Bobby Fischer Goes to War by David Edmonds

For Fischer - living alone amid unspeakable squalor since his mid-teens (his mother ran away from home to escape him when he was 15), immersed in his intricate delusional imaginings, isolated and ignorant, full of inchoate rage and confusion - chess was the one rational centre around which he could more or less organise his life. The authors quote a chess master named Bill Hartston, who said, 'Chess is not something that drives people mad chess is something that keeps mad people sane.' I don't know if he was thinking of Fischer when he offered this observation, but he could well have been. Much has always been made of Fischer's peculiarities. Neither could be said to be an ideal representative of his country. This was not a case of Soviet man vs American guy, this was Boris Spassky vs Bobby Fischer. I highly recommend it and it is a must for anybody interested in chess, politics, or the unique creature that was Bobby Fischer.But the particular always trumps the general.

The book is written almost like a novel, providing entertainment from the very first pages. Overall, the book gives intriguing insights into one of the most controversial players of all time, as well as his infallible genius at the chessboard. However, the book also focuses on the fascinating conflict between Fischer and the organisers of the event, detailing just how close the World Championship was almost a non-event. Rather, the book focuses on the amount of tension between Spassky and the uncompromising Fischer, and particularly the role in which certain characters included in the player's entourages interacted.

The book is not one which focuses on the actual games of the World Championship, leaving that to talented grandmasters who can professionally analyse each move in detail. Comprehensive childhood accounts of Fischer and Spassky are also included. The authors have clearly exhaustively researched the people involved in the story, and a list of about 40 characters have been consulted in the writing of the book. The book itself is written in an easy and flowing style, and builds up quite a lot of tension. The book also investigates fully the unique character of Fischer, and several psychologists give their opinions on his inimitable genius.

Written by David Edmonds and John Eidinow, it offers points of view from all who were involved, from the players themselves to the chief arbiter of the match, Lothar Schmid. Bobby Fisc he r Goes to War is a comprehensive coverage of the controversial 1972 World Championship chess match held in Reykjavik, Iceland between World Champion Boris Spassky and the paranoid and obsessive challenger Bobby Fischer.

Bobby Fischer Goes to War by David Edmonds