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

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page 1 of 45; games 1-25 of 1,101  Game   Result Moves Year Event/Locale Opening 1. D Mayers vs Fischer 1-0 17 1953 Blitz game C33 King's Gambit Accepted 2. Fischer vs J Altusky 1-0 12 1954 Offhand game E90 King's Indian 3. J Altusky vs Fischer 0-1 8 1954 Offhand game C71 Ruy Lopez 4. A W Conger vs Fischer 1-0 12 1955 corr E70 King's Indian 5. Fischer vs S Greene ½-½ 11 1955 US Amateur Ch B77 Sicilian, Dragon, Yugoslav Attack 6. A Humphrey vs Fischer ½-½ 33 1955 US Amateur Ch E61 King's Indian 7. Fischer vs K Warner 0-1 28 1955 Lincoln ch-US jr B58 Sicilian 8. W Whisler vs Fischer ½-½ 25 1955 Lincoln ch-US jr E80 King's Indian, Samisch Variation 9. J Thomason vs Fischer 0-1 23 1955 Lincoln ch-US jr E90 King's Indian 10. Fischer vs D Ames ½-½ 28 1955 Lincoln ch-US jr C47 Four Knights 11. Fischer vs V Pupols 0-1 44 1955 Lincoln ch-US jr C40 King's Knight Opening 12. Fischer vs F Saksena 1-0 22 1955 Lincoln ch-US jr C53 Giuoco Piano 13. Fischer vs S Baron 1-0 53 1956 Manhattan Chess Club Semifinal B C98 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin 14. Fischer vs M Pavey 0-1 52 1956 Manhattan CC ch A07 King's Indian Attack 15. Fischer vs K Vine ½-½ 36 1956 Manhattan Chess Club Semifinal B B32 Sicilian 16. J Tamargo vs Fischer 0-1 40 1956 Manhattan CC ch B22 Sicilian, Alapin 17. A Turner vs Fischer 1-0 53 1956 Manhattan Chess Club Semifinal B E68 King's Indian, Fianchetto, Classical Variation, 8.e4 18. Fischer vs I Spector 1-0 35 1956 Casual game B95 Sicilian, Najdorf, 6...e6 19. P Smith vs Fischer 0-1 23 1956 Casual game C48 Four Knights 20. J R Florido vs Fischer 0-1 26 1956 Capablanca CC - Log Cabin m C50 Giuoco Piano 21. Fischer vs J A Casado ½-½ 48 1956 Simul, 12b B32 Sicilian 22. A Jenkins vs Fischer 0-1 18 1956 North Carolina - Log Cabin CC m B20 Sicilian 23. Fischer vs J Fermoselle-Bacardi Sr 1-0 28 1956 US Amateur ch A04 Reti Opening 24. Fischer vs E Nash 0-1 51 1956 US Amateur ch A05 Reti Opening 25. R Riegler vs Fischer 0-1 34 1956 US Amateur ch B20 Sicilian  page 1 of 45; games 1-25 of 1,101

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< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 153 OF 161 ·  Later Kibitzing> Dec-28-23    HeMateMe: Bob spent months at grossingers before the '72 match. Grossingers was a summer resort in the Catskill mountains of upstate NY. Fresh air, temperate climate, no people distractions. He studied until 5 am, slept until the early afternoon most days. Dec-28-23    Check It Out: Bobby ate well for breakfast: half an orange, one cup of light earl Grey tea, a toasted English muffin with blackberry jam on one side and orange marmalade on the other, one slice of kosher bacon, two eggs fried over medium with a dash of salt and three drops of Tabasco, capped off with a hot chocolate with four marshmallows on top. Dec-28-23    kingfu: Check It Out, LOL! I knew it! I am signing off to go buy a blender for protein shakes. Now that anal beads have been outed as HOW TO EXTEND YOUR CHESS RATING, I am switching to MONKEY MAGNETS. They come 16 to a package so you can communicate in Hexadecimal! Dec-29-23    HeMateMe: If it helps, bob also 1) hit the heavy bag 2) swam 3) played ping pong, Before the big event in Reykjavik. Pilates and hot yoga had yet to be invented but bobby would doubtlessly investigated, had it been available. Dec-29-23    savagerules: Fischer on the Dick Cavett Show said he ate a lot of tuna before tournaments or matches. He also, just like Elvis did, usually got up at early to mid afternoon and during the long nights listened to motown type of music or the Worldwide Church of God religious broadcasts featuring Herbert Armstrong which is why Fischer considered the Sabbath as Saturday and not Sunday as in most churches. Dec-29-23    perfidious: Rising in the early or mid afternoon would hardly have thrown Fischer off his stride, what with international play then typically beginning sessions at 5.00 pm. Dec-29-23    fredthebear: That might help explain some of Fischer's off-the-wall statements thereafter. Herbert Armstrong is regarded by many as a false prophet who altered the Word of God: https://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Wol... Dec-29-23    HeMateMe: Armstrong was just another con man, a grifter who stole money from gullible people. Jan-05-24    Diocletian: <kingfu>I don't know what Fischer ate for breakfast, but before a game he recommended tuna fish. "It goes straight to the head." It has worked for me too. Passed most of my exams merely by eating, and I have never suffered the anguish of study or the trepidation of having not studied. Jan-05-24    stone free or die: Did somebody say tuna fish?! https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandh... . Jan-05-24    Check It Out: I'm a sucker for Calvin and Hobbes. Jan-06-24    stone free or die: Anyone who likes C&H gets a nod from me. One of the most unique and wonderful comic strips ever. Jan-06-24    perfidious: Today's QOTD: <"The chess heroes nowadays should not forget that it was owing to Fischer that they are living today in four and five star hotels, getting appearance fees, etc." --- Lev Khariton> By no means was Khariton the first to acknowledge the debt owed Fischer by top players, but he was bang on. Jan-07-24    Joshka: <savagerules> <eating tuna before matches> Which Cavett show interview was this one? I've seem them all except one that I believe they have never aired? thanks in advance!! Jan-08-24    perfidious: Another QOTD, involving an incident I had never read of till now, related by Koblents: <[Fischer] had a funny habit: while his opponent was pondering a move, he would now and then brush off specks of dust, real or imaginary, from the opponent's side of the chessboard. Eventually, Petrosian broke him of the habit by giving him a rap on the fingers.> Jan-18-24    edbermac: 16 years ago…😢 Jan-25-24    GufeldStudent2: Except, Petrosianic, there is no reason to think Polgar isn't exaggerating. More importantly, if you look at the clocks, I see 35 seconds on there. That makes this a bullet time control or fast blitz if they played with a sufficient delay. Hardly a test of one's classical chess strength or even regular blitz chess strength. So, I think his 2670 performance rating against Spassky in 1992 counts for a little more than Sophia Polgar's post. She probably claims to do "about 50%" against her much more talented sister Judith too. Jan-25-24    harrylime: Chess owes Robert Fischer so much it's not true. Feb-03-24    Diocletian: <Joshka> I do not recall exactly where I heard Fischer say this about tuna, but it was not on Cavett. It might have been on a Today Show interview shortly before the '72 match, I'm not sure. I think the Today show interview is not preserved. Feb-04-24    aliejin: The images taken by the security cameras from the coronation ceremony as new champion world match 1972, showing fischer spassky and a crowd of people listening to the speech and everyone listening except Fischer who is with his pocket board analyzing, they are the saddest things I have ever seen with importance, but little. The images of the genocide in zaga perpetrated by Israel and the United States (always with bloody hands.,) These are the saddest images among the things of great importance. Feb-18-24    Joshka: <Diocletian> all right thanks for posting...never knew about the 'Today Show " interview...but I also believe he did the "Dinahs Place or House" can't recall, but do not think it was preserved as well. Think there is at least one more Cavett interview that has not been released for showing. Feb-18-24    Sally Simpson: I think the best interview on TV Bobby gave was on the Carson Tonight Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qxv... shortly after he won the match where he reveals something had been taken out of him when he won the title. That goes a long way to explain his self imposed exile. Having achieved his sole ambition for the previous 15 years - what now? In a few posts above mention is made of how GM's can thank him for chess conditions and prizes these days. When asked if he was playing mind games with Spassky regarding all the complaints Bobby said he heard Spassky was pleased Bobby was taking care of the money and conditions as they will be perfect. That is the interview where Bobby demonstrated his joke claim to be the world champion at the 1-15 puzzle which I always thought was invented by Sam Loyd. However a while back I discovered it was invented by one Noyes Chapman see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/15_Pu... Feb-18-24    saffuna: < I think the best interview on TV Bobby gave was on the Carson Tonight Show> Interesting that Carson had him solve the 15 Puzzle rather than solve a chess position. Presumably Carson thought most of his audience would not understand the chess, but still wanted to show Fisher's brainpower. Feb-18-24    Sally Simpson: Hi Saffuna, It was a feed. The puzzle was laying on the table ready to make it's appearance. But Bobby solving it was real. It could have been done better with a well oiled large demo board of the puzzle so the viewers could see what was going on. I've see a chess equivalent. click for larger view Using only the bottom 9x9 square you have to swap the knights over to this position. click for larger view Using Knight moves, pretty easy. 8 moves. Feb-18-24    saffuna: <It was a feed. The puzzle was laying on the table ready to make it's appearance. But Bobby solving it was real.> I understand that. But obviously a chess demonstration would have been more appropriate, perhaps a look at the position before move 19 in Fischer vs Benko, 1963 But the audience would not have understood that, at least most of it. Everyone could understand arranging 1 to 15. Jump to page #   (enter # from 1 to 161) search thread:    < Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 153 OF 161 ·  Later Kibitzing>

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