MARK RUBERY CHESS
Today at 2.39pm 75 years ago, Robert James Fischer (1943-2008), the most brilliant and controversial player the world has known, was born on in a hospital on the banks of Lake Michigan in Chicago. After many years of being the only western player likely to break the Soviet domination of the game, he finally punched a hole through their Iron Curtain by defeating Boris Spassky in an epic World Championship in Iceland in 1972.
The match was on the front page of magazines and newspapers across the world and never had chess, before or since, enjoyed such a high profile. Tragically Fischer did not play another serious tournament game for 20 years, until he was lured by a few million dollars to play Spassky once more – this time in war-torn Yugoslavia. This act in of defiance of UN sanctions made a return to America less than desirable for him (spitting on a telegram from the UN while appearing on CNN would not have helped his cause either). After a much publicised arrest and detention in Japan in 2005, Fischer was given Icelandic citizenship and resided there till his death in 2008. Fischer Robert - Benko Pal [B09] USA-ch, 1963
1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.f4 Nf6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Bd3 Bg4 7.h3 Bxf3 8.Qxf3 Nc6 9.Be3 e5 10.dxe5 dxe5 11.f5 gxf5 12.Qxf5 Nd4 13.Qf2 Ne8 14.0-0 Nd6 15.Qg3 Kh8 16.Qg4 c6 17.Qh5 Qe8 18.Bxd4 exd4 ‘It is hard to imagine a more difficult subject than Bobby Fischer to present in an accurate and even-handed fashion. He was a loner who trusted no one. His charisma attracted both starry-eyed sycophants and spiteful critics. Fischer had strong opinions of the kind that tend to create equally categorical sentiments in those who knew him – and in those who didn’t. The nature of genius may not be definable. Fischer’s passion for puzzles was combined with endless hours of studying and playing chess. The ability to put in those hours of work is in itself an innate gift. Hard work is a talent. Generations of artists, authors, mathematicians, philosophers, and psychologists have pondered what exactly it is that makes for a great chess player. Fischer’s brilliance was enough to make him a star. It was his relentless, even pathological dedication that transformed the sport. Fischer investigated constantly, studying every toplevel game for new ideas and improvements. He was obsessed with tracking down books and periodicals, even learning enough Russian to expand his range of sources.’ (Kasparov)