Robert Fischer, In Memorium

Bobby Fischer has died.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22724870/

When I was a kid, I studied his games, especially the match against Spassky. The US press give him the golden-boy treatment, of course. Those of us who played with passion admired him. Looking back, though, it is any different than admiring Allen Iverson or Russell Wallace today? Good players, but also cases of being less than they could have been.

He took himself from being a force to being irrelevant in 1975, and played on the fond memories and patriotism of our country to help fund a re-match in 1992 with Spassky, where the chess was decidedly not up to current GM play. Yet to the end, he apparently thought he was still a great player.

Rest in peace, Fischer.
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