Bobby Fischer's arrogance? Or is he arrogant?

I can list about 40 Bobby Fisher flaws, before getting to arrogance.

Its pretty low on the list.

1. Enjoyed shaving spiders

2. Drove a milk-float around Philadelphia at twice the speed limit.

3. Set fire to passengers' newspapers on trains.

4. Read religious joke books instead of sacred texts.

5. Always thought yes meant no and no meant yes.

There must be at least a thousand more.

I knew him during his Pasadena days... used to see him often in the Central Library on Walnut. Bobby was totally misunderstood and many now like to feed on his supposed insanity. Bobby was crazy like a fox and if you didn't cross him or go behind his back he could be a great friend. Yes he was somewhat arrogant about his chess playing abilities but can you blame him? Both Spassky and Kasparov have called him the father of modern professional chess. I couldn't agree more. 

I wouldn't deign to inflict my sub standard chess on Bobby Fischer, if I ever had the opportunity to meet him. Truth be known I have to much respect for the man to waste his time. It's funny as a kid growing up the impression, or perhaps it was just my impression, was that following 1972 Bobby was a Cold War warrior. That he would come back and sweep aside all the chess challenges posed by the players seeking revenge on behalf of the USSR. And that his disappearance from public view was part of this strategy to help build that legend. That Fischer was incubating somewhere and all the while Bobby's chess playing ability was getting stronger and stronger as he worked and worked in his solitude.

Remember all of this was during the pre-interweb thingy and "social media" explosion.

The return match in 1992 against Spassky put paid to the urbanl legend that Bobby was getting stronger and stronger.

I'm 70 now, met a lot of people and I believe "Bob" as I called him was an extremely knowledgable chess master even remembering complete Morphy, Capablanca and Tal games vividly. BTW he wouldn't have played anyone not in his league. "Who's in his league?" He wore sunglasses and a slouch hat that he only took off inside the library. At first I acted like I didn't know who he was. I was going to college at the time studying of all things Computer Science. But I played chess as a kid and watched the results from Iceland so it was obvious who he was. I watched, chat some and kept my distance. Looing back... a wise choice.

Nice one.

So you actually got to meet and play against RJF? Wonderful stuff.

No, I never actually tried to play him! I really don't believe he would have played anyone rated below an IM. All I ever saw him do was read newspapers, chess books and Issac Kashdan puzzles and reviews in the LA Times. We did discuss chess history and his favorite players and games. He liked Tal and his games with all the Russian GM's of that time. He thought Spassky was the best of the Russian's after Tal and he was not afraid of Karpov. This was before Kasparov probably around 1979 or 1980.

IMO I think a Fischer vs Kasparov match would have been a great event with the outcome very close going in either direction. I wish I could go back to those days... I have thought of thousands of questions I would like to ask him... but it's too late! You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone! Plus I was caught up in my own studies and career... not chess but just as difficult... computer science. I went on to be on design teams for the best mini-computers of the 70's through the mid 80's.

I play through old games today and find Fischer's games refreshing and sometimes ultimately brilliant. But his brilliant contributions are old hat today and part and parcel of a refined chess engine that sells for under a hundred bucks. I'd would have never guessed this would happen back when I met "Bob"!    

Bobby Fischer Goes To War is a fantastic book and will explain all of the questions in this thread.