Bobby Fischer (March 9, 1943 – January 17, 2008)
Today, Bobby Fischer, an American chess legend, would have turned 70.
March 9, 2013 – Robert James “Bobby” Fischer was an American grandmaster and the 11th World Chess Champion. He was one of the greatest chess players of all time. He died on January 17, 2008 at the age of 64.
“Bobby” Fischer was a chess prodigy. At age 13 Fischer won against Donald Byrne in a chess game that later became known as “The Game of the Century”. The “Game of the Century” was a chess game played between Donald Byrne and 13-year-old Bobby Fischer in New York City at the Rosenwald Memorial Tournament (October 17, 1956). The game was nicknamed “The Game of the Century” by Hans Kmoch in Chess Review magazine.
“The following game, a stunning masterpiece of combination play performed by a boy of 13 against a formidable opponent, matches the finest on record in the history of chess prodigies.” – Hans Kmoch, Chess Review Magazine
Bobby Fischer started participating in the US Championships at age 14, he played in eight US Championships, winning every one. He became the youngest grandmaster at age 15½.
In the following video clip, you will see Bobby Fischer on “I’ve Got a Secret”, a CBS Television Game Show (March 26, 1958)
Bobby Fischer’s book, “My 60 Memorable Games”
“My 60 Memorable Games” was published in 1969. This book is highly recommended and is a wonderful piece of chess literature. No chess library should be without one.
The World Chess Championship Match (1972)
Result:
World Chess Federation: Boris Spassky – Bobby Fischer, World Chess Championship Match History 1972
| Spassky |
1 |
+ |
0 |
½ |
0 |
0 |
½ |
0 |
½ |
0 |
1 |
½ |
0 |
½ |
½ |
½ |
½ |
½ |
½ |
½ |
0 |
8,5 |
| Fischer |
0 |
– |
1 |
½ |
1 |
1 |
½ |
1 |
½ |
1 |
0 |
½ |
1 |
½ |
½ |
½ |
½ |
½ |
½ |
½ |
1 |
12,5 |
World Chess Championship Match (1972), Round 1
World Chess Championship Match (1972), Round 2
Following his loss in Round 1, Bobby Fischer made further demands on the organizers of the World Championship Match (1972), including that all cameras be removed. When they were not, he refused to appear for Game 2, giving a default win to Spassky.
World Chess Championship Match (1972), Round 3
World Chess Championship Match (1972), Round 4
World Chess Championship Match (1972), Round 5
World Chess Championship Match (1972), Round 6
World Chess Championship Match (1972), Round 7
World Chess Championship Match (1972), Round 8
World Chess Championship Match (1972), Round 9
World Chess Championship Match (1972), Round 10
World Chess Championship Match (1972), Round 11
World Chess Championship Match (1972), Round 12
World Chess Championship Match (1972), Round 13
World Chess Championship Match (1972), Round 14
World Chess Championship Match (1972), Round 15
World Chess Championship Match (1972), Round 16
World Chess Championship Match (1972), Round 17
World Chess Championship Match (1972), Round 18
World Chess Championship Match (1972), Round 19
World Chess Championship Match (1972), Round 20
World Chess Championship Match (1972), Round 21
Bobby Fischer Video Clips
CBS News, Bobby Fischer (1972)
Match with Spassky (Video Clip)
Bobby Fischer, Exhibit at the World Chess Hall of Fame (2012)
“World-renowned photographer Harry Benson was the only person to have private access to Bobby Fischer during the entire 1972 World Chess Championship match in Reykjavík, Iceland. Benson captured intimate images of this time with Fischer and was the first person to deliver the news to Fischer that he had won the match.” – World Chess Hall of Fame Exhibit
Works Featured in this Exhibition:
