Bobby Fischer's Variant Games Found

When the Gothic Chess Live server was launched in 2005, thousands of people played this 10x8 variant 24x7. In 2006, Bobby Fischer played on the site under the name UMBRA.

We are now in the process of recovering games from the old server!

https://web.archive.org/web/20060615121826/http://www.gothicchesslive.com/players-games.php

You can see an article in the New York Post about the Fischer-Karpov match that came about as a result of Fischer's interest in this 10x8 variant that fixed the flaws in Capablanca's Chess.

https://nypost.com/2006/10/29/bobby-tolya-maybe-game-for-gothic/

It was later in the Philadelphia Inquirer also

https://www.inquirer.com/philly/news/homepage/20080119_Fischer_started_reign_with_a_win_in_Phila_.html

I've heard about these games for some time now.  It's exciting to finally have the chance to review these one-of-a-kind Gothic Chess gems!

So who has the actual moves from the games?

The good old days on the Gothic Chess live server, that was fun.

Unfortunately, there was often no opponent to be found or there were technical problems. "Thousands of people played this 10x8 variant 24x7" is unfortunately a bit exaggerated.

Well, I think the most difficult thing for a chess variant is to find a base of players. Also for such a good one. Gothic or Trice's Chess is one of two games that I like more than classic chess.

(From Ed Trice who still can't post images):

I just found something very interesting.

April 25, 2006. Game 773. 5/5 blitz game with umbra (Fischer). One of the many games where he let 3:00 run off his clock before making his first move.

After he beat me several times at 5:00/2:00 odds, I managed this one draw. We were in Iceland June 6 of that year so I wonder if this is what intrigued him enough to want to play the match with Karpov?

Interesting video!  It would have been thrilling for the world to see that match happen.