Bobby Fischer has died

[averyj]

He was a sick man, I'm not sure anything he said made any sense and could be used against him. Like many geniuses and he was a genius he became imprisoned by the thoughts in his own head.

Is anyone else just DYING to respond to this, but refraining in a strained effort to be nice?

OOH OOH! TEACHER, TEACHER! PICK ME!

[slapshot]

I never read he was sick in the head. He wanted asylum for political, not mental reasons.

He was a bitter old anti-semite whose days of relevance were long past, and I doubt he will be missed.

[NJTank]

I never read he was sick in the head. He wanted asylum for political, not mental reasons.

He was a bitter old anti-semite whose days of relevance were long past, and I doubt he will be missed.

I just looked up his bio on wiki, his mother was Jewish, which would have meant by tradition he was Jewish, though obviously with his views I guess he denounced his religion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Fischer

[udubs03]

By some accounts, his biological father may also have been Jewish...what an enigma wrapped in an a-hole.

[vicfurth]

I just heard about him yesterday. I forget who did the story, but I remember the reporter saying something like this:

"My father (Pulitzer-winning columnist) said you didn't have a sane bone in your body. I... don't... think you've said anything to disprove that."

I got some sick laughter out of that one.

Part of me wants to somehow possess the brilliant part of his mind, though. Sheer brilliance. Sheer stupid brilliance.

[udubs03]

I just heard about him yesterday. I forget who did the story, but I remember the reporter saying something like this:

"My father (Pulitzer-winning columnist) said you didn't have a sane bone in your body. I... don't... think you've said anything to disprove that."

I got some sick laughter out of that one.

Part of me wants to somehow possess the brilliant part of his mind, though. Sheer brilliance. Sheer stupid brilliance.

That was Jeremy Schaap doing an Outside the Lines report a few years back. His dad, Dick Schaap, befriended Bobby when he was younger and served as a sort of father figure to him. Then Bobby turned on him since Dick was a 'Jewish snake'.

[goalieboy82]

Anyone see "Searching for Bobby Fisher"? It was a good movie.

Well apparently the Grim Reaper found him....

also that should be a post of the day.

[The_Admiral]

Good riddance to a no good bastard who was really good at a board game.

I echo the good riddance half, but it's hard to belittle chess as just "a board game." It's not like he was really good at Sorry! or something.

[KCScout76]

Bobby Fischer . . . moves his knight to protect the king.

Devil . . . Positions his Rook . . . "check mate, your soul is mine".

[udubs03]

Good riddance to a no good bastard who was really good at a board game.

I echo the good riddance half, but it's hard to belittle chess as just "a board game." It's not like he was really good at Sorry! or something.

I know...I didn't mean to belittle chess (Lord knows how bad I am at it), it was more of a belittling of Fischer's accomplishments in the grand scheme of things.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

I didn't realize there was such pent-up hatred for Bobby Fischer. Where was all this animus, I don't know, ever ago? Everyone paints the guys as the second coming of the devil, but this is the first I've heard of him in years. All of a sudden everyone hates his guts? That's weird.

I should be clear and say I'm not defending his Jew-hating; far from it. Just that I'm surprised to see such an outpouring of hate from out of the blue.

[Mac the Knife]

I didn't realize there was such pent-up hatred for Bobby Fischer. Where was all this animus, I don't know, ever ago? Everyone paints the guys as the second coming of the devil, but this is the first I've heard of him in years. All of a sudden everyone hates his guts? That's weird.

I should be clear and say I'm not defending his Jew-hating; far from it. Just that I'm surprised to see such an outpouring of hate from out of the blue.

I think it's more a case of his flying off the radar for a few decades. If no one asks what you think of Soupy Sales, do you volunteer it anyway?

[DG_ThenNowForever]

I didn't realize there was such pent-up hatred for Bobby Fischer. Where was all this animus, I don't know, ever ago? Everyone paints the guys as the second coming of the devil, but this is the first I've heard of him in years. All of a sudden everyone hates his guts? That's weird.

I should be clear and say I'm not defending his Jew-hating; far from it. Just that I'm surprised to see such an outpouring of hate from out of the blue.

I think it's more a case of his flying off the radar for a few decades. If no one asks what you think of Soupy Sales, do you volunteer it anyway?

Perhaps. I'm just curious how many rabid Fischer haters even knew who the guy was before he died.

[infrared41]

I didn't realize there was such pent-up hatred for Bobby Fischer. Where was all this animus, I don't know, ever ago? Everyone paints the guys as the second coming of the devil, but this is the first I've heard of him in years. All of a sudden everyone hates his guts? That's weird.

I should be clear and say I'm not defending his Jew-hating; far from it. Just that I'm surprised to see such an outpouring of hate from out of the blue.

I think it's more a case of his flying off the radar for a few decades. If no one asks what you think of Soupy Sales, do you volunteer it anyway?

I think about it every day but I always decide against it. Maybe tomorrow...

I am surprised there have been no Seventh Seal references...then again maybe I'm not.

[quantum]

I didn't realize there was such pent-up hatred for Bobby Fischer. Where was all this animus, I don't know, ever ago? Everyone paints the guys as the second coming of the devil, but this is the first I've heard of him in years. All of a sudden everyone hates his guts? That's weird.

I should be clear and say I'm not defending his Jew-hating; far from it. Just that I'm surprised to see such an outpouring of hate from out of the blue.

My shock is that it is rather brutal on this board. It seems like many news sites acknowledge his accomplishments and have dismissed his failings as a person. The man was ill and, as many do, refused treatment. What he said was ugly, but it is tough to hold him too responsible considering it was due to his condition. He certainly didn't kill anyone. He just thought everyone was out to get him.

[Mac the Knife]

I didn't realize there was such pent-up hatred for Bobby Fischer. Where was all this animus, I don't know, ever ago? Everyone paints the guys as the second coming of the devil, but this is the first I've heard of him in years. All of a sudden everyone hates his guts? That's weird.

I should be clear and say I'm not defending his Jew-hating; far from it. Just that I'm surprised to see such an outpouring of hate from out of the blue.

I think it's more a case of his flying off the radar for a few decades. If no one asks what you think of Soupy Sales, do you volunteer it anyway?

Perhaps. I'm just curious how many rabid Fischer haters even knew who the guy was before he died.

Most likely only those of us approaching or over 40, or who have given study to the game itself.

[rams80]

I didn't realize there was such pent-up hatred for Bobby Fischer. Where was all this animus, I don't know, ever ago? Everyone paints the guys as the second coming of the devil, but this is the first I've heard of him in years. All of a sudden everyone hates his guts? That's weird.

I should be clear and say I'm not defending his Jew-hating; far from it. Just that I'm surprised to see such an outpouring of hate from out of the blue.

I think it's more a case of his flying off the radar for a few decades. If no one asks what you think of Soupy Sales, do you volunteer it anyway?

Perhaps. I'm just curious how many rabid Fischer haters even knew who the guy was before he died.

Most likely only those of us approaching or over 40, or who have given study to the game itself.

I think you may be right.

(file me under the "given study to the game" category.)

[ShinyHubCaps]

I was the other way around. I knew who he was / his line of work, but not his anti-Semitism. Ah, who needs him, anyway. His job can be done by a computer. I'd like to see that for any real athlete. You win again, Deep Blue.