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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
Search Google for Bobby Fischer

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. Fischer vs J Altusky 1-0121954Offhand gameE90 King's Indian
3. J Altusky vs Fischer 0-181954Offhand gameC71 Ruy Lopez
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 S Baron 1-0531956Manhattan Chess Club Semifinal BC98 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin
14. Fischer vs M Pavey 0-1521956Manhattan CC chA07 King's Indian Attack
15. Fischer vs K Vine ½-½361956Manhattan Chess Club Semifinal BB32 Sicilian
16. J Tamargo vs Fischer 0-1401956Manhattan CC chB22 Sicilian, Alapin
17. A Turner vs Fischer 1-0531956Manhattan Chess Club Semifinal BE68 King's Indian, Fianchetto, Classical Variation, 8.e4
18. Fischer vs I Spector 1-0351956Casual gameB95 Sicilian, Najdorf, 6...e6
19. P Smith vs Fischer 0-1231956Casual gameC48 Four Knights
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 151 OF 161 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Aug-27-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  Joshka: Amazing still a little over 40 years or so, and we still do not see the mug shot of Bobby in the Pasadena jail house. Do not recall one of Bobby in Japan either??
Sep-11-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  Diocletian: https://www.youtube.com/results?sea...

Here you can find a two-hour discussion about Fischer's career. If you know nothing of Fischer and have trouble remembering how knights move, and you enjoy being instructed by empty-headed, flippant loudmouths then you will enjoy this.

Sep-11-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  Diocletian: I have in storage and in backup storage ALL of Fischer's radio interviews, including those broadcasts from a Jap jail cell.

These interviews are getting hard to find anymore. If you look, you are likely only to find snippets from the infamous 9/11 broadcast, which are used to prove that Fischer was (1) mentally ill and (2) a terrorist. Well, if that's all you have then you're missing a lot.

I am transcribing these interviews into book form, which I will publish under some big-name New York press. Get in line for 1st edition.

Sep-11-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  Diocletian: <pazzed paun>"On December 1, 1969, the Selective Service System of the United States conducted two lotteries to determine the order of call to military service in the Vietnam War in the year 1970, for men born from January 1, 1944, to December 31, 1950. These lotteries occurred during a period of conscription in the United States that lasted from 1947 to 1973." -- Wikipedia

So, Fischer would have been immune to the draft any time after the lottery in December 1969. By 1964 the Vietnam war was getting hot and lots of draftees were sent to their duty in the years 1964 - 1970. In 1964 Fischer was only 21 and was likely vulnerable. I forget the year in which Fischer was required to make his appearance at the draft board, but certainly it was before the lottery when he would have been vulnerable.

Sep-11-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  Diocletian: Well, I don't know where Fischer "was required to appear," although he did appear somewhere. If he was to appear for a physical exam, then he would have shown up with a folder of papers including a statement from psychiatrist Ruben Fine that the boy was batshit crazy and other papers proving that his mother was a communist.

I expect that the draft will be reinstituted soon, and that it will apply to females, transgenders, LGQBB etc. I read that among U.S. male youth only 20% come close to qualifying for "service," obesity and extreme physical weakness being the main disqualifiers. Physically fit men and women will be vulnerable to a draft only if they are willing to shoot and kill U.S. citizens to advance WEF WHO 'great reset.'

Sep-11-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  Diocletian: On July 13, 2004, a day that will live in infamy, I telephoned the U.S. state department and angrily upbraided whoever answered. I explained that Fischer has been playing chess in Yugoslavia since age 15, [when he was ejected from the Soviet Union for beating everyone except Petrosian and demanding to play Botvinnik]. I told him that Belgrade had 150 chess clubs and that chess was important there and that no renegade war machine had any right or business interfering with a chess match. I'm still angry.
Sep-12-23  Caissanist: <gezafan> Fischer had a wife, but she lived in Japan and only visited Iceland; she was not there when he died. He did have an Icelandic friend named Gardar Sverrison who spent a lot of time with him during his last illness. Sverrison has published a book about Fischer that includes his account of that time, excerpts here: https://en.chessbase.com/post/bobby...
Sep-13-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  Diocletian: <Caissanist> thank you for the link, unknown to me before. A lengthy and sad account of Fischer's death. Gardar Sverrison was Bobby's bodyguard in 1972.
Sep-13-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  Check It Out: Hi <Caissanist> thanks, that was an interesting read.
Sep-13-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  MissScarlett: <Gardar Sverrison was Bobby's bodyguard in 1972.>

That was Sæmi Pálsson.

Sep-13-23  kingfu: Okay. I need an update. The Fischer Monster has ZERO games here listed for 1969. And then in 1970, Fischer came out and smashed THE WORLD leading to The Championship. This included The Moscow Central Chess Club with all those World Champions and Geller who had a plus score with Fischer. This was before Databases and anal beads. Makes me wonder what he was up to. Please advise.
Sep-14-23  areknames: Yes, many thanks for that link <Caissanist>.
Sep-14-23  Caissanist: You're welcome, everyone. For anyone who thinks it worth spending $40 on, Sverrison's book has now found an English-language publisher: https://www.amazon.com/Bobby-Fische... .
Oct-09-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  MissScarlett: <Sal Matera: Never Before Seen Fischer Games Acquired by WCHOF!>

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF_...

Oct-09-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  paulalbert: I was present at the Marshall Chess Club when Russell Targ ( husband of Fischer's older sister Joan, probably half sister ) announced the donation of chess material Bobby had accumulated and they had stored for him. Exact plans as to what the Marshall planned for the collection was not indicated. For tax deduction purposes as Matera explains it was donated to the tax exempt Marshall Foundation.

It is surprising that nothing was done for 15 years.

I always wondered whether the Targs really owned it even though they had possession. I do not think there was any evidence that Bobby gifted it to them.

Bobby left no will and it took a long time in Iceland where he had become resident and a citizen to determine under Iceland law who inherited: his Japanese wife to whom the marriage was unclear ( or Bobby's Filipino girl friend and daughter [ ultimately determined not to be Bobby's biological daughter by exhumation and DNA testing]. The Japanese wife ultimately got his estate, mainly the cash remaining from the money paid for the second Spassky match. As far as I know there was never any inquiry about the Targ material to whom Bobby may have left it only for safekeeping, not a gift. This is ancient history and as Sal Matera says, preserving it as a whole at the World Chess all of Fame is ultimately a good final result. There is of course considerable other Fischer material still owned in private hands.

Oct-10-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  Joshka: <paulalbert> Paul do you have the enormous book penned by Alessandra DeLucia? "Triumph and Tragedy" about Bobby? David DeLucia has I think one of the largest private chess collections of Fischer material. Maybe that businessman in St. Louis comes a close 2nd. First name Rex.
Oct-10-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  paulalbert: I do not have that book. I had a little contact with David at what we called the Wall Street Chess Club, an occasional informal gathering at Bob Rice's law offices of bankers and lawyers who were serious chess players and patrons. Frequently we had top GMs, Kasparov ,Anand, Tal ,e.g., join us and they would play blitz among themselves ( Kasparov vs. Anand a notable battle ( I think winner Anand ) or Tal vs. Dzindzhihashvilli ( Tal very dominant ) or simuls with us. My draw with Roman Dzindzhihashvilli in a simul there is my top chess achievement, agreeing to draw an exchange up for a pawn in what my late friend GM William Lombardy who was there said was clearly ( for Bill ) a winning position, but I had to catch my last train home instead of staying late to attempt grinding out a win. David's house in CT where he has all his Fischer material was not too far from mine in South Salem, NY ( before we moved to Texas over 4 years ago ) but I did not know David well enough to even ask to see it. I think only very few have been invited. All of this of course for 80 year old me is like yesterday, but very ancient history
Nov-17-23  kingfu: Bobby Fischer published a book in 1969 but played in no tournaments or matches. I usually get rusty after layoffs. What Bobby Fischer did after this layoff: Beats Petrosian twice in USSR v. World
Herceg Novi 1970 First by 4.5 points
Zagreb 1970 First by 2 points
Buenos Aires 1970 First by 3.5 points
Olympiad only one loss to Spassky
Palma de Mallorca Interzonal first by 3.5 points Then in 1971
Fischer 6 Taimanov 0 First Candidates Match
Fischer 6 Larsen 0 Second Candidates Match
Fischer 5 Petrosian 1 Final Candidates Match
Fischer 7 Spassky 3 That is 24-4!
Still the MOST AMAZING performance in competitive / sports History.
Nov-18-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: <kingfu....I usually get rusty after layoffs....>

So do the rest of us ordinary folk.

The break you cite was the second during Fischer's career, and following both he emerged stronger than previously.

Nov-18-23  stone free or die: There's layoffs, and then there's wood-shedding.

.

Nov-18-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: <kingfu: ...Still the MOST AMAZING performance in competitive / sports History>

What about Don Bradman?

Nov-18-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  Sally Simpson: Hi kingfu,

I am a big Fischer fan but Bobby only ruled for 3 years in the 70's (1970-1972) the six years 1973 to 1979 belonged to Karpov.

He won matches v Polugaevsky, Spassky and Korchnoi (twice) won outright or tied first in 13 strong tournaments including the USSR championship and picked up the board one gold medal in the 1974 Olympiad. When we realised Fischer was not going to play again and before Kasparov arrived we all thought he was going to remain champion for 25 years.

Nov-28-23  kingfu: perfidious ...following both (breaks) he emerged stronger than before. ONLY Fischer could do this! We ordinary folk wonder why.

offramp - Please catch me up on Don Bradman.

Sally Simson - I remember folks saying Karpov was somehow given The Championship when The Fischer Monster DISAPPEARED. Uhuh, right, then Karpov kept that Championship for about a decade! I still have a problem with Kasparov's tactics. Even Karpov! wishes he could have had The Match with Bobby.

Nov-28-23  Petrosianic: Only Fischer could do it because only Fischer would spend every waking moment studying chess even when he was inactive.

Unfortunately, his doing it is one of the reasons why Fischer was burned out before he was 30. Everything's a trade-off.

Nov-28-23  Petrosianic: <Sally Simpson: ...Bobby only ruled for 3 years in the 70's (1970-1972).>

In fact, it was only one year and 10 months between the time Fischer won the title and the time he resigned it.

I mean I agree that he was the best player in the world between 1970 and 1972, though whether he ruled during those years is dicey. In hindsight, maybe he did, but he wasn't the champion for most of that time.

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