Bobby Fischer

Beginnings

His/her father, Gerhardt Fischer, German biophysicist , divorce of his/her Regina mother, American, in 1945. It is his/her mother who deals of her education and that of her Joan sister, its elder six years. Bobby will not see any more his/her father. Regina and her two children move for Mobile in the Arizona, then settle two years later with Brooklyn.

One day of 1949, Joan, to distract his/her little brother, buys to him a set of failures to the bazaar of the corner. He learns only the rules using the layer joint with the play. It is at the beginning only one play like the others for small Bobby. Nevertheless, the reading of a book containing of the parts of failures changes gives it. Regina, her mother, tells that when it read this book, it was useless to try to address the word to him.

His/her mother then registers it with the Brooklyn Chess Club. It takes part in its first tournament at the ten years age.

In 1954, Bobby, not having more rivals worthy of this name in the club of Brooklyn, is registered then with the prestigious Manhattan Chess Club, attended by the best players of the country.

It is tested then in 1956 with the open championship of the United States and is classified fourth. It gains however, the same year, the championship of the junior United States, which constitutes its first real success.

Large-Master at 15 years!

In January 1958, Fischer becomes champion of the the United States at the 14 years age. Thanks to this title, Fischer is qualified to take part in the interzonal Tournoi which constitutes the first walk towards the championship of the World. However, nobody is ready to bet on the qualification of the young person Fischer (six first of the Interzones Championships being qualified for the Championship of the World). It is thus a surprise when it finishes fifth ex æquo of this competition, which enables him to be seen conferring the title of international Large-Master.

The championship of the world

Fischer is as of the 16 years age candidate to the world title, but does not have the discounted success. At the time of the Tournament of the candidates of 1962, it denounces the collusion between the three first of the tournament, of which Tigran Petrossian and Paul Kérès, which would have concluded from short null parts between them to preserve their energy against him. FIDE rather changes the rules of the cycle of qualification by organizing matches than a tournament.

In 1967, Fischer withdraws tournament of qualification of Sousse in Tunisia, which it largely dominates, because it refuses consecutively to face several Soviet players without having day of rest.

In 1970, it is fished out, thanks to a desistance from last minute, to dispute the tournament qualifier of Palma de Majorque. After a very good departure it undergoes a small fall of mode, but is seized again magnificiently on the end by gaining its 7 last parts (of which the ultimate one by fixed price) to gain the tournament with 3,5 points in advance on its closer prosecutors. Then it crushed the Soviet Taimanov and the Dane Bent Larsen by 6 to 0 in match, before overcoming the former Petrossian world champion by 6,5 to 2,5. Fischer established a series of 20 consecutive victories partly official, a record on this level.

At the conclusion of a memorable match in Iceland which holds the public in breath, as much for the parts that for the adventures except competition (threat of Fischer not to take part, its fixed price at the time of the second part, its requirements on the placement of the cameras or the contact with the public, etc), he becomes world champion at the summer 1972, by beating rather easily the Russian Boris Spassky, world champion outgoing. This success, largely mediatized, puts temporarily fine at the very long era of Soviet domination on the world of the failures, and is revolving in the competition between the the United States and the U.S.S.R. in full cold war.

But Fischer does not dispute any more any part since it conquered this world title. In 1975, it thus loses its title by fixed price when it refuses the conditions of the match of which the goal was to give concerned its title against its indicated adversary, the young Soviet Anatoly Karpov (against whom it disputed the least part forever).

End of a career?

It disappears then completely from the world échiquéen to reappear in 1992 for a match revenge against Boris Spassky, match which the organizers and Fischer wrongly describe as Championnat of the world , Fischer pretexting never not to have lost its title of 1972 on the chess-board. This pseudo-match is held in Yugoslavia then in full civil war and under Embargo of the the United States. It is then continued in its own country for violation of the embargo and also for tax evasion.

In 1996, it creates an alternative of the Jeu of failures: the random failures Fischer; he refuses since to play a part which would not proceed according to its rules.

He remains then more or less clandestinely in various countries (the Hungary, Filipino, the Argentine and the Japan). It made there some short media appearances for declarations very discussed anti-semites, in particular at the time of the Attacks of September 11th, 2001. It is stopped in July 2004 with the airport of Tōkyō for defect of passport (its passport American being out-of-date), and placed in detention. In October 2004, it requires the political asylum of the Iceland, place of the conquest of its statute of world champion. It is immediately released when the Icelandic citizenship is granted to him in March 2005 and it can join this country.

Parts

Viktor Kortchnoï - Bobby Fischer

Tournament blitz of Herceg Novi, 1970

1. d4 Cf6 2. c4 g6 3. Cc3 Fg7 4. e4 d6 5. Fe2 0-0 6. Cf3 e5 7. O-O Cc6 8. d5 Ce7 9. Cd2 c5 10. a3 Ce8 11. b4 b6 12. Tb1 f5 (the Blacks are ready to launch the attack side king) 13. f3 f4 14. a4 g5 15. a5 Tf6! 16. bxc5? bxc5 17. Cb3 Tg6 18. Fd2 Cf6 (or… h5!) 19. Rh1 g4 (or 19… h5) 20. fxg4 (forced because of threat 20… g3 and if 21. h3 Fxh3 etc) Cxg4 21. Tf3? (21. Ff3!) Th6 22. h3 Cg6 23. Rg1 Cf6 24. Fe 1 Ch 8!! 25. Td3 Cf7 26. Ff3 Cg5 27. De2 Tg6 28. Rf1 (if 28 Rh2 Dd7 threatens 29… Cxh3 etc) Cxh3 29. gxh3 Fxh3+ 30. Rf2 Cg4+ 31. Fxg4 Fxg4 32. abandonment (there is nothing to make against the threat doubles 31… Fxe2 and 32… Dh4+)

Donald Byrne - Robert Fischer

External bonds

Official site of Bobby Fischer
Site devoted to Bobby Fischer

Sources

Bobby Fischer, My 60 better parts, Stock, 1972
Elie Agur, Bobby Fischer. A Study of its approach of the failures . Grasset & Europe Failures, 1994
Gedeon Barcza, Laszlo Alfody and Jeno Kapu, World champions. De Botvinnik with Fischer , Volume 2, Grasset and Fasquelle, 1987. ISBN 2-246-33421-7
Frank Brady, Bobby Fischer , Payot Failures, 1993 (biography)

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