The chess legend
On January 17, aged 64, the chess legend Bobby Fischer left this world. It was from the very early days at Marshall Chess Club in New York City, where he used to spend hours reading through old file-cards of 19th century games; than it was in the New York Public Library, where he learned about chess history, about different strategies of chess through reading numerous books. It was also in his family flat in Brooklyn where he used to spend hours playing chess with himself at his bedside table.
He was, in other words, not interested in anything except chess. Then came 1972. The “Match of the Century,” against Boris Spassky at Reykjavik. Despite the fact that Spassky was receiving advice from 35 Russian Grandmasters, in between the match, Fischer won. It was Fischer's intelligence; his extraordinary chess skills that helped him defeat Spassky that too at a time when the Cold War was still on. But than after 1975 i.e. after he had forfeited his world title by refusing to defend it, he decided to roam around the world, and in the process, he started openly criticizing his rivals. It was learned that he stayed in Iceland for a while. Then again in 1992, he played against the same old foeSpassky---but this time in former Yugoslavia and he won there too. But the US govt. was unhappy with him for that rematch as according to them it was illegal ( post-Cold War tensions). And that is why Fischer, later became a critic of his own country.
Bobby Fischer once said that for him chess was life and there was nothing more. He also said that his aim was not only to defeat his opponent but to make sure that his opponent had to squirm! His win at all cost tactics: attack, defence, capture, sacrifice and his chess legacy are things to think about forever.
He was truly the chess genius.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments