Bobby Fischer Dead

[luchog]

Yes, Fischer is somewhat of a tragic figure. Had he not developed what appeared to be a form of mental illness, he could have been the most beloved chess ambassador in history, particularly in America. As it is, he will be remembered for his descent into madness from the pinnacle of his sport.

Nothing new there, though. A disproprotionate number of chess masters have been raving loonies; just not quite as destructively as Fischer. Like the one, whose name I forget, who hired a witch to sit in the audience and put a hex on his opponents.

 

[luchog]

Anyone who's seen Amadeus recognizes that idea. In the movie, Salieri comes to believe that the giggling, obscene, vulgar, irreverent, brash, obnoxious Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is simply the unworthy instrument through which God dictates perfect music. The pious Salieri, recognizing his own inferiority (and being the only one who recognizes the greatness of the music pouring out of Mozart), vows to destroy God's chosen instrument, as revenge for not being chosen as that instrument himself.

Of course, there was almost no relation between the events and personalities in the movie, and those of the real-life persons and events they were very loosely based on.

 

[Pardalis]

Well, you can count the hits and ignore the misses all you want. I'll continue to consider each person as the sum of ALL his parts, not just the bright and shiny ones.

This reminds me of when Steve Irwin died, we weren't allowed to speak ill of him... It's like death made the people untouchable, as if there was somekind of death-censorship.

I remember when Kubrick died, I didn't want to dislike Eyes Wide Shut because I am a big fan of his.

But you know what?

It sucked.

 

[Pardalis]

Your 100% right about Morphy being the best American Chess player!!!

Maybe he meant chest player?

 

[latent aaaack]

I think the responses of many on this board to his death and Irwin's death would be like after learning about 9/11 to say "those huge buildings were really ugly looking, America did some things I don't like, and New Yorkers are too loud when they're overseas, and a lot of American culture sucks." You could've said these things the day before to not look like a bunch of vultures.

 

[Pardalis]

Tryng to equate this to what Fisher said on 9/11? That's a rather odd comparison, as we all know one individual's natural death and 3000 innocent victims of a despicable act of barbarism are quite different.

Apples and oranges?

 

[latent aaaack]

Tryng to equate this to what Fisher said on 9/11? That's a rather odd comparison, as we all know one individual's natural death and 3000 innocent victims of a despicable act of barbarism are quite different.

Apples and oranges?

Using the opportunity of someone's death as a time to only say whether you liked or hated them is like saying people you don't like should be dead and then actually gloating pettily when they do die. I'm assuming it's a simpler thought process than that though - more like just seeing someone's name and commenting quickly. I for one think eccentric geniuses should definitely exist even if they hold offensive and wrong views, so yes it's sad when they die.

 

[Checkmite]

I think the responses of many on this board to his death and Irwin's death would be like after learning about 9/11 to say "those huge buildings were really ugly looking, America did some things I don't like, and New Yorkers are too loud when they're overseas, and a lot of American culture sucks." You could've said these things the day before to not look like a bunch of vultures.

Who's doing this? I've started more than one thread on this very forum where I've explained how much I dispise this guy before now. If I remember right, I started a thread way back when he first got arrested in Japan. I started a thread just few months ago, speculating on whether or not Fischer's twisted hatred of the Joos would allow him to subscribe to the 9/11 truth movement.

I've always hated the guy. It's not like I'm changing my tune, or seizing some kind of opportunity now that he's dead. I just had to say something to head off the flood of dead-butt-kissing that I anticipated from those who have for some reason insist upon actually honoring someone who has publically declared his hope for a day when the US will "round up all the Jews, and execute several hundred thousand of them at least".

Strange, that even if we take Fischer only as a chess player, he doesn't come out exactly smelling like a rose; after his "magical, wonderful" win in 1972, he never played in another tournament again, so long as he had his title, steadfastly refusing to defend that title because he was afraid of losing it. When FIDE had enough and decided it was time for another championship match, Fischer drafted a long list of absurd demands that FIDE strained to accomodate but was ultimately unable. When Fischer pulled his "I won't play, then" BS again, FIDE called him on it, and Karpov got the title; Fischer, the amazing sportsman that he is, threw a fit and refused to play chess again - though that didn't stop him from flapping his gums about how every world championship after his was prearranged.

 

[negativ]

I cannot for a nanosecond imagine any human endeavor more nerdy and geekish (not to mention inherently contraceptive) than arguing about chess players over the internet.

Soon, even mouth-breathing, D&D-playing, RenFaire-attending, furry cosplayers will be reading this thread and feeling 1% better about themselves.

If you are not interested in chess, then don't post in a chess-related thread and if you do post, be civil.

Replying to this modbox in thread will be off topic  Posted By: Lisa Simpson

 

[Checkmite]

I cannot for a nanosecond imagine any human endeavor more nerdy and geekish (not to mention inherently contraceptive) than arguing about chess players over the internet.

Well, arguing over Star Trek, or Star Wars, or anything else with "Star" in the title.

But for your information, I'm not arguing about a chess player, I'm arguing about a Nazi sympathizer and national embarassment. So beat it.

 

[EGarrett]

I cannot for a nanosecond imagine any human endeavor more nerdy and geekish (not to mention inherently contraceptive) than arguing about chess players over the internet.

Oh god, this is one of the most ignorant and worthless posts I've ever seen.

1. Bobby Fischer was a national symbol, a man who made history, and one of the most fascinating psychological cases we've seen. That's not just a "chess player."

2. Secondly, if you consider it a lame conversation...why are you reading the thread? Why are you posting in it? I'm sure there are threads and message boards everywhere devoted intensely all manner of subjects I couldn't care less about, and I don't post in them nor do I read them.

Soon, even mouth-breathing, D&D-playing, RenFaire-attending, furry cosplayers will be reading this thread and feeling 1% better about themselves.

There is no purpose to your post, none, except to attempt to insult others. Sad.

 

[EGarrett]

Strange, that even if we take Fischer only as a chess player, he doesn't come out exactly smelling like a rose; after his "magical, wonderful" win in 1972, he never played in another tournament again, so long as he had his title, steadfastly refusing to defend that title because he was afraid of losing it.

No. Did he put tremendous pressure on himself? I'm sure. But he acted that way before he won the title. He was notorious for his overexcitability (wikipedia it, the more intellectually gifted you are the more you get bothered by tiny or mundane distractions) and social maladjustment (which also increases the more your brainpower does), which combined to result in most of his demand-making and odd behavior pre-tournaments.

that didn't stop him from flapping his gums about how every world championship after his was prearranged.

Victor Korchnoi said in an interview (I believe the clip is on Youtube) that some of Fischer's allegations about Soviet collusion were well-founded.

 

[negativ]

Oh god, this is one of the most ignorant and worthless posts I've ever seen.

1. Bobby Fischer was a national symbol, a man who made history, and one of the most fascinating psychological cases we've seen. That's not just a "chess player."

2. Secondly, if you consider it a lame conversation...why are you reading the thread? Why are you posting in it? I'm sure there are threads and message boards everywhere devoted intensely all manner of subjects I couldn't care less about, and I don't post in them nor do I read them.

There is no purpose to your post, none, except to attempt to insult others. Sad.

Sorry to contest your intellectual checkmate (haw), but your question in point 2 is answered by your statement in point 1. The thread started off being about point 1 (hence my interest), but became the chess nerd equivalent of "LOL your favorite band sux!!!11" because the INTERNET IS SERIOUS BUSINESS.

Notice that the thread title is "Bobby Fischer Dead", not "Bobby Fischer, Actually Sucky Chess Player Compared To Some Other Chess Player(s) So Let's Argue About Him, And I'm Glad He's Dead" so a VALID ARGUMENT could be made that it's YOU and the other contestants in the internet pissing match that has erupted who are actually the ones contributing least to the thread.

 

[Senex]

Bobby Fischer not only beat Spassky -- he single handidly, without a friend in his hotel room-- crushed an evil empire at their own game. It's impossible to understate what he did.

As crazy as that SOB was he makes me proud to be an American!

 

[EGarrett]

Sorry to contest your intellectual checkmate (haw), but your question in point 2 is answered by your statement in point 1. The thread started off being about point 1 (hence my interest), but became the chess nerd equivalent of "LOL your favorite band sux!!!11" because the INTERNET IS SERIOUS BUSINESS.

Notice that the thread title is "Bobby Fischer Dead", not "Bobby Fischer, Actually Sucky Chess Player Compared To Some Other Chess Player(s) So Let's Argue About Him, And I'm Glad He's Dead" so a VALID ARGUMENT could be made that it's YOU and the other contestants in the internet pissing match that has erupted who are actually the ones contributing least to the thread.

The moderator said it best.

 

[EGarrett]

Bobby Fischer not only beat Spassky -- he single handidly, without a friend in his hotel room-- crushed an evil empire at their own game. It's impossible to understate what he did.

As crazy as that SOB was he makes me proud to be an American!

That's another fascinating topic he brought up. The "Clubber Lang Effect" is indeed real. One motivated man, if he is talented enough, can reach greater heights than an entire team of people without real passion.

This is related, somewhat, to one of my favorite wikipedia articles...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasparov_versus_the_World. Garry Kasparov, on his own, played an entire message board of thousands of people all colluding and voting on what moves to make against him. It was a long, drawn out battle...but Kasparov ultimately defeated them. The power of one, indeed.

 

[shemp]

Nothing new there, though. A disproprotionate number of chess masters have been raving loonies; just not quite as destructively as Fischer. Like the one, whose name I forget, who hired a witch to sit in the audience and put a hex on his opponents.

This may be what you're thinking of: Karpov-Korchnoi World Championship Match of 1978

The World Championship match of 1978 was held in Baguio in the Philippines, and deserves its reputation as the most bizarre World Championship match ever played. Karpov's team included a Dr. Zukhar (a well known hypnotist), while Korchnoi adopted two local renegades currently on bail for attempted murder (Source: Karpov – Korchnoi 1978, by Raymond Keene). There was more controversy off the board, with histrionics ranging from X-raying of chairs, protests about the flags used on the board, the inevitable hypnotism complaints and the mirror glasses used by Korchnoi. When Karpov's team sent him a blueberry yogurt during a game without any request for one by Karpov, the Korchnoi team protested, claiming it could be some kind of code. They later said this was intended as a parody of earlier protests, but it was taken seriously at the time.

Zukhar's job was to sit in the audience during games and stare constantly at Korchnoi. It drove Korchnoi crazy.

 

[Senex]

That's another fascinating topic he brought up. The "Clubber Lang Effect" is indeed real. One motivated man, if he is talented enough, can reach greater heights than an entire team of people without real passion.

This is related, somewhat, to one of my favorite wikipedia articles...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasparov_versus_the_World. Garry Kasparov, on his own, played an entire message board of thousands of people all colluding and voting on what moves to make against him. It was a long, drawn out battle...but Kasparov ultimately defeated them. The power of one, indeed.

You ar

Edited by Lisa Simpson: 

Edited to remove inappropriate remark.

The world against Kasporov? Moves by comittee? No, that doesn't work.

Edited by Lisa Simpson: 

Edited to remove inappropriate remark.

Keep in mind the Membership Agreement and do not use personal attacks or insults to argue your point.

Replying to this modbox in thread will be off topic  Posted By: Lisa Simpson

 

[Senex]

I don't have a copy of my brilliant attack on that rascal. Let me have my copy bck and I'll back off enough to be acceptable.

 

[Checkmite]

This is related, somewhat, to one of my favorite wikipedia articles...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasparov_versus_the_World. Garry Kasparov, on his own, played an entire message board of thousands of people all colluding and voting on what moves to make against him. It was a long, drawn out battle...but Kasparov ultimately defeated them. The power of one, indeed.

Now there's a great player. The guy was a machine - the youngest World Champion ever, the highest Elo ranking ever, kicking and taking names for 15 solid years. That was just crazy.

He's also half-Jewish. Heh.