Mickey Z
Cool Observer
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
The Endgame of an American Chess Genius
“The United States is an illegitimate country ... (it) belongs to the red man, the American Indian.”
-Bobby Fischer (March 24, 2005)
There is a certain allure when an icon vanishes at the peak of his fame. The myth of early death has elevated legends like Marilyn Monroe, Bruce Lee, and Jim Morrison to veritable sainthood. However, there is something even more tangible in this myth when a figure simply “walks away” from fame. Greta Garbo and J.D. Salinger made self-imposed exile their greatest career move. Like royalty in exile, Bobby Fischer is no less reclusive.
Robert J. Fischer shocked the world with his chess genius, and stunned the world with his vanishing act. Bobby became U.S. Champion by the time he was 14. At fifteen years, six months, he was named “grandmaster” (the youngest in history at the time). After a meteoric career that alternated between brilliance and turmoil, Fischer defeated Soviet Boris Spassky to claim America’s first World Championship in 1972 and is arguably the greatest chess player who has ever lived. Living as a virtual recluse since 1977, Fischer’s myth has grown through endless rumors, innuendo, and speculation and his shadow still looms large over the chess community.
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