Next Meeting Feb 7 - Fischer Random Tournament Starts - and Bobby Fischer's Death Anniversary

LCCC meets again this coming Monday night at 4pm to 10pm at the Brighton Michigan Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant. Come by for casual chess - and a (FREE to enter) Fischer Random 960 Chess Tournament!  In honor of the man who gave us this variation of regular chess, here is a little bit of history:

On January 17, we mark the 14th anniversary of the death of the greatest chess player that has ever walked the earth, Bobby Fischer (left).

He was the most exciting player the game had seen since Paul Morphy. People who have met him often use the word ‘electrifying’ to describe his presence when he walked into a room. His games, even as a boy, attracted multitudes of spectators and admirers. He had superstar magnetism.

No chess player ever received mail from hundreds of female fans. Many with marriage proposals! Bobby Fischer was idolized around the world ever since he burst on to the scene at the age of 13. Fischer became the youngest US champion at the age of 14. At 15 he was already an elite grandmaster and candidate for the highest title in the chess world.

But he had to deal with reality: the cold war was raging, and the Soviet political leaders, tried to refuse to allow an American, no matter how talented, to threaten their national game. There was much talk, and evidence of collusion between Fischer’s Soviet opponents to try to stop him. And the KGB stalked Fischer all of his career.

The FIDE world championship structure was deliberately designed to thwart any threat to the Soviets. Fischer’s long march to become the 11th World Champion was a one-man battle against the chess world dictatorship. Much has been proven to be true since secret documents have been made public recently.

When Fischer briefly withdrew from competition because of ‘Soviet cheating’ in the early 60’s, he toured the US and Canada, giving simuls and lectures. Bobby’s lectures were filled with profound thoughts and ideas.

Of course, Bobby could be a difficult person. Fischer developed an ego to go along with his superstar status. He demanded the best conditions from organizers. He walked out if something was not perfect. He represented something that was the beginning of the professionalization of chess.

In 1967, the US chess federation received an invitation from the Prince of Monaco for three American chess players to play in the Monaco International Chess Tournament, but with the condition that one of those three player must be Fischer. Fischer participated and won the tournament but proved to be a bit difficult to manage. The following year, the US chess federation received another invitation from the Prince for three players to participate in the tournament, but with the condition that NONE of the players be Fischer!

Fischer disappeared from international competition for about 18 months in the late 60’s, making a comeback in the spring of 1970. Shortly before this, he co-authored a best-selling book of his games. The excitement that Fischer generated in the chess community was palpable! There has never been anything like it, or since. He was a god to chess amateurs! The living legend had descended from the clouds to settle business with the Soviets.

Bobby won everything he played in in 1970, and he played many times then! His games were amazing. If Mozart was a chess player, then he surely would be Fischer. Bobby was quickly nearing his peak. It was especially for this reason that there was unparalleled interest when Spassky met Fischer at the Siegen Olympiad. (Spassky won!)

Then in 1971 began Fischer’s run up to Mount Olympus. 6-0 scores against both Taimanov and Larsen, in the qualifiers to play Boris Spassky for the world title. Nobody could believe it! Taimanov lamented “Maybe I’ll take up the piano.” Larsen was hospitalized for high blood pressure.

The American media started to take notice. The Soviets’ attempts at thwarting the American genius were over. Fischer had pressured FIDE to put in place a qualification structure where collusion and cheating were next to impossible.
When Fischer met the Armenian (Russian) grandmaster and former World Champion Tigran Petrosian in Buenos Aires in late 1971, thousands of spectators showed up every game. There was pandemonium in the streets! Hundreds of journalists from all over the world flew into the Argentine capital to watch history unfold.

And what a great match it was! Fischer won the first game. Petrosian the second. After 5 games, the match stood even. But then Fischer won 4 games in a row!! Petrosian had never lost 4 games in a row in his entire life. Fischer had earned the right to play for the World Championship! And we all know how history turned out. Spassky saved his honor but could not stop what had been destined by the gods.

It is known that in the run up to the 1972 negotiations for the Fischer-Spassky match there were grave obstacles that had to be overcome. Fischer wanted more prize money. The Soviets refused to give an inch in the negotiations. Fischer more than once backed away. But the world in 1972 was still at the height of the Cold War, and it was important for both the Americans and the Soviets that the match take place. In the end, high level politicians saved the day. Henry Kissinger had to phone Bobby to convince the American genius to go to Iceland. After all, Fischer was a patriot….at that time.

In 1975, the much-anticipated Karpov vs Fischer match never took place! Fischer ignored the five-million-dollar prize fund. Fischer never played again until 1992 (and then just as quickly disappeared). The story of the life of a rebel genius, it seems must end in tragedy! The gods need reasons to cry. It was for political reasons that the 1972 match was saved by the White House, and that by the time 1975 came around the world was already, a different place.

Chess and Fischer was simply no longer a priority. Fischer was already a living legend and had nothing to gain. He had won the World Championship. Chess was popular and booming, and we should not let escape that the chess politicians in FIDE saw little advantage by having Fischer risk losing his title to a Russian. Every serious chess player/fan all wish they could turn back the clock and re-write the fateful decisions made.

What does Bobby Fischer mean to me personally? As a chess player he represents something that is bigger than the game itself. Chess can never have a big appeal (compared to football, soccer or even poker) by itself. It is a difficult game that requires work and dedication. It requires an unusual combination of passion and craziness to be a chess player or fan.

Undoubtedly, in my lifetime, Bobby Fischer will have been the only individual to have made chess universally appealing and may be the only one to do so.

We must also remember that Fischer was only too human. He had to deal with the pressures of superstardom alone. He had no real family, and very few friends. He was a fragile human being with mental health issues.

And like every true genius, there must some element of tragedy, something that makes us feel sad within when the story is complete. It is the tragedy of Bobby Fischer that he never played again after winning the World Championship. It is a tragedy about his final years in disgrace, finally finding a friendly haven in Iceland.