Bobby Fischer Chess Blog

Could Bobby Fischer Still be Alive?

2008-01-23T01:04:00.000-05:00

Considering how private the life of Fischer was, plus the fact so few people actually saw him ill, and even throw in that the Rev. Kristinn Agust Fridfinnsson told the TV station in Iceland that the ceremony was arranged so hastily he did not arrive until after the ceremony was over - it could lead one to wonder about Fischer's death.

With the world believing Bobby Fischer has died, it may give him the freedom to actually travel abroad without worrying that the United States will still be on his trail with a warrent for his arrest.

Maybe Fischer's greatest chess move is yet to come.

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Bobby Fischer Dies

2008-01-18T12:49:00.000-05:00

Bobby Fischer, the reclusive American chess master who became a Cold War icon when he dethroned the Soviet Union's Boris Spassky as world champion in 1972, has died. He was 64 (the same number of squares that are on a chessboard).

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Fischer Speaks

2006-11-05T18:22:00.000-05:00

Bobby Fischer finally came back out and provided a radio interview in Iceland in October. It's typical Bobby- and you can listen to the Fischer Interview Here.

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The Toilet Bowl Games

2006-10-02T23:48:00.000-04:00

Bobby Fischer's name has been in the news lately, although inadvertanly. It seems that the result of the toilet issue of the 2006 World Chess Championship games have caused Vladimir Kramnik to lose a game by forfeit as the issues and accusations were still flying about. The last time a player lost a game by forfeit was in 1972 in the famous 'Match of the Century' when Fischer refused to play game 2 against Boris Spassky. Fischer accepted losing the point in game 2 but still handily won the match.

The 2006 chess games can be played through here.

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World Chess Championship 2006 Games

2006-09-24T02:01:00.000-04:00

It's finally here - the long awaited World Chess 2006 Championship match between Veselin Topalov and Vladimir Kramnik. Topalov is the favorite but Kramnik does tend raise his game in high profile matches. The chess games can be played through here.

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Match of the Century

2006-09-04T18:38:00.000-04:00

In 1972, Bobby Fischer met Boris Spassky to compete in the World Chess Championship. The match was dubbed "The Match of the Century". The Russian players had held the championship for more than 40 years and this was the first time a Soviet player would enter the match as an underdog. Why the underdog status? Because leading up to the match, Fischer had demolished such plasyers as Mark Taimanov and Bent Larsen 6-0 (with no draws), and had won four games in a row in his match against former world champion Tigran Petrosian.

The outcome of this match is well known and you can play through the games at the above link.

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Junior wins Computer Chess World Championship

2006-06-04T18:54:00.000-04:00

Like it or not, the greatest minds in Chess are computers. There is no getting around the fact that they get more powerful and their opening books get larger with passing every year.

Maybe taking away their opening book and forcing them to play Fischer Random will slow them down, but it will still only be a matter of time before they dominate this space too.

You can play through the games of the 2006 World Computer Chess Championship here.

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Legends Match - Spassky vs. Karpov

2006-05-30T20:26:00.000-04:00

An interesting battle took place a few days ago that pitted old-timers Boris Spassky and Anatoly Karpov against each other in a legends chess match. And what really surprised me was that Spassky won the 2-game match.

Both men played a pivotal role in Fischer's history - Spassky who lost his Chess Championship title to Fischer in 1972, and Karpov who inherited the title in 1975 when Fischer refused to defend it.

You can play through the games of the Legengs Match here.

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My 60 Memorable Games

2006-05-28T23:39:00.000-04:00

Long before Bobby Fischer became the World Chess Champion, he published a book titled "Bobby Fischer: My 60 Memorable Games". For many, the book became and instant classic. For others, the hype surrounding the book was only because it was by Fischer. The book has undergone multiple revisions (and none by Fischer who objected to the revisions). Original copies of the book appear to be fetching a pretty good amount on Ebay. At the time of the post, there was an autographed copy going for $5,500.

You can play through the games in the book here: 'My 60 Memorable Games'.

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Topalov vs. Kramnik in September, 2006

2006-04-15T13:52:00.000-04:00

Looks like we can set aside any thought of a Topalov vs. Fischer match. The stage is set for Topalov vs. Kramnik. Here is a bulletin from FIDE:
______________________

To: All National Chess Federations & Media

Subject: World Championship Match Topalov-Kramnik

Dear chess friends,

Today is a historic day for our sport! After months of consultations with both players, I am pleased to announce that the World Championship match Topalov vs Kramnik will be held 21 September – 13 October 2006 in Elista, the capital of Kalmykia. Both players and their managers have agreed with all the technical details of the match, which will consist of 12 games, and the prize fund will be a guaranteed minimum amount of 1 million US dollars.

This great match will undoubtedly end any confusion about the World Championship status after the unfortunate schism, which occurred in 1993. In the beginning of my first term as FIDE President, back in 1995, I promised to work for unity within FIDE in all aspects. As for the World Championship title, it was not easy to satisfy all demands of the involved parties during all these years but we always kept our principles and actions within the true spirit of our motto GENS UNA SUMUS. Today our efforts have been justified!

We are all looking forward to this great event, the World Chess Championship Match 2006. I would like to stress once more that we shall definitely continue to work for a strong and united FIDE. As we have already done for the past 10 years.

May the best player win!

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov FIDE President

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The Game of the Century

2006-03-24T14:36:00.000-05:00

In 1956, Bobby Fischer played in what was immediately labeled the 'Game of the Century'. In it, a young Fischer at age 13 made a startling Queen sacrifice which many Grand Masters of the time would not have even considered. Fischer went on to win the game and it was already clear, even at this young age, he was far ahead of his contemporaries. He would soon overtake even the resilient Samuel Reshevsky as the United States leading player.

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The Mozart of Chess

2006-03-18T18:59:00.000-05:00

Norwegian chess player Magnus Carlsen (age 15) won the Glitnir Blitz 2006 chess tournament held in Reykjavík this week. Carlsen beat Icelandic grand master Hannes Hlífar Stefánsson in the final match. Many of the world´s strongest chess players had been eliminated by Carlsen and Stefánsson. Among them were Viswanathan Anand, world´s number two ranked chess player, world champion in rapid chess and Judt Polgar, strongest women´s chess player in the world. Anand has been unbeatable in rapid and blitz events in the last years, and Magnus Carlsens convincing victory 2-0 against Anand is an amazing feat for the 15 year old Norwegian, one that has drawn worldwide attention.

In his day, Bobby Fischer was also considered the greatest speed chess player in the world (see Speed Chess and Fischer's dominance of scholastic chess).

But all eyes are on Magnus Carlsen. Is the boy king on track to become the Greatest Chess Player ever?

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Bobby Fischer's Personality

2006-03-11T08:24:00.000-05:00

It seems the topic that people want to discuss most is Bobby Fischer's personality. Well - here it is, a topic to discuss the man, the myth, the chess player. Praise him, hate him, glorify him, or bash him. I never delete messages unless they are SPAM trying to promote some non-chess topic or link.

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Fischer Random Chess

2006-01-18T04:38:00.000-05:00

Vesselin Topalov has made positve remarks regarding Bobby Fischer's version of chess - Fischer Random Chess.

The article can be found here Vesselin Topalov on Fischer Random Chess.

How do you feel about this version of the game?

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Topalov wants to play against Bobby Fischer

2006-01-13T17:58:00.000-05:00

So Vesselin Topalov wants to play against Bobby Fischer - he was quoted by Playboy Magazine as saying - "I am hoping to play against him, even though we are a different generation in chess."

Is this a case of the Mike Tyson syndrome where everyone wants to fight against the old champ because they know there is a huge payday to see the old-timer play (and because they think they can beat him)?

The whole interview can be found here Vesselin Topalov Interview.

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Was the United States Justified?

2005-12-27T08:24:00.000-05:00

There are three things certain in life - death, taxes, and the fact that Bobby Fischer will never willingly return to the United States. Was the U.S. justified in demanding that Japan hand over Bobby Fischer? Did it really have more to do with Fischer's anti-American remarks following the 9/11 attacks on the WTC rather than the match he played in Yugoslavia that defied the U.S. embargo on that country?

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Bobby Fischer Wants to Face Bulgaria's Topalov

2005-11-02T19:22:00.000-05:00

The legendary Bobby Fischer is willing to play against Bulgaria's chess master Vesselin Topalov, local Trud daily reported.

The newspaper cites an Australian reporter covering the World Chess Championship in San Luis. The reporter claims that Fischer is willing to face Topalov in a game of chess, but not the classical type of the game but a version invented by Fischer.

The Australian reporter has informed the manager of the Bulgarian chess master and says that he is preparing the game, Trud daily says.

Bobby Fischer is a former world chess champion, who on September 1, 1972 became the only American to win the FIDE World Chess Championship. Fischer is also well known for his eccentricity, unconventional behavior, and outspoken, anti-Semitic political views. Despite his prolonged absence from competitive play, or perhaps because of it, Fischer is still among the best known of all chess players.

Fischer's victory over the Soviet champion Boris Spassky to win the world championship was seen as a symbolic victory for the West that catalyzed interest in the game internationally.

Can Fischer really stand up to today's players? Post your thoughts...

Karpov Wants to Play Fischer

2005-10-08T16:11:00.000-04:00

See the article below or visit this page here.

BUENOS AIRES, September 21 (RIA Novosti, Yury Nikolayev) - Multiple world chess champion Anatoly Karpov is ready to face Bobby Fischer, the Russian chess grandmaster told RIA Novosti Wednesday.

Karpov said the possibility of such a match depended solely on Fischer and getting sponsors. "Fischer is hardly predictable. It depends on him, and of course, on the sponsors. Fischer is always interesting, but he wants to play his chess. That's no problem - we can play his chess."

Karpov, who is currently the guest of honor at a chess festival in Argentina, said "Fischer's chess" envisioned the initial position of the chess pieces defined by a computer. The pawns remain in their places, and a computer determines the other chess pieces' positions.

What do you think? Post your comments.