Among the most eminent players known to the whole world in chess sport, there are only a few people who attracted attention with their extraordinary mind. Their geniuses brought many innovations and unique parties to the world of sports. One of the most controversial is Bobby Fisher, the strongest chess player of all time. His IQ was equal to 186, this is one of the highest rates in the world.
early years
Bobby Fisher was born on a beautiful March day in an international family. In 1933, the mother of the future champion, Regina Wender, fled from Germany to the Soviet Union when the Nazis came to power in her country. For some time she lived in a friendly country, where she met her future husband Gerhard Fisher. In 1938, the couple entered into an official marriage and after a while left for the United States.
In the states, Bobby Fisher was born on March 9, 1943. After 2 years, the father left the family, returning to Germany. Mother independently raised the boy and his older sister Joan. It was the girl who gave the first chess to her brother, after which the whole world changed for him. Joan and Robert (Bobby Fisher) began to learn the rules and play together. Over time, the boy became increasingly immersed in the world of chess.
At that time, the family lived in Brooklyn. Every day the young Bobby spent several hours all alone, playing with himself a favorite game. This caused concern for the mother, and she decided to find a sparring partner for her son. Not knowing where to turn, she decided to place an ad in the newspaper. The Brooklyn Eagle workers, not quite understanding which section to place the text in, decided to redirect it to a specialist in chess journalism. It turned out to be German Helms, who responded to the ad by writing to Bobby's mother about the Brooklyn Chess Club.
First Chess Club and Coach
Pursuing long hours alone, the young chess player could not learn all the tricks of the game. The Brooklyn Club opened up new opportunities for him. Bobby Fisher, whose biography will soon be known to everyone, begins to train with Carmine Nigro. This man was the president of the club at that time. Young Bobby spent almost all his free time in this place.
When the club was closed, a young chess player begged his mother to take him to Washington Square Park. At that time, all the lovers of this game gathered there, from young to old, from different social strata. Bobby Fisher was born to play chess, it was already visible in those years. A year later, he began to study at the Horton Club, and also trained in skills several times a month and trained at a visit to John Collins. At that time, many players and grandmasters came to him. It was in the house of an authoritative trainer that Fisher began to read special literature related to the game.
First victories
Studying in different clubs, Robert participated in all the competitions that were held there. His first victories can be considered won matches of local competitions at the age of 10. He significantly stood out among his peers not only in his playing style, but also in his desire to be the best.
The news of a brilliant player began to diverge across America's small chess community. Bobby began to attract attention, and at the age of 13 he was invited to many tournaments. Often he participated in simultaneous game sessions, where his opponents were several strongest participants at once. Once a similar tournament took place in Cuba, where he went with Regina Wender, his mother. Famous grandmasters invited the young prodigy to play the game, to which Robert always agreed, because this is a chance to learn something new and understand the wisdom of the masters.
At the age of 16, Fisher decided to leave the educational institution in order to devote himself completely to studying and playing chess. He independently at home arranged several games at the same time with himself. Having arranged the planks in the rooms, he alternately moved from one to the other, calculating and thinking over the moves on both sides.
Tournaments
In the summer of 1956, the U.S. junior tournament was held, in which the young Bobby Fisher received his first championship and became the youngest winner of the competition. After that, a number of tournaments began, which will lead him to the chess player’s crown, which the guy dreamed of since childhood.
In 1958, he participated in Yugoslavia at interzonal games. There he meets many leading grandmasters. Fischer spends all his free time developing new strategies and practically does not leave his room. The tournament participants said that the guy seemed to be a simpleton, but when he sits down at the table, the game speaks for him.
It was the Yugoslav victories that brought Robert the opportunity to participate in competitions of a higher level. In 1959, the Candidates Tournament was held, in which the young child prodigy collided with the strongest chess players in the world. Once alone in a foreign country, he did not have an assistant, second or friend next to him. He carried out all decisions and actions on his own. Every day in his free time, Bobby sat in his room and played chess, while his opponents had the correct regime, made calm walks. Fisher made many mistakes, but still took 5th place, which further strengthened his reputation and opened up broad prospects.
In 1961, another tournament was held in the city of Bled. Matured and well-trained American chess player Bobby Fisher wins almost all games and takes second place by points. The same position, having slightly lost to Spassky, the young child prodigy takes in 1966 at the Pyatigorsk Cup, which took place in Santa Monica.
Subsequent tournaments brought Robert more and more popularity in the world of chess. He won most of the matches and took 1st or 2nd place. His playing style was becoming more confident and strong. With such preparation and the already prevailing capricious, quick-tempered and angry character, the genius approached the main competitions of his life. At 29, he was supposed to fight with the strongest grandmaster of the USSR.
The game with Boris Spassky
In 1972, Bobby Fisher, the strongest chess player in the United States, had to win the fight to obtain a champion title. His opponent was Boris Spassky. This game is considered the tournament of the century, it brought a lot of emotions not only to the countries of the players, but also to the whole world watching the fight. This was a period of the Cold War, and many associated the party of Spassky and Fisher with the confrontation of two major powers.
The match was held in Reykjavik. Already the first minutes of the game showed that you can expect everything from the American chess player. It was supposed to start at 5 pm, Spassky was ready and sat waiting for the start. The game has begun, the Soviet grandmaster makes the first move and clicks on the chess clock. Everyone is looking forward to the second participant in the battle.
Minutes pass, and Bobby Fisher, the champion of the USA, does not appear. Spassky approaches the judge, obviously, to consult on further actions, and here Robert enters the hall. This situation will be discussed for more than one week by all the newspapers in the world. Already at that time, the American grandmaster attracted attention to himself and the game with his eccentric nature and unpredictable behavior. Therefore, the whole world watched the game, moreover, this confrontation went beyond the scope of an ordinary match.
Fisher went to the game through a series of victories. For many years he was preparing for this tournament, losing Spassky in competitions at an early age. The Soviet grandmaster, on the contrary, after receiving the championship title began to pay less attention to training and the game. Subsequently, this affected the results.
Meanwhile, the first batch began. Bobby Fisher, whose height was about 185 cm, towered above the table, sitting in his own chair, which was specially brought for this tournament. Everything prevented him: the light of the lamps, the noise of the shutters of the cameras, and the people present, regardless of their rank and purpose.
Despite this, the game went well, but at one point Fisher made a mistake that only a beginner could make, and loses. This infuriated him, and he began to demand from the organizers that all paparazzi with their equipment should be removed from the premises. Having been refused, the American grandmaster leaves, refusing to continue the fight. The match was disrupted, and Spassky was automatically awarded the victory in the second game.
After 1.5 months, Bobby Fisher nevertheless agreed to finish the match, but convinced the organizers to transfer the game to a more suitable place. It turned out to be a small table tennis room. The third installment and all subsequent ones went according to a different scenario. And in the end, the American won. Bobby Fisher, the eleventh world champion, has been waiting for this title for a long 15 years, since the victory over all US players.
Around this match, hype immediately rose. Soviet representatives of the chess association demanded to check the air, lighting and chair where Spassky was, explaining that the player was influenced by chemicals or radio waves. After a thorough study by the international organization of all aspects of the evidence for this theory was not found.
Last Stand
After receiving the world title, Bobby Fisher, whose biography became of interest to all beginner chess players and professionals, leaves the screens and disappears for a while. In 1975, he was supposed to appear on the game with Anatoly Karpov to confirm his title. But the grandmaster ignored this event.
For a long time no information was received about the great chess player . It showed how secretive Bobby Fisher was. His personal life is also shrouded in mystery. Sometimes you could hear that he was seen in different parts of the world.
In 1992, the World Association organized a rematch between Spassky and Fisher. Big money was at stake, with a prize pool of over $ 3 million. This game was dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Spassky-Fisher match, which went down in the history of world chess.
The rematch was decided to be held in Yugoslavia. But America had a difficult political relationship with this country at that time, and the Treasury Department threatened Fisher with sanctions. But this did not stop the grandmaster, but, on the contrary, even spurred. After leaving big chess in 1975, he constantly criticized the policies of Washington and the entire American government.
The game went well, the opponents played 30 games, and Bobby Fisher came out the winner again. Despite this, all experts unanimously reiterated that the level of both players is no longer the same. But the grandmaster himself considered the match a champion and always said that he did not lose his winner’s crown, as he didn’t meet his opponent more strongly.
Personal life
Bobby Fisher, whose privacy is a secret, devoted all his time to the game. Together with the girls he was almost never seen. In an interview during the Olympics in 1962, he shared some nuances with reporters. When asked about women, he said that he was looking for a decent party. But he chose not to choose from among the American women, since, in his opinion, they are too independent and wayward. His gaze was directed at the girls from the East.
Once, when the 17-year-old Fisher participated in the tournament, competitors sent a woman to him who was able to captivate the child prodigy. He played poorly throughout the competition, as he spent all his free time with his new lover. The result was that a brilliant player was in low positions in the ranking table. This served as a good lesson for young Robert, and since then his only love has been playing chess.
Bobby Fisher: Interesting Facts
During his life, a famous chess player was able to stand out not only with his ingenious game. After he received the champion title, his requests and moods increased significantly. For example, he began to play no earlier than 4 p.m., as he liked to sleep. And before the tournament, he had to swim in the pool or play tennis on the court.
American chess player Bobby Fisher is considered not only a brilliant player, but also the most famous paranoid of that time. After receiving the title, he begins to get involved in world conspiracies and reads many books and articles about it. After some time, his harsh statements about Jews, Americans and Africans appear in the press.
After defeating Boris Spassky in 1972, Bobby Fisher became a national hero. Many eminent companies wanted to sign contracts with him, which were almost immediately refused. Celebrities tried to lure him to their parties and holidays. A large line lined up to learn from him the game. But after some time, the illustrious champion Bobby Fisher, whose photos were printed by all publications, will be called a traitor and deserter.
Robert was jealous of the game and believed that little attention was paid to chess in sports. Therefore, he demanded high fees for participating in the tournament, citing the fact that chess players should not receive less boxers or other athletes from more popular disciplines. This attitude of the eminent player brought its results, and the championships began to attract more spectators and fans to the screens.
One of the developers of chess theories and the author of many articles on the game is Bobby Fisher, whose photo can be found in publications on this subject. He carefully studied the games of men's and women's tournaments and examined them from different angles, identifying the necessary criteria and steps for future victories.
One of the features of the grandmaster was the lack of a sense of humor, which led him to purchase 157 costumes. The reason for this was that in one of the games with the enemy, Bobby Fisher asked about his beautiful and elegant appearance and specified how many suits he had. He replied that 150 pieces, but it was a joke that Robert did not understand. But the champion was supposed to be the winner in everything, and he replenished his wardrobe with 157 costumes.
Fisher stood out for his genius not only in the chess game. He was a polyglot and knew how to speak 5 languages. He was fond of literature and always read books in the original. In terms of money, he was always calm. We can say that Fisher did not need them, he did not collect art objects or expensive things, he was indifferent to haute cuisine and all the delights of rich people. But, despite this, he had a special price for the public, fans and journalists.
With the advent of computer technology and the Internet everywhere, many chess masters began to play tournaments in electronic spaces. Thus, they could find a worthy adversary, develop new strategies and give beginners the opportunity to learn from professionals. Once an English high-class chess player Nigel Short said that he plays on the Internet with Fisher. Of course, the great grandmaster did not sign his name, but by the style of the game it was clear that it was him.
Radical views
Bobby Fisher, whose birth date was during the Second World War, from his youth began to get involved in conspiracy theories and political literature. After receiving the championship title, he repeatedly opposed the American government. But the hostility towards Jews, communists and sexual minorities began in his sixties. At that time, his mother was in the Soviet Union at a meeting with Nina Khrushcheva and regularly appeared on the radio. This infuriated Fisher and intensified his hatred.
He also believed that in the world everything is ruled by Jews, they are in all leading posts and in all organizations. He believed that they urgently needed to remove and clean America from extra people. And this despite the fact that in his own blood flows! In his homeland, he began to be considered a traitor, a deserter. His loudest admission was the approval of terrorist actions against the United States on September 11, 2001. He said that it was high time to kick America, and that he wanted to witness how this country would disappear from the face of the planet.
Last years
After the game with Boris Spassky, Fisher had to hide from justice. The reason for this is the ban of the American government on the participation of the great chess player in the tournament in this country. At that time, sanctions were introduced against Yugoslavia because of the war in the Balkans. But Fisher didn’t give a damn about it, but he couldn’t return home either, since he was awaited by a court and 10 years in prison.
Winning the anniversary tournament, he took his fee and left for Switzerland. After a short stay in this country, he moved to Hungary. The US Federal Bureau issued an arrest warrant for the grandmaster. This led to the fact that Fisher began to hide first in the Philippines, then in Japan and periodically moved from place to place.
Since the grandmaster could not return to America, he decided to seek refuge in the homeland of his parents. Bobby Fisher, a chess player whose photo was posted by the most eminent publications in the world, now needed a new home. He applies for citizenship in Germany, but is refused. In mid-summer 2004, he was arrested at a Japanese airport while trying to leave the country. The United States extradites Fischer under an extradition treaty.
Meanwhile, the lawyers of the former champion recommend applying for citizenship in Iceland, where his unforgettable and victorious tournament was held. In the spring of 2005, a decision was made. Robert Fisher officially becomes a citizen of this country, receives a passport and leaves Japan for his new homeland.
In Reykjavik, the last years of the great grandmaster take place. In 2007, Fisher was admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of liver failure. The treatment did not help, and in January 2008 there was no great and extraordinary player of all time. He introduced a large number of innovations into the game and brought it to a new level.
For many years before his death, Bobby Fisher lived all alone and received royalties for his books, in which he described his matches and taught the art of playing chess. A few friends periodically visited him and supported him.