BOBBY FISCHER DIED IN ICELAND
Robert James Fischer (1943-2008), the only American ever to become World Chess Champion in 1972 after winning the title match against Boris Spassky has unexpectedly passed away on the 17th of January, 2008 in a hospital in Reykjavik.
Chess players all over the world have always appraised his contribution to the royal game and admired him for the fighting spirit, his unquestionable devotion to the game and many other things he has done for chess.
As a young chess player, he showed quite early his talent and became the youngest Grandmaster in 1958. In many tournaments after that time he scored excellent results but the highest attention he received were connected with the crushing victories against super Grandmasters in the quarter -and semi-final games leading to the title match with Spassky.
In the match, Fischer achieved a convincing victory after profound struggles with his opponent and a similar achievement was reached by him in the World Championship Rematch (as he interpreted in that time) in Sveti Stefan/Belgrade in 1992 when after a long period of absence he returned to the chess life.
Unfortunately, there was no continuation of this return and the chess world has lost a great player forever. Beyond the opening systems he renewed and filled with new ideas, he innovated the chess clock/time system now most widely used in FIDE tournaments where the players get some extra time after their moves made.
This system completely eliminated the big trouble of the past games, the serious middle-game time pressure and the postponement of the continuation of the game for the next day. He also invented the random (shuffle) chess opportunity as in his view, not only the preparation but mainly the performance on-the-board should decide the outcome of the game.
During his life he has had many disputes with chess authorities, with the US Chess Federation, with other authorities but almost never with a fellow chess player.
As a human being, he was a very controversial person but the chess world shall be thankful to him for changing the conditions of the tournaments and increasing the reputation for the game.
He will always be undefeated champion in our eyes and wish him a peaceful rest. People of the chess world will remember him until chess is played.
Peter Rajcsanyi
Public Relations and Marketing Director
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