Bobby Fischer died

By Tom | January 18, 2008

Bobby Fischer, one of the greatest chess players in history, has died. He was 64.Fischer became the first American world chess champion when he defeated Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union in a legendary encounter during the Cold War in 1972.Robert James “Bobby” Fischer (March 9, 1943 – January 17, 2008) was an American-born chess Grandmaster, an Icelandic citizen at the time of his death, who became famous as a teenager for his chess-playing ability. In 1972, he became the first, and thus far only, American to win the official World Chess Championship, defeating defending champion Boris Spassky in a match held in Reykjavík, Iceland. It was widely publicized as a Cold War battle because it pitted a single American against the Soviet system. He is often referred to as a candidate for the greatest chess player of all time.

In 1975, Fischer refused to defend his title when FIDE, the international chess federation, would not accept all his conditions. He was stripped of his title as a result, after which he became more reclusive. He played no more competitive chess until 1992, when he had a rematch with Spassky. The competition was held in Yugoslavia, which was then under a strict United Nations embargo. This led to a conflict with the U.S. government and he never returned to his native country.

In his later years, Fischer lived in Hungary and later Japan. While in exile from America, he made anti-American and antisemitic statements. He did this despite the fact that his mother was Jewish and likely his father as well. His U.S. passport was revoked. In 2004–2005, he was detained by Japanese authorities for nine months under threat of extradition.

Tags: Bobby+Fischer, chess, small+news

Stumble it!

Topics: Breaking News |

« Canada puts US on ‘torture list’ | Home | Next Post »