Chess Quotemasters #5: Robert (Bobby) James Fischer
To be great is to be misunderstood. Ralph Waldo Emerson
A typical teenager's response (well, it was my response) to Emerson's quote might be the following,
I'm the most misunderstood person in the whole world.
Not sure if that's a healthy ego, narcissism, a simple lack of maturity, or something else.
Okay, given those cautionary notes and thoughts, which seem particularly relevant when discussing Bobby Fischer, I'll try to avoid any anecdotes, statements of fact, or quotes that aren't assiduously documented. 🤔
Questions for the Reader to Ponder
Why a QM HoF? Well, you can find multiple sites that list plenty of chess quotes (e.g., Chess Quotes - Wisdom and Interest). Some even let you find quotes by a specific individual or at least on a topic, e.g., tactics.
Heck, you might even have an opinion on the greatest chess quote! Certainly, it wouldn't surprise anyone if you have a favorite quote. For many of us there's some quote that has stuck with us through thick and thin, like a jingle we can't shake out of our head. Can anyone get "knights before bishops" out of their head, no matter how often that turns out to be untrue? Or you may have switched your allegiance to some other quote over the weeks, months, years, or decades of your chess experience.
But have you ever spent some time speculating about who produced the best chess quotes and in the greatest quantity? Hey, it's no problem if you haven't considered the issue! I'm more than willing to fill that particular void in your thoughts with my opinions!!
What makes my opinions better than yours? Well, my opinion is informed by decades of chess and a (slowly shrinking) chess library that still occupies multiple shelves in my library [at the same time, my electronic chess library grows weekly and far more rapidly]. Primarily, though, I'm the one who took the time to put some thought into this sorely overlooked aspect of chess history, a Top Ten ranking of the greatest Chess QuoteMasters (QMs) of all time. NOTE: I'll offer a bevy of quotes by numbers 11 – 23 at a later date.
Still, it's just a set of my opinions. Besides, if you don't fully agree with my judgments, though I can hardly imagine such a contrary, confused, and contumacious state of mind, then chess.com generously provided a comments section so you can express your agreements, disagreements, quibbles, corrections, expansions, nominations, and questions. Some of which I will respond to!
Next, we quickly review the candidates.
The candidates, in alphabetical order starting from the top left corner, are Alekhine, Bronstein, Capablanca, Dvoretsky, Fischer, Kasparov, Kotov, Lakdawala, Emanuel Lasker, Mednis, Nimzowitsch, Nunn, Pachman, Romanovsky, Seirawan, Silman, Soltis, Spielmann, Steinitz, Tal, Tarrasch, Tartakower, and Znosko-Borovsky.
No, you can't add anyone. All the selecting has already been done, and that's that, so it's too late to nominate anyone else. And the choices for #1 to #10 are also locked in the electrons orbiting inside my computer. So there!
You may have noted there are more than ten candidates, twenty-three in point of fact! Well, of course there are! Otherwise, you could start making some incredibly well-informed guesses after the first five were announced. Now there's at least an attempt to shroud the results in a bit of mystery as we count down to numbers four, three, two, and one!
Thought I'd prompt you up front on some of the questions you might want to ponder while reading, and before commenting on the blog at the end.
| Based on the quotes you're about to read, already read for other QMs, or simply your ill-advised, preconceived notions, was Fischer a good choice for the number five spot? |
| Who do you think will take the number 4 spot? Nobody has gotten it correct for numbers five through ten! Can you change that? |
| Who do you think will take the number one spot? |
Some Q&As from earlier blogs in this series.
| Question | Current Votes (last updated: 07192025: 5:32 PM EST) |
| Who do you think was left out? | Philidor (1), Morphy (1), Giri (1), Grischuk (1), Rozman (1), Tony Miles (1) |
| Who do you think won't make the QM Top Ten at all? | Capablanca (1), @DocSimoo's Grandma (1), Alekhine (1), Lakdawala (1), Znosko-Borovsky (1) |
| Who did people think would take the number ten spot? |
Bronstein (1), Nimzowitsch (1), Spassky (1), Tarrasch (1) |
| Who did people think would take the number nine spot? | Pachman (1), Lasker (1), Steinitz (1) |
| Who did people think would take the number eight spot? | Lasker (1), Nimzowitsch (1), Steinitz (1) |
| Who did people think would take the number seven spot? | Lasker (1), Lakdawala (1), Tartakower (1) |
| Who did people think would take the number six spot? | Lasker (1), Lakdawala (1) |
| Who did people think would take the number five spot? | Lasker (1) |
| Who did people think would take the number one spot? | Nimzowitsch (2), Fischer (½*), Tal (½*), Tarrasch (1)***,
Kasparov (1), |
* @DocSimoo split their vote for #1 between Fischer and Tal. So far, they are at least halfway wrong.
** It's clear we have a Lasker fan, but I won't mention the kiwi girl's name. She never specified which of the three Laskers she meant, but Berthold and Edward aren't among the nominees, so I'll assume she meant Emanuel, the former World CC and noted scribe.
*** Our titled player got convinced by a friend of theirs to change their vote for #1 from Nimzo to Tarrasch.
Some Selected Fischer Writings
As an author, his book My 60 Memorable Games is considered essential reading by all serious chess players and was recognized as a GOAT chess book during the 2024 FIDE 100 Gala. That said, some have questioned whether Fischer or Larry Evans was the primary author [Books about Chess - Five Books Expert Recommendations]. Fischer also wrote columns for Boy’s Life magazine and Chess Life (I remember reading both), with the former articles compiled in a book. Other books included Bobby Fischer’s Games of Chess. Some of his most interesting articles included: "A Bust to the King's Gambit" in American Chess Quarterly; "The Russians Have Fixed World Chess" in Sports Illustrated; and "The Ten Greatest Masters in History" in Chessworld.
What others had to say about Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess:
This book focuses on teaching chess through a unique, programmed learning method. It guides readers through essential concepts and tactics, emphasizing checkmating patterns and strategic thinking, making complex ideas accessible to all skill levels. 40 Best Chess Books [Your Ultimate Guide to Chess Mastery]
What distinguishes this book is Fischer’s involvement as a chess legend, bringing his unparalleled expertise to the teaching process. Its interactive, step-by-step approach simulates a personal chess lesson with one of the greatest players ever. [Ibid]
This book is a must-read for those aspiring to learn chess or improve their game. Fischer’s insights provide an unmatched learning experience, making it an essential read for chess players or beginners worldwide. [Ibid]
Fans might miss Bobby Fischer’s personal insights or commentary, as the book does not include them. [Ibid]
It mainly concentrates on checkmate patterns and tactics, offering little on varied positions and overall gameplay. [Ibid]
You might find A review of My 60 Memorable Games by Bobby Fischer – Compulsive Reader to be worthwhile. It's candid and points out a few flaws in the game selections but overall offers high praise to Bobby's best book.
Below is a video by MVP Chess that presents the second game in the book. If you don't have the book, then enjoy this thirteen-minute clip with Bobby playing Bent Larsen.
What others had to say about Fischer:
I mean, most of modern chess is his offering. Myself and the rest had those moves ready for us when we started out, but it had to take someone to discover them first. Bobby Fischer was that person. He was that person for entire generations of chess players. His was a singular life in that sense. He's made it easier for us today. - Viswanathan Anand
What I admired most about him was his ability to make what was in fact so difficult look easy to us. I try to emulate him. - Magnus Carlsen
It is difficult to play against Einstein’s theory. - (on his first loss to Fischer) - Mikhail Tal
When you play Bobby, it is not a question if you win or lose. It is a question if you survive. - Boris Spassky
Fischer's integrity was evident in any one of his actions. Even his shortcomings were inseparable from him; they were aspects of his integrity. - Anatoly Karpov
If only I had had my duel with Fischer, my fighting level would be of a higher order. Once I had attained and mastered such a level - a level which for Kasparov is completely unattainable - I would have recalled it whenever necessary. - Anatoly Karpov
Fischer’s beautiful chess and his immortal games will stand forever as a central pillar in the history of our game. - Garry Kasparov
A great player and a great example for many. His book My 60 Memorable Games had a big impact on me. It is a shame he didn't continue to enrich the world of chess with his unparalleled understanding after 1972. - Jan Timman
Fischer prefers to enter Chess history alone. - Miguel Najdorf
As for the outcome of the match that never was, I am totally convinced that Fischer would have won against Karpov in 1975. He might have been out of practice and a bit rusty, not having played an official game since the 1972 match, but in the long run he would have proved to be the stronger player. - Helgi Olafsson
Do you realize Fischer almost never has any bad pieces? He exchanges them, and the bad pieces remain with his opponent. - Yuri Balashov
You know you're going to lose. Even when I was ahead I knew I was going to lose. - (on playing against Fischer) - Andy Soltis
Bobby Fischer started off each game with a great advantage: after the opening he had used less time than his opponent and thus had more time available later on. The major reason why he never had serious time pressure was that his rapid opening play simply left sufficient time for the middlegame. - Edmar Mednis
By the beauty of his games, the clarity of his play, and the brilliance of his ideas, Fischer made himself an artist of the same stature as Brahms, Rembrandt, and Shakespeare. - Bruce Pandolfini
The chess heroes nowadays should not forget that it was owing to Fischer that they are living today in four- and five- star hotels, getting appearance fees, etc. - Lev Khariton
Okay, let's get to the heart of the matter, the ten quotes allowed to each candidate for the QM Top Ten.
You'll observe Quote #1 in the image above. As I explained in the Criteria, it's important to me to be able to visualize at least one quote. Uhm...this one was kind of easy. Every teenager who played (serious) chess when I was growing up related to this one.
If you've read every word up to this point, your eyelids are certainly growing heavy. Before the inevitable happens, let's move on to the next nine quotes!
Some of Fischer’s most famous chess quotes were:
Chess is war over the board. The object is to crush the opponent's mind. Chess Quotes - Chess
I like to make them squirm. Chess Quotes - Psychology
I don't believe in psychology. I believe in good moves. Chess Quotes - Psychology
I give 98 percent of my mental energy to Chess. Others give only 2 percent. Chess Quotes - Success
The turning point in my career came with the realization that Black should play to win instead of just steering for equality. Chess Quotes - Success
Don't even mention losing to me. I can't stand to think of it. Chess Quotes On Losing
My opponents make good moves too. Sometimes I don't take these things into consideration. Chess Mistakes
Genius. It's a word. What does it really mean? If I win I'm a genius. If I don't, I'm not. Chess Quotes - Success
If you don't win, it's not a great tragedy - the worst that happens is that you lose a game. Chess Quotes On Losing
Skip QM Criteria and go straight to "Why Fischer is #5" (With a fair warning that you will miss some new images.)
I would hope some sharp-eyed critic out there would ask this critical question: What criteria did I use to determine who made the QM Top Ten List and who didn't? You asked for it, you got it! Right here, and right now.
| #1 | Gut feel. Darned if what they said doesn't resonate somewhere in my chess soul. |
| #2 | Must have ten quotable quotes that I could find without too much painful research on my part. |
| #3 | It must have been written or translated into English. I leave it to others to manage their linguistic chess QMs. |
| #4 | If it's a full paragraph...it isn't a quote. |
| #5 |
If it made me laugh it's probably a winner. |
| #6 | If it made me laugh and cry it's almost definitely a winner. |
| #7 | If it seemed glaringly obvious, I tried to consider when it was said. Sometimes that works, sometimes...not. |
| #8 | Can I visualize at least one quote? Can I create a picture that captures the essence of a quote? |
For each QM, I will be adding my take on why QM #9 was better than QM #10, and #8 was better than #9, and so forth, with every post. That's found at Why Bobby Fischer Earned the #5 Spot.
There might be a quote shootout, with five to ten additional quotes, if two QM candidates are evenly matched after their first ten quotes. This is unlike the 2024 World Blitz CC, and more like a golf tournament with a sudden death playoff. There can be no ties, but if it comes down to a coin flip, a spin of the roulette wheel, a random dart toss, or a roll of the dice to decide, so be it. Ultimately, I wield the scythe that separates and slots the candidates. [Tiebreaks will usually occur behind the scenes, though I considered presenting the contenders for QM spot
[I did consider posting the quotes from #1 and #2 simultaneously and deciding the winner based on a reader's poll. Not gonna.]
Okay, what's your point? You did a lot of research, so what?
In my circular way of getting to the point, I found that I turned up a lot of very quotable material going through a book for those whose sayings did not yet appear widely across the chess quote echosystem. I harbor hope these twelve posts will alleviate some of that lack of respect for people who are eminently quotable.
Still, the process left me to ponder whether an in-depth look into only some candidate's published works was an injustice to those who had plenty of quotes already bouncing around the echoverse. Bottom line, I chose not to do a page-by-page review of every candidate's works. One, I don't have books by all of them. Two, I don't have an infinite amount of time and energy.
To double down, I'm not going change my approach. As a character said in Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse 5, "So it goes."
Why Bobby Fischer Earned the #5 Spot
Well, should we be surprised that a World CC made it into the Favored Five? Methinks not!
So, let's move on to your second question. How did Fischer surpass Silman, a chess coach and surpassingly entertaining writer?
Bottom line? The 1972 World CC match got me into tournament chess. Oh, wait. That's not a good reason for making QM Hall of Fame decisions. Rewind. Start again.
Silman certainly offered the spice of an attitude that sneers at your opponent's play. Hey, if in your heart of hearts you are truly convinced your opponent's latest move was a mistake or even a blunder, if that attitude drives you to determine why, and if you are able to deftly execute a plan that dashes your opponent's hopes and dreams, I'd say the victory dance on the opposing king's grave is warranted! Jeremy Silman describes that deftly, concisely.
Fischer took it a step further. He didn't just want his opponent to beg for a draw. Bobby wanted to crush their chess soul! There's a raw edge to many of Fischer's quotes that reflects the "WIN" mindset that drove him...until he achieved all his goals and had nothing left to prove.
Yet there were also jangling nerves in Bobbie's sayings. He couldn't bear to think about losing. Haven't we all felt that way at some point in time?
If you read Silman's quotes, he's all about pushing his students to the next level. If you read Fischer's quotes carefully, you're forced to realize that the same emotions exist at the top of the mountain.
Sure, Bobby might casually toss off a one-liner that if you don't win, the worst that can happen is you lose a game. Okay, that sounds innocuous. But wait a minute! The two key words are "worst" and "lose". Fischer doesn't want to talk about losing, so he elides over it. Funny how the mind works. (This could be projection on my part, so take what I just said with several grains of salt.)
Bottom line? In Fischer's quotes I hear the majesty, melancholia, and madness of genius. It sets him apart from QMs #6 - 10, imo.
Many of these questions will change with every entry in the QM Top Ten posts. But that seems kind of obvious.🤣
| Do you think Fischer was a good choice for the number 5 spot? |
| Who do you think will take the number 4 spot? |
| Who do you think will take the number one spot? |
In the table below I'll track names, if not full responses, for questions two and three.
| Question | Your Votes (8:26 AM Eastern Standard, 11 Sep 2025) |
| 1 | Surprised! (1) Reasonable (1) |
| 2 |
Emanuel Lasker (1), Tal (1) |
| 4 | Nimzowitsch (1), Znosko-Borovsky (1) |
Short, sweet, surly, spellbinding! Well, that's the goal. Ultimately, if someone besides me reads these, I'll consider the success box checked.😉😎
If you enjoyed this, please come back to see who was ranked #4 all the way through #1...and then a special edition with quotes from all the contenders who didn't make my Top Ten, but about whom you might have your own opinions on where they should have fallen.
Cheers!
Kevin
While it is a cause for regret that Fischer did not continue to produce scintillating games, he perhaps had a greater impact on chess than any other twentieth century player. QUOTES BY JOHN NUNN | A-Z Quotes
When I asked Fischer why he had not played a certain move in our game, he replied: 'Well, you laughed when I wrote it down!' TOP 25 QUOTES BY MIKHAIL TAL | A-Z Quotes
Bobby is the most misunderstood, misquoted celebrity walking the face of this earth. [Yasser Seirawan by Edward Winter]
Some of Bobbie's quotes were a bit...dark. So, I'll post an image, but those opinions won't be presented in this forum.
Prior Blogs in the Quote Master (QM) Series
ANNOUNCMENT! The Top Ten Chess Quotemasters (QMs)
Chess QuoteMaster #10: GM Andrew Soltis
Chess QuoteMaster #9: GM Rudolf Spielmann
Chess QuoteMaster #8: GM Garry Kasparov
