A very sad day for the chess world

January 18, 2008 • General

Bobby Fischer (1943-2008)

http://www.bobby-fischer.net/BobbyFischer01.jpg

 

Today Bobby Fischer died in an Iceland hospital at the age of 64 after suffering with a long bout of kidney failure. Although many people have held contrasting views on Fischer, one thing cannot be denied; he forever changed chess.

As has been well documented ever since that fateful match in 1972, Fischer proceeded to become a recluse and started making sad anti-semetic remarks on a rather consistent basis. Many of these remarks starting occurring in the new millenium shortly after the horrific attacks on 9/11/01. Many of these remarks were directed towards Jewish people which is quite sad as Fischer’s mom was Jewish and he himself was too. But alas, I think due to the natural nature of chess, its very easy to become paranoid and losing your mind if chess is all you think about.

Ultimately though, we should remember him for his chess and not his personal faults and failures. The one greatest aspect of Fischers chess was his fighting spirit and attitude towards the game. Much of this attitude is what I have incorporated into my own chess involving the fighting aspect and never giving up. After all, when one looks at former greats in a wide variety of different arenas such as Franklin Roosevelt, Bill Clinton, Michael Jordan, Rick James, Pete Rose, Benazir Bhutto and many others, we remember them for what they gave and not their many failures.

With Fischer now gone, a large piece of American chess history is now lost. Hopefully, this will inspire more youngsters to take up the charge and for someone to become the next American World Champion.

Rest in Peace Bobby Fischer, the chess world will forever remember you.

10 Comments

  1. Bobby Fischer – The God Of The Gods.

  2. QueenofCats

    Sorry for a famous Chess player who died. May God bless you chess players

  3. Bobby Fischer – The God of The Gods
    “A man without frontiers. He didn’t divide the East and the West, he brought them together in their admiration for him.” – Ljubomir Ljubojevic

  4. Almost totally agree with you Smallville.We all will remember Bobby Fischer for what he did as a chess player. But we have to value another thing of him; he never feared to say what he thought, and as a song says “dont be afraid to slip and fall, speak for yourself or they ll speak for you”.. I just want to deny something. Fischer has never been a madman; as he was classified by an inteligence corporation; just because of talking about too many hiden truths that others would never dare to mention. So I will remember Bobby for this as well. As a TRUE Hero.

    Today we are hurt by the emptiness, but after a while we can smile while sharing the fond memories we have of you.

    Rest in peace KING OF CHESS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvW2PvAREGc

    Your will be in our hearts for ever.

  5. Maybe we should stop remembering him as what he obviously was…: an amazing chess player,the best…nobody like him.
    What about “him” :)?.We should admire him for all the things he was able to say and that the most of us will never do.”The truth is hidden and he was brave enough to share it in a heroic way with our blind society”.
    It would be a shame if you only think about him as a player and not as a hero(as nico said),because he was,he oppened our minds not only on the board,also in our reality and he also made a difference.
    I’ll remember him for what’s heavier for me…as a singular human being ^^,someone who wasn’t afraid to tell us the truth and of course as an incredible chess player.Well Bobby,you’re not in the earth but you are in our minds,what else could you ask for?
    🙂

  6. TicTacMate

    Bobby Fischer was one of a kind. I remember gettng started in chess because of him. It is easy to see your fighting spirit is much like Bobby Fischer’s Naka. A nice tribute from one of the world’s leading IGM’s is good stuff. As a fan of his, I thank you. As a fan of yours, you do me proud.

  7. timhortons

    smallville carry on the torch of bobby fischer in chess…dont give us a boring draw…always play to win like bobby…only 2 exciting player now aday is living…only you and alexander morozovich

  8. rickymartin

    he’s a jew? does that mean a guy who doesn’t believe in god is a christian just cause his parents are?

  9. cultural analysis

    American individualist culture wreaks havoc in Jewish boy’s psyche. I will draw parallel with Wittgenstein, whose father was very rich convert to Protestantism, but all his brothers committed suicide. There are other examples as well.

  10. AlphaSleuth

    A sad day, for sure, but it does seem fitting that he died at age 64.

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