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 155 OF 161 ·  Later Kibitzing> Feb-25-24    HeMateMe: not sure how Capa would fare in today's openings. He wouldn't be facing the simple defenses now that he and Morphy faced. Feb-25-24    perfidious: I reproduce herewith remarks in this vein from a top player of half a century ago: <The following is Bent Larsen's opinion, given in a 1972 interview with Hugh Alexander: <Lasker? He would lose terribly; he would always find himself in types of position he had never seen before--because of course none of us would play a simple Queen's Gambit or a Steinitz Defence to the Lopez against him. It is true that he had no difficulty against the hypermoderns in 1924 though he expected it [...] But the best theorists were not the best players--Réti, for example, was weak tactically. No, I think he would lose terribly to the ten best players of today. If he could get into positions with which he was familiar--then of course he would be a great player; but I think he would not be able to. Even Alekhine would have had to study for a year first; I am not sure, but I believe the man had never seen an exchange sacrifice on c3 in the Sicilian. Imagine that!> The following is my response to the last assertion: <....Larsen was wrong: Alekhine had played such a sacrifice in 1914.>> Mar-01-24    diceman: <Knightf7mate: Here’s an interesting idea to use the silicon entities to rate players of different generations. You could feed a set of 100 wins, 100 draws and 100 losses for each of the following players: Morphy, Capablanca, Alekhine, Botvinik, Fischer, Karpov, Kasparov, Anand and Carlsen.> Fischer: When did I lose 100 games? Mar-01-24    gezafan: < stone free or die: <beat> given you other statements I thought you might say that too. But I distinctly remember reading pieces which put Capa at the top in terms of accuracy (and iirc Fischer was also another GM notable for being "more" accurate). Maybe I should try to find a ref. What's the source for your impressions? FWIW- I also have the opinion that Tal did have a tendency to play combinations so complicated he outplayed his opposition - but these combinations wouldn't be an engine's first choice. But this is just an impression I have, not exactly sure of it...> One of the problems with this kind of computer analysis is it doesn't take into account players who may play speculatively to set their opponents difficult problems. Lasker and Tal come to mind. Let's take Tal. He was known for speculative sacrifices. These sacrifices may have been refuted after the game but refuting them over the board was another matter. Tal was a great player, a world champion. He was perfectly capable of playing "correct" chess if he wanted to but he was successful playing the way he did. How does one take this into account in a computer analysis like this? Mar-01-24    Check It Out: <How does one take this into account in a computer analysis like this?> This is why the win/draw/loss ratio is a superior metric to engine accuracy. Even better than that is tournament victories and title accomplishments. This shows you can win when you have to. Some players can't deal with that sort of pressure. Engine accuracy is interesting to be sure, but it's a minor detail when discussing what defines the best of the best chess players. Mar-02-24    Petrosianic: <perfidious: <Carlsen plays a higher percentage of his games against elite opponents than Fischer or even Kasparov ever did, a state of affairs virtually guaranteed to happen due to smaller round robin events being the norm nowadays.> That's true, in Fischer's day, the Candidates was really the only super-tournament in the world. It wasn't until the Tilburg tournaments in the late 70's that all-GM tournaments that WEREN'T the Candidates started becoming a thing. Mar-02-24    perfidious: Also in response to <Kf7>: From the early days of round robin play into the 1990s, tournaments outside the Soviet championships were typically 14-player events or more, which in the larger gatherings required having relative rabbits in the field; the Palma tournaments were 20 or 22 participants and had a Soviet title contender or two, at least two other strong GMs, a half-dozen or so other grandmasters and IMs, then players likely no stronger than <Petrosianic> or me in our best days to round out the table. If Carlsen or any other elite player took part in those tournaments, their winning percentages would axiomatically be higher. One simply cannot state, as some like to, that Carlsen would take a beating in bygone days because his winning percentage is far lower than that of, say, Keres. Mar-02-24    Knightf7mate: If I’m to be reduced to kf7 then this comment is to prf: I did at all enjoy watching draw after draw in many of Carleen’s championship matches. I agree with you that you can’t conclude from his high percentage of draws that Carlson is weaker than predecessors with higher percentages. That’s why I thought of looking at a more objective standard like a silicon based accuracy rating. Mar-02-24    Knightf7mate: Diceman, indeed! When did Fischer lose 100 games? He’d need to have played another 150 games or so before he lost 13. I think his draw against Botvinnik convinced him to keep fighting for the win much longer than most other players. Mar-02-24    Check It Out: Having read <perf>'s remark, I have to revise my thinking that win/draw/loss is a better metric. Tournament strength being more variable in previous decades competition skews it. Mar-09-24    jinkinson: "former World Champion unknown player" in the bio needs to be fixed to refer to Petrosian (and link to his page). Mar-09-24    VictorVonDoom: Happy 81st birthday Bobby Fischer Mar-09-24    Diocletian: Happy Birthday, Bob. Working on my tax returns today. Need more passports. Wish you were here. Mar-09-24    MissScarlett: <Hans Niemann @HansMokeNiemann Happy birthday to the greatest chess player of all time: Robert James Fischer. You changed the game of chess like no other, and inspired an entire generation. Your legacy and impact is eternal. 6:37 PM · Mar 9, 2024 · 51.3K Views> https://twitter.com/HansMokeNiemann... Not clear if this photo was taken today, but let's assume it was and that Niemann made the trip especially. Mar-10-24    stone free or die: <<If You Were Born Today, March 9:> You are an imaginative person who is also resolute and determined so that you can go very far in life. There are many extremes in your nature, and you tend to go through many ups and downs on an emotional level. You often have sudden mood changes. Love improves when you learn to be a little less accommodating. Your career is extremely important to you, and you are likely to be very successful. Self-mastery is a goal, and you are always searching for ways to improve and grow. Famous people born today: Juliette Binoche, Bobby Fischer, Raul Julia, Chaske Spencer, Joseph Gilgun, Oscar Isaac, Maite Perroni, Matthew Gray Gubler, Brittany Snow, Jean Louisa Kelly. ... You’re more able to release suppressed anger or energies in creative ways. It is easier than ever to express your individuality in a manner that is true to you.> https://cafeastrology.com/birthday/... Mar-10-24    FreeBrittanyZamora: I used to write to Bobby on his website, good ol' JP/Moon/Fischer. Bobby had good taste in music, he would loved my grandpa's raps: https://streamable.com/w4tlb6 Mar-10-24    FreeBrittanyZamora: * He would have loved them Mar-22-24    gezafan: Here's Fischer percentages against various openings according to this database. Against: 1....e5 he scored 75.0 1...c5 he scored 63.0 1...e6 he scored 66.2 1...c6 he scored 76.4 Against the Winawer he scored 57.5. So it's true that, relatively speaking, he didn't do as well against the Winawer as he did against other openings. Apr-20-24    martin moller: I have a chess book written by A.Karpov with this game : Garcia - Fischer Havana 1966 1.e4, c5 2.Nf3, d6 3.d4, cd 4.Nxd4, Nf6 5.Nc3, a6 6.Bc4, e6 7.Bb3, b5 8.a3, Be7 9.Be3, 0-0 10.0-0, Bb7 11.f3, Nbd7 12.Qd2, Ne5 13.Qf2, Qc7 14.Rac1, Kh8! 15.Nce2, Rg8! 16.Kh1, g5! 17.h3, Rg6 18.Ng3, Rag8 19.Nxe6, fe 20.Bxe6, Nxe4! 21.Nxe4, Rxe6 22. 0-1 BUT i can not find it in CG´s database. Can someone help me, or has Karpov made a mistake in his book ? Apr-20-24    perfidious: <martin>, the game is listed as Garcia Soruco-Fischer, and can also be found in <Fischer's Chess Games> by O'Connell et al. Good example of how passive play vs the Sicilian comes to ruin. If you simply enter Garcia in one player box and Fischer in the other at the home page, you will have no problem. Apr-20-24    martin moller: <perfidious>Thank you very much. :-) Apr-27-24    HeMateMe: Fischer v. Keres, 1959 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaP...> May-02-24    perfidious: <lamont....Yr/ Igorance...[sic] is of BIBLICAL proportions !! !!> Who brought 'Igor' into the reckoning? Aug-27-24    gezafan: <Here's Fischer percentages against various openings according to this database. Against: 1....e5 he scored 75.0 1...c5 he scored 63.0 1...e6 he scored 66.2 1...c6 he scored 76.4 Against the Winawer he scored 57.5. So it's true that, relatively speaking, he didn't do as well against the Winawer as he did against other openings.> I looked at some of Fischer's simul games from 1964. Relatively speaking he had problems with the Winawer in the simul games, losing several. Sep-07-24    Petrosianic: One thing I've never been clear about it exactly when did Fischer start to become a <daily> news item in the press? I think I always assumed that it was during, or right after the Taimanov match. Jump to page #   (enter # from 1 to 161) search thread:    < Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 155 OF 161 ·  Later Kibitzing>

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