Product Details

This book brings together the two greatest games names in this history of chess. The author, Gary Kasparov, is the world number one and, by common consent, the greatest player ever. The subject of this book, Bobby Fischer, is the only American to have become world champion and is probably the greatest natural talent the world has ever seen. In the period between 1955 and 1972 Fischer, more or less single-handedly, took on the might of the Soviet Chess Empire, and won. During this time Fischer scored astonishing successes the like of which had not been seen before. These included 11/11 in the 1963/64 US Championship and match victories (en route to the World Championship) by the score of 6-0 against two of the strongest players in the world, Mark Taimanov and Bent Larsen. The climax was his incredible 1972 win against Spassky.

Fischer is almost equally well-known for his temperamental behavior away from the board. He made extreme demands of all those around him including tournament organizers. When these demands were not met he often refused to play. The 1972 match against Spassky required the intervention of no less than Henry Kissinger to smooth things over. In 1975 when he was due to defend his title against Anatoly Karpov, Fischer was unable to agree terms with FIDE (the World Chess Federation) and was defaulted. After this he more or less gave up chess, playing only once, a 'return' match against Spassky in 1992.

In this book, a must for all serious chess players, Kasparov deeply analyzes Fischer's greatest games and assesses the legacy of this great American genius. Also under the microscope are the games of the other great Western players of Fischer's era - Samuel Reshevsky. Miguel Najdorf and Bent Larsen.

Specifications

• 480 Pages
• Hardcover
• Publisher: Everyman
• Published: 2004
• Notation: FN