Bobby Fischer's Tragic Life Story
Almost everyone even remotely affiliated with chess have stumbled upon Bobby Fischer's name - a legendary chess player whose wit remains unrivaled even to this day. However, surrounding him lies a distressing personal story that remains scarcely known even after his quick derail from the game.
His story starts off by him being raised by a single mother, who was on the verge of homelessness and circulated between various jobs during the early stages of his life. She was continually investigated by the FBI on the basis of McCarthyism, owing to her time spent in communist Moscow.
When Fischer first started out in the game, he would have to play the majority of the games himself, due to the lack of interest of those close to him. He improved at the game by teaching himself without the aid of a professional master, through books and practice.
In 1962, well after his nae had been established as an up-and-coming chess competitor, he accused three Soviet players - Tiger Petrosian, Paul Keres, and Efim Geller - of secretly conspiring to draw against one another in order to conserve their energy against Bobby Fischer, and ensure that a Soviet player won the championship. Following this accusation, FIDE instilled traditional knockout matches. This is the format in which Fischer would later become world champion.
Before the World Championship match, Fischer stated that he would not play the match unless the prize was increased. Hence, the initial fund of $125,000 ($765,000 today) went up to a whopping $250,000 ($1,530,000 today).
There were 21 games to be played to proclaim the World Championship Title. Fischer lost the first two games, much to everyone's surprise. He then requested something very strange - that the game be moved to a back room, away from all the cameras. Boris Spassky accepted this request, and Fischer went on to win the Championship 12.5 - 8.5, a huge victory for the United States against the Soviet Union during the Cold War era.
When he returned to the United States, he was offered incredible brand deals and sponsorships, all of which he declined. This really makes you think about why he would want an increase in the prize fund for the tournament, but not accept the easy cash grab right in front of his nose.
Well, that's it for the first half. I'll try to make the second half of his story more interesting, because that was when he truly drew a tangent from the Bobby Fischer we know and respect today.