Bobby Fischer by MIchael Patterson

Born Robert James Fisher March 9, 1943, in Chicago, Illinois, Fischer first learned the game of chess at age 6, and left school at the age of 16 to pursue chess full time (“Bobby Fischer Biography”).In 1958, He won his first of many American championships which made him the youngest grandmaster of chess history (1). In 1972, Fischer became the first American world champion after defeating Boris Spassky (1). Fischer was very outspoken in his condemnation of the Zionist conspirators controlling America, like Ezra pound. Fischer also became as “ex-pat”, relocating to Japan (“six brilliant men who warned about Jewish plots”). There many conspiracies that Fischer voiced ova his life span, let’s dig deep and explore them

Character Analysis

Who was Bobby Fischer? To say the least, he was a psychopath. The true dictionary definition of a psychopath is a person with a psychopathic personality, which manifests as amoral and antisocial behavior lack of ability to love or establish meaningful personal relationship, extreme egocentricity (“psychopath”). “The young man was considered a loose cannon and less than cooperative. He would cancel out of matches unexpectedly, act demanding on tours, and maintain grudges that would last for years” (Bobby Fischer).

This event was beset by controversy, this was a height of Yugoslav civil war, and the united nations sanctions which prohibited commercial relations with Yugoslav. The United States treasury department wrote Booby Fischer. To warn him about which should Bobby choose to play the match, and accept his winnings. The penalty would be a two hundred fifty thousand dollar fine and ten years in prison .Bobby ignored the warning and defeated Spassky again, Bobby took his winnings and ran with it.

 After the match the warrant was issued against him, after traveling freely for 12 years. Fischer was arrested in Tokyo for having an invalid passport, without Bobby knowing the US had revoked his passport one year earlier. This was many years after his crime of playing his chess match, why had it taking them so long to do so? One can only assume that it was because he had started making these anti-American comments, maybe he was pursued because of the things he said.

As a fugitive, Fisher moved around Europe and Asia and missed his mother’s funeral. It must’ve been very painful and trimetric to miss the funeral. According to journalist Peter Nicholas, he always kept in contact with his mother. After her death Fischer came back into the public eye with anti-American anti-Semitic rants on various radio stations overseas. Philosopher David Edmonds says his anti- Semitism was a mind state. It was a sort of psychopathic illness which he couldn’t shake off.

This is sad because Bobby Fischer was an intelligent man, but that was over shadowed by his views and rants. It’s like he had gotten so consumed with other things that chess, the one thing that got him the platform for people to listen to him, was put on hold and to the side. There are very few people who can master a chess board like he did .There are few people who could achieve the accomplishments that he has amounted over his career. “at age 6 his sister bought him his first chess set ,and taught him basic moves. By the age of 8, he was taking lessons at the Brooklyn chess club and by age 12, he was holding his own among America’s strongest players” (“Bobby Fischer, Chess Master, Dies at 64”):               

“At sixteen he dropped out of high school to solely focus on chess, in 1958 he became the youngest grandmaster in chess history and eight time U.S. champion and the holder of several “world’s youngest winner” titles”. At age 13 he won the United States junior Champion, the youngest player to date to have that title. From there it was on to the United States open championship, where he competed against adults. Fisher took that title, too, at age 14, international play beckoned, and by age 17 Fisher became a challenger for the world title—and the youngest player ever to receive the title of international grand master”. (Bobby Fischer)

Who was Bobby Fischer? He was a psychopath.

Descriptive (Main idea and Details)

Who is Bobby Fischer’s real father? Although his biological father is listed as Gerhardt Fisher there wasn’t a whole lot known about the German born physicist according to Clea Benson , Peter Nicholas(Bobby Fischer-His Hatred for jews) Gerhardt Fisher had never really been part of Bobby’s life, and never actually entered the United States. In fact some speculate that Paul Nemenyi, a Hungarian Mathematician and physicist ,was his farther. It is unclear if anyone had told Bobby that Paul Nemenyi was or could have been his father.

Some say that not only did Paul and Bobby share Physical resemblance, they also shared certain personality traits(Who Was Fischer’s Father). Although this may sound very strange and makes you draw your own conclusion, some sources say these strong accusations cannot be backed by physical or concrete evidence. According to other sources, “Dr. Nemenyi took a deep interest in Bobby Fischer and even paid child support to Regina.  At one time, in 1947, when Bobby was 3, he complained to a social worker about the way Regina was raising Bobby.  He told the caseworker that Regina was mentally upset and Bobby was an upset child” (Who Was Fischer’s Father).

It was said that Paul, not only paid child support but often sent money to Regina to pay for Bobby’s school(Who was Bobby Fischer’s Father). But if true, could this explain some of Bobby’s behavior? They were both said to be odd balls and stood out from the rest. They both also had brilliant minds and could see things in a way that no one else could. And, if his accusations towards Regaina were true, and she was mentally upset and wasn’t raising Bobby as she should that could have been a key factor in how  he grew up, as wells as his attitude and outlook on life. Maybe Bobby was destin to be who he was just because of his mother and alleged father. 

Paul Nemenyi was Jewish and,  Bobby felt about Jewish people. What if Bobby Fisher knew about Paul Nemenyi, without his mother ever telling him? What if before Regina Fischer died she relayed that information to her son? That would be a very important contributing factor, as to why Bobby started to be so consumed in anti-Semitic and anti-American rants. It is documented that after his mother’s death is when he really started to dive deep into all of his condemnations and accusations (Bobby Fischer-His Hatred for Jews). Not to mention, there is a strong possibility that Bobby Fischer was the product of two Jewish parents. Could all of his rants and views not be directed toward America and the Jewish community? Could it be that all of the hatred and condemnations be geared towards his self? One would believe that he knew this information his whole life. The way he secluded himself into a world of his own and exclusively to his own thoughts and chess board is enough to drive a brilliant mind to becoming a psychopath. 

Hard copy of citations given to instructor.