost an unmitigated farrago, the poor lad.
May-22-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  AylerKupp: <<MissScarlett> I have no idea who Patti Smith is.>

Oh, why didn't you say so? Here is a sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a69.... She may not be to your taste but to each their own.

And, just to further confuse you, here's a sample of Patty Smyth ("y"s instead of "i"s): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_50.... Maybe not to your taste either but don't you just love the hair on the guys?

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