Bobby Fischer dies

[Triforcer]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22724870/

Wow, I was unaware of how strange a dude he was.  Maybe the best ever in terms of raw ability, but that don't make up for crazy. 

[schild]

Maybe the best ever in terms of raw ability, but that don't make up for crazy.

Uh, yes, it does.

Every great genius of a field is crazy. And the raw ability completely and totally makes up for it.

The world lost a great mind today, don't be a dick.

[Ironwood]

How does one cheat at Chess ?

I mean, at that level, not at the stage where your Dad nicks your Rook and hides it when you go for a smoothy.

[Triforcer]

Every great genius of a field is crazy. And the raw ability completely and totally makes up for it.

The world lost a great mind today, don't be a dick.

He was a vicious anti-Semitic bigot.  Nobody's doubting he has a "great mind", but he was a very bad person. 

Maybe an early Den is good for this thread, so I'll godwin it up with:  If Hitler had been the greatest chess mind ever, would that ability "make up" for his other activities?

[Signe]

He wasn't very old.  I wonder why he died?  I read that famous biography of him years ago... don't remember the name.  He was VERY weird.  I wouldn't be surprised if he had a stroke because someone was looking at him.  He hated that.

[Ironwood]

From what I read, mate, he was a genius with a disturbed mind.

It's more common than you think and should be viewed with pity beyond it getting into a position of power.

I'm with Schild.  You're not correct.


Further, if Hitler was merely good at Chess, he wouldn't have been the massive problem that he was.  Driving the tanks into Poland put it a little further than Rook to King 3.

[schild]

He was a vicious anti-Semitic bigot.  Nobody's doubting he has a "great mind", but he was a very bad person.

Maybe an early Den is good for this thread, so I'll godwin it up with:  If Hitler had been the greatest chess mind ever, would that ability "make up" for his other activities?

Uh, we're talking about Bobby Fischer. I'm Jewish and don't give a fuck that he was anti-semitic. Mostly because I'm not a little bitch with a political hard-on. Please, get over it. The guy was a chess GENIUS. Not just good at chess, but possibly the best ever. And maybe the best that ever will be. He was the goddamn Da Vinci of Chess.

You know what, I'll even dignify the Hitler comment. Only because I'm feeling sassy. Even the Jews understand that Hitler was one of the greatest if not The Greatest Orator of all time. The guy could move a modern nation with the wave of a hand. Hell, he did. Hebrew Schools, today, still have classes where you pretty much just sit and watch Hitler videos while the teacher explains how fucking awesome he was at talking. So, does it make up for his particular activities? No. But it's OK to recognize brilliance in the eyes of madness. But hey, wake me up when Bobby Fischer's Zombie Corpse wipes out 6 million people of a culture. Then I'll be willing to side with you and not mourn his passing. There's a difference between a little bit crazy like any genius and Using Your Power to Make Satan Look like a Nice Guy, Fischer was the former. Asshole.

[Tebonas]

I'll be hearing "One night in Bangkok" in his honor tonight.

Fuck the haters, he was a chess genius. And beside his insane ramblings, he never did anything to anybody. Comparing him with Hitler is beyond the pale.

[Signe]

Crazy is nearly always acceptable with very talented people.  Well, as long as they don't kill anyone or fiddle with kiddies and that sort of rubbish.  Fischer was just really, really nuts.  A bit like Monk and mostly everyone loves Monk.

[Ironwood]

Who's Monk??!

[schild]

Tony Shaloub's character on TV.

Also, the title of the show.

Please, Ironwood, get with the program.

[Ironwood]

:(

We don't get that.  To my Knowledge.

[bhodikhan]

During the Cold War he played against the Soviets and won. At that time his victory was a a big deal. Going to the moon, better technology, and better minds were all ammunition in the battle. For all his insanity in later life he was a cold 'warrior' for the US.  If you could erase the mental illness and paranoia you would see a hero and not some broken down man.

Bobby Fischer was an American hero. That's how I'll remember him.

[Engels]

:(
We don't get that.  To my Knowledge.

That's a crying shame, really. Of all the dreck that the US doubtlessly ships abroad, they could have at least broadcast this in Britain to show we're not completely naff. Its just one of the funniest shows we've made in ages.

[Phildo]

It's ok, I thought they were talking about Thelonius too.

[Tebonas]

Its worth getting it even if they don't show it in your country. Or in the wrong language, as in my case.

Bobby Fischer evidently called Bush a criminal and didn't want to go back to the US until he is out of office. Thats remarkably sane for a completely insane person.

[Phildo]

Its worth getting it even if they don't show it in your country. Or in the wrong language, as in my case.

Bobby Fischer evidently called Bush a criminal and didn't want to go back to the US until he is out of office. Thats remarkably sane for a completely insane person.

I liked his quote about the "Allies of Evil"

[Engels]

During the Cold War he played against the Soviets and won. At that time his victory was a a big deal. Going to the moon, better technology, and better minds were all ammunition in the battle. For all his insanity in later life he was a cold 'warrior' for the US.  If you could erase the mental illness and paranoia you would see a hero and not some broken down man.

Bobby Fischer was an American hero. That's how I'll remember him.

Chess is individual against individual. If Bobby Fischer had defeated the giant soviet robot that stomped Smallville, I'd see your point, but he played another human being, who happened to be Russian.

Bobby Fischer ended up denouncing the US and moving to Iceland. Take the hint.

[tazelbain]

It doesn't matter if you play a game very well if you fail a basic humanity.

[Signe]

You do get it in the UK.  My in-laws in Dunoon saw a couple episodes and enjoyed it so we sent them the series on DvD last Xmas. 

eek.  This is what he looked like last year... a lot older than 64!

[Tebonas]

Did i miss something Bobby Fischer did to other people except calling them names? If that is failing at basic humanity, we could rename this site "f13.net failing at basic humanity"

[Mrbloodworth]

Tony Shaloub's character on TV.

Also, the title of the show.

Please, Ironwood, get with the program.

Good show, loved him on Wings.

[Ironwood]

You do get it in the UK.  My in-laws in Dunoon saw a couple episodes and enjoyed it so we sent them the series on DvD last Xmas. 

I'm googling furiously and I can't find where.  If anyone can hook me up, I'll take a gander.  Possibly even a goose.

[Signe]

Did i miss something Bobby Fischer did to other people except calling them names?

He beat them at chess.   

[Ironwood]

In fairness, a lot of people on this site do that too....

[Signe]

And when they die, I'm sure we will blurb about them, too.

Monk is on something named the "Hallmark Channel" which I don't think existed when I was there, or at least I never noticed it. 

[Ironwood]

Ah.  That's where I get House.

I'll keep an eye out.

[Roac]

He was a smart person.  He was not a nice person, or a good person.  There is a difference.  He also seemed to be fairly mentally ill; that still does not make him a good person.

[sidereal]

Fischer was a chess virtuoso, and he was also a massive kook who I wouldn't want to live within 8 miles of me.  Two unrelated facts can be simultaneously true.  Christ, people.  It's not like we're trying to assign him a review score. 

[Morat20]

How does one cheat at Chess ?

I mean, at that level, not at the stage where your Dad nicks your Rook and hides it when you go for a smoothy.

I think he was more bitching that he was distracted. The guy acted like he had Aspergers -- if everything wasn't just so he couldn't concentrate. When he could concentrate, your ass was fucking grass.

I have the DVD of Searching for Bobby Fischer, which really DOES totally fail to mention the bat-shit insane parts of Bobby Fischer, but since the DVD (and the book it was based on) was really based on a chess prodigy growing up (it's a good movie, and the book is good -- written by the kid's dad.), and not Bobby Fischer.

Shit, I wish I could remember the kid's name -- he's one of the best US chess players.

Interesting that he was a proponent of chess varients. I'll have to tell my brother that. (I got my brother a card game called "Nightmare Chess" designed for use DURING a chess game -- played cards alter the rules -- and my brother was joking about me killing the purity of chess).

[Roac]

Interesting that he was a proponent of chess varients. I'll have to tell my brother that. (I got my brother a card game called "Nightmare Chess" designed for use DURING a chess game -- played cards alter the rules -- and my brother was joking about me killing the purity of chess).

I've been wanting to play Chess960.  Also, one of the cooler nerdy party games I've played was 4 person chess - fun because chess experts lost a lot of footing when the standard bag of tricks didn't work so well. 

[Mrbloodworth]

How does one cheat at Chess ?

I mean, at that level, not at the stage where your Dad nicks your Rook and hides it when you go for a smoothy.

I think he was more bitching that he was distracted. The guy acted like he had Aspergers -- if everything wasn't just so he couldn't concentrate. When he could concentrate, your ass was fucking grass.

I have the DVD of Searching for Bobby Fischer, which really DOES totally fail to mention the bat-shit insane parts of Bobby Fischer, but since the DVD (and the book it was based on) was really based on a chess prodigy growing up (it's a good movie, and the book is good -- written by the kid's dad.), and not Bobby Fischer.

Shit, I wish I could remember the kid's name -- he's one of the best US chess players.

Interesting that he was a proponent of chess varients. I'll have to tell my brother that. (I got my brother a card game called "Nightmare Chess" designed for use DURING a chess game -- played cards alter the rules -- and my brother was joking about me killing the purity of chess).

Nothing beats battle chess.

[Morat20]

I've been wanting to play Chess960.  Also, one of the cooler nerdy party games I've played was 4 person chess - fun because chess experts lost a lot of footing when the standard bag of tricks didn't work so well. 

The kid Searching for Bobby Fischer was about is (or at least WAS) a fan of a speed chess variant -- four players, two to a side. One partner plays white, the other black. Say you're the white player -- you take a black piece, your partner can put it into HIS game in play, and vice versa.

[Merusk]

Bobby Fischer ended up denouncing the US and moving to Iceland. Take the hint.

You got to it before me.

Yeah, if you asked BF why he died, he'd probaby say the CIA poisoned him.  He was batshit fucking crazy for a number of years.  Still, a huge loss of someone so brilliant.

[Raging Turtle]

He was an absolute ass, and besides having the luck to be born with the perfect mind for chess, a shitty human being.  I don't get the hero worship here.