Bobby Fischer Dies!

capa · Post by **capa** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 11:30 am

I pray that his death is properly investigated.

mclane · Post by **mclane** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 11:44 am

fischer is above god. before he dies, god has died.

Post by **Harvey Williamson** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 11:50 am

Former chess champion Bobby Fischer dead at 64
Eds: ADDS background, byline
By GUDJON HELGASON
Associated Press Writer
REYKJAVIK, Iceland (AP) - Bobby Fischer, the troubled
chess genius who achieved fame by taking the game's world
championship from the Soviet Union during the Cold War, has
died, his spokesman said Friday. He was 64.
Fischer spokesman Gardar Sverrisson said Fischer died in a
Reykjavik hospital on Thursday. There was no immediate word
on cause of death.
U.S.-born Fischer, a fierce critic of his homeland who
renounced his U.S. citizenship, moved to Iceland in
2005....
The Chicago-born, Brooklyn, N.Y.-reared Fischer was wanted
in the United States for playing a 1992 rematch against
Cold War rival Boris Spassky in Yugoslavia in defiance of
international sanctions.
An American chess champion at 14 and a grand master at 15,
Fischer became an icon when he dethroned the Soviet Union's
Spassky in 1972 in a series of games in Iceland's capital,
Reykjavik, to claim America's first world chess
championship in more than a century.
But his reputation as a genius of chess soon was eclipsed,
in the eyes of many, by his idiosyncrasies.
A few years after the Spassky match, he forfeited the
title to another Soviet, Anatoly Karpov, when he refused to
defend it. He then fell into obscurity before resurfacing
to play the exhibition rematch against Spassky on the
resort island of Sveti Stefan. Fischer won, but the game
was played in violation of U.S. sanctions imposed to
Slobodan Milosevic, then president of Yugoslavia.

Post by **Harvey Williamson** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 12:01 pm

UPDATE 1-Former chess champion Bobby Fischer dies
(Adds biographical detail)
REYKJAVIK, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Former world chess champion
Bobby Fischer has died of an unspecified illness, a spokesman
for the late champion said on Friday. He was 64.
Fischer, who beat Russian Boris Spassky in 1972 to become
world champion, was considered by some chess experts to be the
greatest player of all time.
A spokesman for Fischer confirmed the death in a statement
sent to Reuters by e-mail. The American-born Fischer had settled
in Iceland in 2005 and was later granted Icelandic citizenship.
Born in March, 1943, Fischer was America's first and only
world chess champion, winning the title in the classic Cold War
showdown in Reykjavik in 1972.
Failing to defend his crown in Manila in 1975, world chess
authorities awarded it to his challenger, Anatoly Karpov.
He was U.S. junior champion at 13 and U.S. Open champion at
14, and the youngest international grandmaster ever at 15.
Fischer fell foul of U.S. authorities by playing a match
against Spassky in Yugoslavia in 1992, at a time when the
country was the target of sanctions during Belgrade's war with
breakaway republics.
He vanished after the match, for which he won $3 million,
and resurfaced only after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the
United States. In an interview with a Philippine radio station,
Fischer praised the strikes and said he wanted to see America
"wiped out".
Fischer was granted Icelandic citizenship in March 2005
after eight months in detention in Japan fighting a U.S.
deportation order.
(Editing by World Desk)

Mars · Post by **Mars** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 12:08 pm

A bad day for the chess world.

capa · Post by **capa** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 12:41 pm

Corus should have suspended play today.

Erik Roggenburg · Post by **Erik Roggenburg** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 12:49 pm

May his soul find everlasting peace. Or, if there is no afterlife, at least he isn't troubled by his tormented mind anymore.

Post by **Steve B** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 1:04 pm

Erik Roggenburg wrote:May his soul find everlasting peace. Or, if there is no afterlife, at least he isn't troubled by his tormented mind anymore.

Well Said
Amen Regards
Steve

Richard Stickles · Post by **Richard Stickles** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 1:11 pm

He was ,IS, And always will be a legend.......

May he finally rest in peace

Richard

Sebastian Boehme · Post by **Sebastian Boehme** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 1:45 pm

Sad news! All respect from me to what this great player achieved and of course Sincere condolences to his family members.

ricard60 · Post by **ricard60** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 2:20 pm

Were i live before 1972 only few people know about chess but when that famous world championship start every one was learning and playing chess, i also learn to play chess because of that championship in 1972.

good bye champion
RIP

Enir · Post by **Enir** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 4:22 pm

I read in Spanish papers that Fischer was in a hospital last October and November "due to severe mental disorders (paranoia)". Does anyone know the cause of his death?

Enrique

Post by **Harvey Williamson** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 4:27 pm

Hi Enrique,

Before I left work the last thing I read on the wires was that it was suspected that he died of Kidney failure - although this had not been confirmed.

Best Wishes,

Harvey

Post by **Steve B** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 4:31 pm

Harvey Williamson wrote:Hi Enrique,

Before I left work the last thing I read on the wires was that it was suspected that he died of Kidney failure - although this had not been confirmed.

Best Wishes,

Harvey

yes
from the USCF :
http://main.uschess.org/content/view/8122/431

Steve

Post by **Harvey Williamson** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 4:53 pm

I was working on BBC Radio 4's World at One program today and we interviewed the author of this new book about Boby Fischer it sounds like a fascinating read http://www.amazon.co.uk/White-King-Red- ... 800&sr=8-1

If you want to hear the interview http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/mainfram ... 4/wato_fri

scroll in 24 minutes and it starts just after that.