Understanding Bobby Fischer – Part 1 : The Early Years.

thanks QueenTakesKnightOOPS and good points 42FlamingZombies.

I just remembered I read that there was a meeting at the Marshall Chess Club of the Board of Govenors about getting Bobby to see a Psychiatrist for "emotional problems" and they threw ideas back and forth on how to get him to agree and who would be best, then someone asked " What if he is cured and it messes up his chess" the subject was dropped like a hot potato - they didn't wanna take a chance on losing the only hope the US had at a world champion.....who knows what would have happened if he had gotten help at that stage ( late 1950's)

I also remember he actually did have a few sessions ( if you could call them that) with a psychiatrist ... here is the exerpt about that  - -

World-renowned chess grandmaster and psychoanalyst Dr. Reuben Fine noted in his book, Bobby Fischer's Conquest of the World's Chess Championship, that Regina consulted with him soon after her son won the 1956 U.S junior championship at the age of 13. "He came to see me about half a dozen times," Fine wrote. "Each time we played chess for an hour or two. In order to maintain a relationship with him, I had to win, which I did. … My family remembers how furious he was after each encounter, muttering that I was 'lucky.' Hopeful that I might help him to develop in other directions, I started a conversation at one point about what he was doing in school. As soon as school was mentioned, he became furious, screamed, 'You have tricked me,' and promptly walked out. For years afterward, whenever I met him in clubs or tournaments he gave me angry looks, as though I had done him some immeasurable harm by trying to get a little closer to him."

I know I am  focusing on his mental health here but as that is my wheelhouse I am facinated to learn who why where and how he ended up as he did outside the brilliance or maybe in spite of the chess brilliance!

If I start droning on OP let me know :)

@42FlamingZombies

Keep posting, we need more material & insights. Analysing a person & their life is complex & I would like to build up a picture putting it together piece by peice, it's the only way we are going to achieve something that is not just a regurgition of other ppls opinions.

Did anyone ever interview his mother or sister???

People are too judgmental, especially those who never knew him well. "Let He Who Is Without Sin Cast The First Stone".

This is about understanding him not judging and throwing rocks... there is nothing in any religiion that is against understanding so I am afraid you have misjudged the intent of this thread.

I wish Japan had granted him a passport. It would be positive for chess in Asia. Well, chess is quite popular in Asia for a long time.

lol

Tyyyyy I have just started endgame and will check on the net for more :)

What you say is very true, we are doing some research on that very area of his life right now, hope to have some insight & analysis on it in the next 24 hours, if we can find your story we'll post the full details on it.

Well given the freedom to speak freely(the interest in him as a chess prodigy to hear what he thinks) most 18yo's of the time would have proved themselves to be anti-semetic, homophobic and sexist I think.

There's nothing mysterious about Bobby Fischer really I don't think. A lot of his 'political' views were right or at the very least fair enough. It's organizations, institutions and bodies of people who are crazy, unresonable and suspicious and weird and strange and unituitive and bizzare.

And it's them who are oh so adept at pointing the finger at individuals. What's that saying...it's no sign of health to be well adjusted in an insane world...

He knew only one thing, chess. He really had no idea what he was talking about with geopolitics and as a result poorly expressed himself. Rather than admit to this he made it worse.

I agree, there is little doubt that Bobby was his own worst enemy & although he had more interests than just Chess (Tennis, Bowling, Swimming, Music etc) Chess was the one thing that he was expert in & set him aside from everyone else. The disproportionate amount of time he devoted to Chess could only result is him having a somewhat slanted view of the world compared to others his age.

You make some interesting points, I read somewhere that most teenagers profile as Sociopaths at some point in their teen years. What this thread is starting to show me though is an evolutionary pattern that is leading to Bobbys rathersad later life.

My own personal observation through life is that poor kids often want to claim and show off as if they are wealthy, with fancy clothes, jewelery, cars etc.  

Rich kids often want to claim that they are poor and have it rough.  Such things are relative.  So for example the well off kid will pretty much always have someone wealthier to point to and be able to justify his claims he has it rough.    

I've just had a couple of books & videos on Bobby arrive, I'm digesting them now & so far not a lot of new info is comming to light but as I dig further into his life patterns are emerging. I've never tried to look at Bobby in this way before & I think there is much to be learned from it. It would be nice to have gained & shared a new perspective on the man & what drove him. I hope we can debunk the myths & present a balanced view of the facts by the time this thread is done.

Any new perspectives or info would be most welcome

You seem to be waffleing.

That said I never heard any good analysis that Bobby Fischer was a narcissist.  

Ive read the article quoted about possible paranoid disorder as well as being on the autistic spectrum.  (for example Bobby couldn't stand even small noises, seemed not to understand joking, had a very literal understanding of things including contracts etc.  and was of course socially awkward.) 

But narcissism is a new one.  Where is the analysis on that claim?  

Bobby wasn't a narcissist - he was paranoid and worked hard to totally seperate himself from his poor background.

I also am starting to suspect that he had what was once called Failed Attachment Disorder steming from not bonding with his mother at a young age. This bears out in inability to form emotional attachments with other humans as one grows up if the condition is not treated.......

Lots of views given in this documentary.  Draw your own conclusions.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwLM9bgE3tY