An amateur, staring at a position on the chess board is often fumbling in the dark, his head spinning with a multitude of general rules and vague notions. When a chess master finds a winning strategic idea it is seldom by accident. All 736 serious tournament games are supplemented by crosstables of every major tournament and match in which Fischer participated, dozens of archival photographs, along with brief comments and observations putting the play of the great champion into historical perspective. Best-selling chess author, German International Grandmaster Karsten Muller, annotates each game of the player many believe to be the greatest of all time.
Now, for the first time, every single one of his tournament and match games is presented with insightful explanations and analysis. His raw genius for the royal game, combined with an indefatigable will to win, made him one of the most feared chessplayers of all time a genuine living legend. It was clear from his early years as a gifted prodigy through his stormy ascent of the Chess Olympus, no one had ever rocked the chess world quite like Bobby Fischer. It was an unrelenting, sometimes frustrating quest, but he persevered, eventually emerging as perhaps the greatest natural chess talent ever. Obsessed with chess, all his waking hours became devoted to finding truth on the 64 squares. Then, in the mid-1950s, a lone genius from Brooklyn emerged. There were occasional flashes of brilliance in the West Reshevsky, Najdorf, and later Larsen but no one really mounted a serious challenge to the Russian hegemony. The Ultimate Fischer Collection! The Chess Publishing Event of the Decade! The years after the Second World War saw international chess dominated by the Soviets Botvinnik, Smyslov, Tal, Petrosian and then Spassky held the world crown, treating it as if it were almost an integral part of their country s heritage. This is the definitive account of a fascinating man and an extraordinary life, one that at last reconciles Fischer's deeply contradictory legacy and answers the question: 'Who was Bobby Fischer?' What motivated him from such a young age, and what was the source of his remarkable intellect? How could a man so ambivalent about money and fame be so driven to succeed? What drew this man of Jewish descent to fulminate against Jews, and how was it that a mind so famously disciplined could unravel so completely? From his meteoric rise, to an utterly dominant prime, to his eventual descent into madness, the book draws upon hundreds of newly discovered documents and recordings, and numerous firsthand interviews conducted with those who knew Fischer best, to paint, for the very first time, a complete picture of one of the most enigmatic icons.
Everyone knew the basics of his life: he began as a brilliant youngster, then became the pride of American chess, then took a sharp turn, struggling with paranoia and mental illness. When Bobby Fischer died in January 2008, he left behind a confounding legacy. The controversial alterations that were made to Bobby Fischer's words in the last edition have been omitted in this book, so only the author's own words are expressed, giving aa true insight into one of the most gifted, troubled and controversial minds of the 20th century. It is essential for each chess enthusiast, competitor and professional. Every player will learn huge amounts from this book. Fischer played nearly all of these games as a grandmaster so they are at the very highest level, but his lucid commentary makes every move and idea both accessible and understandable. You'll find beautifully simple positional play next to out-of-this-world combinations that are just breathtaking. One of the most important chess books ever written, reissued in celebration of a chess genius, Bobby Fischer.The American takes the reader through 60 of his games, describing his thoughts, the intricacies behind his and his opponent's strategies, the tactical justification of moves and the psychological battle in each one.