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Fischer or Kasparov. Who's the best?

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Vovchanchyn

Ok Let's go 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_top_chess_players_throughout_history

Zodiac_37_SFPD_0

Fischer.

1. When he got a positionally advantageous position, he never seemed to make a technical mistake and would grind out a win like a computer.

2. His powers of concentration and coolness during play was second to none, which enabled him to cope with surprises during the openings.

3. He relied only on himself in chess. No vast organization behind him with an army of GMs to help him in openings, novelties, etc; he never really used seconds; had an amazing will to win. He played every game as if it was the last thing he was going to do on earth.

 

Kasparov's concentration has been known to lapse and he often lost motivation and the will to defend in tough situations (as seen in games where he was surprised in the openings). He had the state resources and GMs to help hi - and later computers. Fischer just worked everything out in his head.

 

Put these two on a desert island with only one chessboard to use when playing each other, and Fischer's natural technical ability would easily see him get the upper hand.

kindaspongey

https://www.chess.com/article/view/who-was-the-best-world-chess-champion-in-history

bong711

Put these two on a desert island with only one chessboard to use when playing each other, and Fischer's natural technical ability would easily see him get the upper hand.

 

Interesting scenario. I still bet on Kasparov to win. Fischer is very demanding on playing conditions. He can't play his best on that terrible condition.

MickinMD

Kasparov did not dominate like Fischer did.  Of course, Fischer's behavior during the championship match with Spassky was so awful that, at the height of the USA-Soviet Union Cold War, someone pointed out that Bobby was so disgusting he caused the USA to root for the Russians.

Many of us who saw USCF membership triple during and after the Fischer-Spassky 1972 match felt really cheated by Fischer who did NOTHING for chess, even though many chess players had gone to great trouble to support him during his rise to greatness.

Nevertheless, playing knockout matches among the top 8 challengers in the world and winning 6-0, 6-0, 5-1-3 - the last match played with an illness against the last World Champion Petrosian, is something that may never be repeated.

Elroch

The result against Larsen was the most amazing. 100% against a player rated 2660! A similar result against Taimanov was almost as far off the scale.

Zodiac_37_SFPD_0
Elroch wrote:
idreesarif wrote:
MelvinDoucet wrote:

Fischer because he was world champion.

greatest comment in chess.com's history.

Yes, I see what you mean! Perhaps the news from 1985 will get to his part of the world soon.

I think the point is that Fischer became the world champion despite formidable odds. Kasparov was the product of the Soviet chess system and had the full backing and resources of the state to achieve his goals. Fischer did it all alone.

dannyhume
Kasparov did dominate... except for Karpov, who in turn dominated prior to Kasparov. Fischer dominated too, but would he have been top dog (or fairly close) for another 15-20 years after winning the title? We know for Karpov and Kasparov, but we’ll never know for Fischer, who forfeited his title, so it is hard to say Fischer that Fischer is “best” between when compared to either Kasparov or Karpov.
Jenium

Definitely Fischer!

yureesystem

Fischer is the best!

WhereDoesTheHorseGo
Fischer was very flawed, but in regards to chess, he dominated. He was solo, not part of the Soviet System, and his novelties were his own. That said, I’d rather have a beer with Kasparov.
marktwain938

     I know most of you will laugh at this, but Bobby Fischer was on an airplane later in life and told some interviewers that he (Bobby Fischer), thought he was the most talented player ever.

 

    I think he would be in a position to know far more than any of us, and I believe him.

 

    He made a lot of sense about a lot of chess topics in that interview, so don't give me this nonsense that he was crazy.

 

 edit: go to 2:05 of this interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-S4BU_AYJEs