Inside The Mind of Bobby Fischer

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Today, we explore the life of World Chess Champion Bobby Fischer, whose brilliance and competitive passion drew the attention of the world. At a young age, he gained notoriety, and then of course he made his awe-inspiring rise to the top of the chess world.

Behind the scenes, though, Fischer battled mental health issues that eventually had a negative impact on both his professional and personal lives. Fischer was an amazing chess player, but his mental instability showed in erratic behavior and unsettling views that would ultimately bring him down.

Join me, as I explore his brilliance but also investigate the mental health issues and the circumstances that led to his ultimate fall...

The Backstory

Bobby Fischer's mental struggles can be traced back all the way to his childhood.

In 1945, Bobby Fischer's father, Hans-Gerhardt Fischer alienated the family leaving just his mother to raise their newborn son Bobby as well as their daughter Joan. 

Long-standing rumors claim that Regina Fischer, (Bobby's mother), had an illicit relationship with Jewish-Hungarian physicist Paul Nemenyi before giving birth to Bobby Fischer, which is why Hans abandoned the family.

Paul Nemenyi was one of the greatest minds of his era, but he also struggled with severe mental illness. Paul Nemenyi paid for Bobby Fischer's education all the way up to his passing in 1952 further fueling rumors of an affair between him and Regina Fischer.

When Bobby Fischer was six years old, his sister Joan gave him his first chess set and taught him how to play. Joan quickly gave up playing, but Bobby was intrigued and kept closely studying the game. Soon after, he joined chess clubs in New York City's Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Bobby Fischer played what is now referred to as "The Game of the Century" when he was just 13 years old. This event took place at the Rosenwald Memorial Tournament in 1956; he was playing up against International Master Donald Byrne.

Bobby was allowed to play him all the way to checkmate rather than surrendering as a tribute to Fischer by Donald Byrne. Witnessing that game would have been utter glory. Bobby Fischer displayed an acute and perceptive mind during every play of the game.

He gained a good amount of popularity that year, but his next year would get him even more. W Bobby Fischer won the U.S. Chess Championship for the first time at the age of 14. He would play the UCC 7 more times, winning all of them.

For Bobby Fischer, this was the beginning of something far bigger, yet to his dismay, his mother did not completely embrace his chess endeavors. She believed that her son should pursue a different career because chess was not a practical livelihood for him.

Bobby Fischer persevered despite his mother's opposition. He worked endlessly at his chess-playing abilities to raise his bar higher.

Then, at a Yugoslavian tournament in 1958, 15-year-old Bobby Fischer became the youngest International Master in history.

Following this chain of events, Bobby Fischer came under the spotlight all over the world, particularly in America.

He was viewed amongst chess enthusiasts as probably the most promising American chess prodigy since Paul Morphy. The United States had high hopes for Fischer. This is where things started to slip.

As the 1960s rolled in, Bobby Fischer kept playing in high-level tournaments, but he also started giving interviews to the press. 

Several individuals speculated that Bobby Fischer had schizophrenia because of the way he spoke during interviews—he seemed incredibly paranoid.

Bobby Fischer pushed passed the rumors and scrutiny and published his renowned work My 60 Memorable Games in 1969, a book chess fans still adore today.

His book increased his prominence. I played out the games on a board while reading the book. It was all really enjoyable to me.

This momentum carried Bobby Fischer into the 1970s with his head held high in what would be a defining decade for him.

Guts, Glory and Paranoia

In 1972, Bobby Fischer amassed a 20-game winning streak during the Interzonal and Candidates tournaments, completely disposing of his rivals and opening the door to the World Chess Championship.

Bobby Fischer said before the World Chess Championship that he would not participate because of the numerous photographers scrutinizing the event. However, Secretary of State Henry Kissinger called Fischer and practically pleaded with him to play when it appeared like Fischer would not. He eventually agreed to play the match.

As game one started, Bobby Fischer took 95 seconds to make his first move. He then settled in and started the game. The stakes were high. As GM Isaac Kashdan said,

It was the single most important chess event [ever]. A lone American from Brooklyn, equipped with just a single stone—his brilliance—was about to fling it against the hegemony of the Soviet Union."

Going into the game, chess experts considered Fischer as the favorite, but game one nearly tarnished that theory altogether.

That was a pretty bad blunder by Fischer. What his thought process was is beyond me. I feel like there was an idea somewhere hidden inside his mind, but we'll never know. He went on to lose the game, much to the displeasure of his American fans.

Just a short while after, snags were encountered when Bobby Fischer forfeited game two due to a few hidden cameras and wires in the playing hall. The games were moved to another room because Fischer insisted on his point so vehemently.

Bobby Fischer ultimately and conclusively bounced back from his losses in game one and two and became the first-ever American-born World Chess Champion with a final score of 12.5-8.5 in his favor. His victory also put an end to the Soviet chess players' prolonged rule and dominance. 

Bobby Fischer emerged as a Cold War hero, and America reigned on top.

The Fall

You may be wondering why I just gave you a quick rundown of Bobby Fischer's accomplishments. It's because I believe they're all crucial to understanding why, following the events of 1972, he suddenly snapped.

My theory is, is that Bobby Fischer might have been bullied as a young child due to the numerous rumors that circulated about his mother. 

70% of chess players are introverted, according to a study. If Fischer was the example, I could believe it with ease. Personally, if I was the target of bullying and was frequently called names, I would set out to prove myself. I'd prove to my bullies that I'm not who they say I am.

I believe he channeled his anger on the board rather than the bullies, continually proving himself.

He continued to prove himself after being the youngest International Master in history and winning the U.S. Chess Championship at the age of 14.

Years later, in his early adult years, as I said previously, more rumors surfaced regarding his potential schizophrenia. His opponents at the Interzonal and Candidates were destroyed by him, and he then unquestionably defeated Boris Spassky in the 1972 World Chess Championship.

Then, his job was finished. Bobby Fischer was the greatest chess player in the world at the time, and you didn't need an expert to tell you that.

As the 1970s rolled on, Bobby Fischer quickly retired from professional play and decided to live a completely different life. 

In the early 1980s, Bobby Fischer began spewing several anti-Semitic tirades. He frequently attended demonstrations in support of anti-Jewish causes.

He made sure to appear on all available talk shows. He would veer off on tangents and rant about the Jews rather than respond to any of the questions.

My main interest right now is to expose the Jews. This is a lot bigger than me. They're not just persecuting me. This is not just my struggle; I'm not just doing this for myself... This is life and death for the world. These Jews have to be stopped. They're a menace to the whole world. - Bobby Fischer

Despite being born to two Jewish parents, Fischer's hatred of Jews was so intense that he swore he wasn't a Jew himself. He also collected Nazi memorabilia and an interesting report stated that Bobby Fischer slept with a portrait of Adolf Hitler hanging over his bed every night.

He was unwilling to accept his true nationality. He even went so far as to request that a biography of him be taken down from Encyclopedia Judaica.

For many, Bobby Fischer's continuing anti-Semitism throughout the 1980s was sufficient proof that he indeed had schizophrenia.

Bobby Fischer even disregarded his own nation with his unlawful entry into Yugoslavia, (which was under American sanction at the time.) to play an unofficial World Chess Championship rematch against Boris Spassky in 1992.

After that, Bobby Fischer avoided the United States and avoided arrest.

Perhaps Bobby Fischer's most controversial remarks came after the 9/11 Attacks.

I was happy and could not believe what was happening. All the crimes the US has committed in the world. This just shows, what goes around comes around, even to the US. I applaud the act. The US and Israel have been slaughtering the Palestinians for years. Now it is coming back at the US. - Bobby Fischer

His blatant disrespect for all the mourning families and Americans alike left him with far less friends and allies

Hereafter he resided in Japan for a short while before being briefly detained by Japanese authorities for using a revoked United States passport trying to board a flight to the Philippines.

Fischer resisted arrest and *claimed* to have sustained cuts and bruises. After spending several months in jail, Bobby Fischer wrote to Iceland requesting citizenship as to avoid being deported to the United States. His Icelandic citizenship was granted, which from there on he lived a reclusive life avoiding the public, the press and anyone seeking business propositions.

Bobby Fischer died on January 17, 2008, of degenerative kidney failure. He was laid to rest at a church in Laugardælir. Far away from his home forever...

Conclusion

Why then did Bobby Fischer lose his frame of mind? A few factors can be used to explain the conclusion:

• His father abandoning him shortly after his birth.
• His alleged father (Paul Nemenyi) had struggled with mental illnesses.
• Lack of support from his mother to seek chess as his living.
• Enormous pressure of being a well-known chess player

What about his anti-Semitism, then? There is just one theory I can think of.

He was let down by the two most significant Jews in his life. His mother had her alleged affair with Paul Nemenyi, and then instead of staying and fighting for his marriage, Hans-Gerhardt Fischer packed up and alienated his own family.

We can never truly see inside or know the mind of Bobby Fischer. He constantly searched and searched for tactics rather than playing the book move. His dedication and methodical way of playing inspired generations of new chess lovers. 

His life has also left us with nothing but questions. His mind had the power to discern, but he sequentially made the choice to be who he was. I believe it was ultimately his tragic and scarred childhood that led him to be the man he became. 

So, in the end, who was the real "bad guy" of this story? Was it Bobby's parents? Paul Nemenyi? Or Bobby himself? In my mind, it's all three of them. They all made bad choices which led to something beyond their imaginings or wishes.

What do you believe happened? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Thank you for reading this blog! Hope you enjoyed it . I would deeply appreciate if you shared your feedback and theories in the comment section.

Thanks again,

- @HornetCruise