Geller and Tal had positive records against Fischer. Why? Explain.

Fischer liked to play for a win at all costs, even in situations when it wasn't appropriate.  Fischer gave away a drawn position against Spassky in a book draw.  

Don't get too down. The Bobby Fischer Myth is huge and I'm saying this as a big, big Fischer fan. I learned about chess watching the 72 WC on TV and I was so taken by the games my parents bought me Fischer's My60MG and I carried it around to all the top tourneys I could go to for the next few years.

Unfortunately I never got to meet the guy but in talking to players who played him and knew him, it didn't take long to figure out Fischer away from the board had plenty of issues.

So maybe it comes down to 80% of the Fischer myth on the chessboard is probably defendable and 80% of the  positive Fischer myth away from the board is probably just legend. As usual, it seems to always end up with shades of grey.

The game had not yet started.

The picture is often misidentified as Fischer vs Petrosian, 1971 Candidates final.  However, that is incorect, as the boards and players in the background demonstrate.

Instead, I believe it to be from the "USSR vs The Rest of the World" match, played in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, 1970.

Petrosian was not smiling at the end of the four game match, as Bobby clobbered him 3-1 (2 wins, 2 draws).  Fischer was returning to chess after a two-year layoff.

Fischer soon wiped that smirk from Petrosian's face and then stomped him in their 71 match in Argentina . 

Like this : 

Here's a radical theory. If GMs play thousands of games with dozens of GMs, by chance mismatches will occur. According to chessgames.com, Polugaevsky's record against Tal was 8-2 aand 22 draws. If you look at the years you will see that it was not a matter of Polugevsky beating a young undeveloped Tal.Polygaevsky was a strong respected GM. But surely Tal was generally a much stronger player.

Any of the Boris's could beat him. Boris Spassky, Boris Gelfand, Boris Gulko, Boris Yeltsin, Boris Karloff....all of them.

I agree that Gelfand could beat him but not Spassky.  I don't know enough about Yeltsin or Karloff to make a judgment call there.  

Ha ha! Boris Yeltsin! And Karloff! Lola, you are hilarious! And OogieBoogie, you are perhaps more funny than you know! Lola, you must be a little older than Boogie. ;)  Tears in my eyes!

Interesting , did you include games with Botvinnik and Keres ? 

Well said GPE !

Okay. Let me make it perfectly clear that in 1972 when BF was 29 years old and in his prime ?....Botvinnik was age 61, Bronstein was 48, Stein was 38, Smyslov was 51, Keres was 56, and Taimanov was 46.

He could not beat these players in their prime until he reached his prime and after they had exited theirs ?

Pleez, take into consideration a player's age in chess. I mean, fair is fair.

Bobby was too busy looking good to waste much time playing those lazy Soviets.

Marcos, if you really look like that ?....I promise you I will be in Nassau tonite........

heres Bobby winning the mens doubles at wimbledon.

its amazing he found any time to study chess at all!

Isnt that Bobby and Jimbo ? 

its a basketball player, Reb! Bobby had to serve ace after ace to win that title with a non-pro! he was a genius.

its my passport pic, Lola! had to suppress my natural smile :-)

A reverse image search suggests it is Fischer serving in a celebrity tennis match, with playing partner Gail Goodrich (professional basketball player)

Fischer taught himself Russian!

"taught himself".

the Russians had their skills downloaded, would have been much quicker for them if it could have been stored by electric current.

Botvinnik Fide titlist:

1948 (fixed tournament) - 1957 (Lost to Smslov)

1958 (Smyslov throws rematch on orders) - 1960 (Lost to Tal)

1961 (Deathly ill Tal force to play rematch, loses) -1963 (Lost to Petrosian)

Botninnik held the FIDE title for 13 years, and never managed to win a title match as champion, such was the Soviet chicanery.

such a cute guy, if he would just come back to earth once in a while he might know whats going on down here.