I remember Bobby Fischer. Imagine that. A 9 year-old kid in the middle of Wisconsin in 1972, and I remember Bobby Fischer. A chess player. He was that big.
Each generation has its highs and lows — it’s memorable moments. And maybe its boogey men too. There are plenty of people out there who still remember ours. The evil empire. The Soviet Union. Looking back maybe we could’ve seen the signs of its impending collapse. But back then, it was real. It was something about which the typical American worried regularly. To us, the possibility of a war with a nuclear power was always there.
And so there was Bobby Fischer. He was odd. But he was American. And he was a threat to Soviet domination in chess. So in 1972, when he played Boris Spassky for the World Chess Championship, it was a big deal. Even bigger of course when he won.
I don’t know how I stumbled upon this — must’ve just caught my eye while I was watching something else. I really like the guy’s style as he describes the matches and the alternatives. Helps me understand the game much more and makes it quite interesting. Hope you enjoy it.