Chess master Bobby Fischer has taken his rook and bishop to the big chess board in the sky. In what was an eventful life of 64 years, Fischer became the first American to win the World Chess Championships in 1972 when he beat Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War.
It was all downhill from there.
While many spoke of the Cold War in absolute academic and political terms, Fischer was an actual player and pawn in the game – excuse the pun. Caught in the middle of Soviet Union and United States ego tripping, it turned out Fischer won it for the gipper.
Yay capitalism!
But Fischer felt feverishly different.
It was after 1972 that made Fischer a wild figure in American pop culture.
Disappearing and re-emerging to spew the occasional odd political (well, odd is putting it mildly. Let’s call it insane) and aggressive anti-Semitic declarations (what’s a good conspiracy nut without a little anti-Semitism?), Fischer had essentially banished and alienated himself to places like Hungary, Japan and Iceland – Eventually and ultimately also to the nether regions of his mind.
Just because you’re smart and you see endless political permutations doesn’t mean you found truth or make any sense. However, it can make you paranoid. Indeed, he was hospitalized in Reykjavík, Iceland for “serious physical problems and strong signs of paranoia.”
You think?
Perhaps, in his delusions, he ironically saw himself as a pawn in a larger game that he could not control or conquer. Maybe therein lies the tragedy in the life of Fischer.
Still, despite all the eccentricities, people can’t help but marvel at the problematic and enigmatic Bobby Fischer. “Yeah he’s nuts but she sure could move on that board!” A master “endgame” player (and the bishop endgame in particular),” his contributions to an intellectual game like chess is profound and legendary.
Fischer’s real life endgame arrived. Check mate.
