Bobby Fischer

My observations:
a) Bobby historic victory in 1972 , inspired chess fever in entire US that is good his victory caused US kids interst (this is unintetional side effect of his victory with out his much effort )good , what followed later? did Bobby toured 1000s of US schools to further advance US kids interest in chess??

b) why he did not play for 3 years after 1972 . Due to lack of practice he demanded first 10 wins as cited by his adviser , this did not sound professionalism. He demanded 9:9 case defending champion keeps title (Bobby ) many consider unfair

c) 1992 match is complete bizarre, what is the need to play against UN and US sanctions. That to this match is against some old player not the actual world chess champion . Is this for pure money or fame or what else??


1) World Championship Match 1972
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The match took place in Reykjavík, Iceland, from July through September 1972. Fischer lost the first two games in strange fashion: the first when he played a risky pawn-grab in a drawn endgame, the second by forfeit when he refused to play the game in a dispute over playing conditions. Fischer would likely have forfeited the entire match, but Spassky, not wanting to win by default, yielded to Fischer's demands to move the next game to a back room, away from the cameras whose presence had upset Fischer. The rest of the match proceeded without serious incident. Fischer won seven of the next 19 games, losing only one and drawing eleven, to win the match 12.5-8.5 and become the 11th World Chess Champion.

World-class match play (i.e., a series of games between the same two opponents) often involves one or both players preparing one or two openings very deeply, and playing them often during the match. Preparation for such a match also usually involves analysis of those opening lines known to be played by the upcoming opponent. Fischer surprised Spassky by never repeating an opening line throughout the match, and often playing opening lines that he had never played before in his chess career. During the last half of the match, Spassky abandoned his prepared lines and attempted to outplay Fischer in lines that presumably neither of them had prepared, but this also proved fruitless for the defending champion.[38]

Fischer's win was a momentous victory for the United States during the time of the Cold War: the iconoclastic American almost single-handedly defeating the mighty Soviet chess establishment that had dominated world chess for the past quarter-century. The match was called "The Match of the Century", and received front-page media coverage in the United States and around the world. With his victory, Fischer became an instant celebrity. He received numerous product endorsement offers (all of which he declined) and appeared on the covers of Life and Sports Illustrated. With American Olympic swimming champion Mark Spitz, he also appeared on a Bob Hope TV special.[39] Membership in the United States Chess Federation doubled in 1972[40] and peaked in 1974; in American chess, these years are commonly referred to as the "Fischer Boom." Spassky, referring to professional chess, later summarized: "He made chess popular, briefly, and he made us all rich men."[41]

2) Forfeiture of title to Karpov , 1975
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Fischer was scheduled to defend his title against challenger Anatoly Karpov in 1975. Fischer had played no tournament games since winning the title, and he laid down numerous (a total of 64) conditions for the match. While most of them were purely game-oriented in nature, some were as bizarre as a requirement for everyone entering the room where the game is conducted to have uncovered heads. Many commentators supposed that Fischer's objective in making the demands was to avoid having to play the match, the outcome of which Fischer was not certain. Fischer made the following three principal demands:

1. The match should continue until ten wins, without counting the draws.
2. There is no limit to the total number of games played.
3. In case of a 9:9 score, champion (Fischer) retains his title.

Fischer claimed the usual system (twenty-four games with the first player to get 12.5 points winning, or the champion retaining his title in the event of a 12-12 tie) encouraged the player in the lead to draw games, which he regarded as bad for chess. Fischer instead wanted a match of an unlimited number of games. However, a match based on the first two conditions could take several months (In 1927 the Capablanca-Alekhine match to achieve the condition of winning only six games continued for 34 games). Many argued that this would be an exercise in stamina rather than skill. The FIDE commission headed by FIDE president Max Euwe and consisting of both, US and USSR, representatives, ruled that the match should continue until six wins. However, Fischer replied that he would resign his crown and not participate in the match. Instead of accepting Fischer's forfeit, the commission agreed to allow the match to continue until nine wins, leaving only one of the 64 conditions set by Fischer unsatisfied. FIDE postulated that the player achieving nine victories first would win the match, eliminating any advantage for the reigning champion (Fischer). Most observers considered Fischer's demand of his win in case of 9:9 draw to be unfair. It meant that Fischer only needed to win nine games to retain the championship, while Karpov had to win by a 10-8 score. Because FIDE would not agree to that demand, Fischer resigned in a cable to FIDE president Max Euwe on June 27, 1974:

Former US Champion Arnold Denker, who was in contact with Fischer during the Karpov match negotiations, claimed that Fischer wanted a long match to be able to play himself into shape after a three-year layoff.
Garry Kasparov has argued that Karpov would have had a good chance to defeat Fischer in 1975.[52]


3) Spassky rematch 1992
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After twenty years, Fischer emerged from isolation to challenge Spassky (then placed 96-102 on the rating list) to a "Revenge Match of the 20th century" in 1992. This match took place in Sveti Stefan and Belgrade, FR Yugoslavia, in spite of a severe United Nations embargo that included sanctions on sporting events. Fischer demanded that the organizers bill the match as "The World Chess Championship," although Garry Kasparov was the recognized FIDE World Champion. The purse for this match was reported to be US$5,000,000 with two-thirds to go to the winner. The US Department of the Treasury had warned Fischer beforehand that his participation was illegal as it violated President George H. W. Bush's Executive Order 12810[60] that implemented United Nations sanctions against engaging in economic activities in Yugoslavia.[61] In front of the international press, Fischer was filmed spitting on the US order forbidding him to play. Following the match, the department obtained an arrest warrant for him although some dispute the legality of the Department's claim and question why others who broke the embargo have not been prosecuted.[62] Fischer remained wanted by the United States government for his participation in the match.

Fischer won the match, 10 wins to 5, with 15 draws. Many grandmasters observing the match said that Fischer was past his prime. In the book Mortal Games, Garry Kasparov is quoted: "He is playing OK. Around 2600 or 2650. It wouldn't be close between us." Fischer never played any competitive games afterwards.

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USCF President and Executive Director on Fischer:
On behalf of the United States Chess Federation (USCF), I am saddened by the loss of one of the greatest chess minds of all time. Chess players everywhere are in mourning. Though Bobby Fischer was before my time and I never met him, he still had a profound impact on my life. Because of his success in that magical year of 1972, the popularity of chess exploded in America. My hometown’s chess story has been repeated countless time across the country: The Fischer legacy inspired a group to start a chess club, to later introduce chess programs into local schools, and to thereby open up a whole new world to a group of kids from small-town, middle America.

This experience prepared me to move 1,000 miles away from home, graduate from MIT, and later become the USCF’s Executive Director. One of my childhood teammates is now a Lt. Col. With the U.S. Air Force and a Georgia Tech engineering graduate; another has found success in corporate America. This is the untold story of the Fischer legacy. Although he may not have set out to be a popularizer, his success led to many school districts across the country integrating chess into the daily curriculum. Chess opens minds and changes lives. Thank you Robert James Fischer for the impact you had on my life- USCF Executive Director Bill Hall


USCF President Bill Goichberg
I was very saddened to hear of the death of Bobby Fischer, the only official American World Chess Champion. At his peak, he was the best chessplayer who ever lived. His aggressive, uncompromising style, going all out for a win in every game, is rarely seen in top-level chess. His victory over Boris Spassky in 1972 caused an unprecedented chess boom in our country, and the US Chess Federation still has many members who first joined during that period because of all the publicity he created. Bobby's brilliant games and fighting spirit will be remembered forever by those worldwide who love our great game


Former Russian chess champion Garry Kasparov said Fischer would be remembered as "the pioneer, some would say the founder, of professional chess" and called his death "very sad news."

"Fischer was a source of inspiration for all young players," said Kasparov, who said he would be remembered for his efforts to improve conditions for fellow professionals in the game and as a "warrior" on the chessboard.
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