Bobby Fischer - The exciting life of a genius
14/04/2023 - Actualizado: 09/07/2023
Robert James Fischer, better known as Bobby Fischer, was a famous chess player who was born in the United States on March 9, 1943 and died on January 17, 2008. With a high IQ from an early age, he decided to play chess in secret at school after his teachers forbade him to do so in public.
Bobby Fischer's Beginnings
By the time he was 6 years old, Bobby Fischer was already perfectly understanding the moves of each piece on the chessboard and playing against his sister as they read the rules of the game together and put them into practice. At the age of 7, he played against some kids in Brooklyn and beat them all without much effort.
As he came to understand the game, it became more of an ambition than a passion. All Bobby did was play and play chess. He even once told his mother that he was going to quit school and become the greatest chess player in history.
However, despite having an IQ of 184, which was quite high, his first years in the chess world were not the best or the most brilliant.
Became a grandmaster at the age of 15 years and a couple of months.
This was a record for that time
With his debut on the chess scene and his vision for chess he meant a competition for Russia, so the Americans saw in Bobby Fischer an opportunity to face the Russians on this battlefield.
Bobby Fischer's Playing Style
Thanks to the fact that he studied the chess masters, Bobby Fischer managed to gain a lot of knowledge, which shaped his playing style. It was characterized by
- Being aggressive in every move.
- He made combinations with the aim of destroying his opponent's defenses.
- He made surprise attacks.
- He accumulated small advantages.
- He did not like draws, he played to win.
In addition to these specific characteristics, Bobby Fischer adapted to all the game modalities he faced, which made him a very difficult opponent to beat.
His determination led him to be a winner in everything he set out to do. He was determined to win, no matter how he got there, and he always seemed very calm and collected while playing.
In 1956
This was one of the best years of Bobby Fischer's entire career and life. When he was in New York and only 13 years old, he played a game against D. Byrne, dubbed the "Game of the Century", and it was this victory that brought him fame.
He also participated in the U.S. Junior Chess Championship, where he was the winner. The following year was also very active for him, he made his way outside his nation, reaching the European continent after achieving great victories in the United States.
From 1959 to 1972
By 1972, Bobby Fischer had achieved great victories. Among those that can be highlighted, we will mention:
- In 1960, he won in Mar de Plata.
- In 1962, he won in Stockholm.
- In 1967, he won in Zagreb.
- In 1970, he won in Mallorca.
- In 1971, he defeated Tigran Petrosian, the Russian champion.
With this last victory, Bobby Fischer managed challenging Boris Spassky, who, due to the political tensions of the time between the USSR and the USA, was considered a rival of the United States against the backdrop of the Cold War.
In 1972, after the match, Boris Spassky was defeated by Fischer, making the latter the first American to win the World Chess Championship and setting a precedent. The score was 12.5 to 8.5.
This match had been highly anticipated for a long time, so it had a strong impact on the international system. Moreover, Bobby Fischer held the title for 3 years, until 1975.
Bobby Fischer since 1975
From that year on, Bobby Fischer's life changed drastically. After gaining international recognition by winning several competitions in a row, everything started to go downhill for him. He no longer accepted playing offers, no matter how lucrative they were. He refused to play Anatoli Karpov.
Seeking refuge from notoriety, he isolated himself in California, where he lived a reclusive life, practically like a hermit, losing contact with people, rarely going out and spending his time only studying chess, especially the openings.
It was not until 1992 that he was seen playing in public again. While in Serbia, during his first competition in years, he faced Spassky and won, but this brought him serious consequences. His participation was a clear violation of US sanctions because of Serbia's involvement in the Balkan conflict. In the middle of this legal process things got complicated for Bobby Fischer, who also had problems with the Treasury Department. This situation led him to seek refuge in Hungary.
In 2004, he was arrested in Japan on the orders of the US government. However, Bobby Fischer sought political asylum in Iceland, a nation that granted it to him and where he lived from 2004 until the day he died.
Here you can find a compilation of their games
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I think the same, a person who left a mark that is impossible to erase and copy.
But I think that his fight in chess was necessary to improve things in the future, without his fight for sure professional chess would be much behind.
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He was the greatest chess player in history. During his life he defeated the greatest rated players of all time. He had the ability to place himself on the chess board so he could find the best moved.
No one else then or now could do that.
The United States Chess Federation is largely at fault for his terrible ending by not supporting him after defeated Spassky.
Every newly crowned world champion.was able to make changes to the system...except Bobby Fisher.
RIP FISHER YOUR NEXT MATCH MAY BE WITH GOD!