Who is the greatest chess player of all time ?? Bobby Fischer ??

BF set back US chess decades. He disgraced our great game. Why is US Chess at the bottom when chess is thriving world wide? It is because of the stigma BF created.

Get over it BF lovers. He was a racist lunatic. He was a chess savant. So what? That excuses the person? The general public knows better.

I disagree. Fischer was responsible for a huge explosion of chess players in the United States and around the world. Almost every player who became a GM in the 1980s credited Fischer as one of their first chess idols.

Fischer's politics and racism don't show up in his games or in "My Sixty Memorable Games".

It is possible to separate Fischer's chess from the rest of his life.

So if Hitler or Stalin had been a top Grandmaster, that would have been fine?

Yes, the funny part is that he was a Jew himself. Go figure. Probably had some issues as a child.

Still me!!!!

Garrus wrote: What a chess player does or thinks in his life does not matter at all.

Rather naive. BF was "chosen" to represent the US during the cold war. He was "duped" into believing western thought was superior to the Russians. He became fearful his skills as a player would not match up. His paranoid schizophrenia began to manifest itself. Point is, a persons character does matter, especially in a heads up match. Strength of character often will prevail over superior skill.

of course I am is a best

 I would like to give you an opinion on this from things I have read and seen

 a little of over time. I liked the old masters more than anything because they did such great things at a time when there were no computer programs. THERE  was no great books on all the openings and opening lines etc. they invented much of these as they played on. BOBBY had played and defeated many of them. BUT I must add gary  kasparov is the best ever when you consider he has the title 20 years! I don,t think fischer could do such a thing. two reasons I say this. THE main one is he was only in it for the money as wittnessed  by his actions. WORLD title make a deal for more money grab the cash and run!  spassky rematch years later grab the cash and run!  HE invents a clock to gain time and a few other things to make money and he split!  HE could care less about chess per se  or teaching or setting an example for todays youth. REASON number 2 he was nuts no matter what he says. THOSE crazy temper tantrums are unexcusable in the gentlemans sport of kings. NOW me I have play a few jokes here and there on players who try their best to piss me off. BUT I never lose it or curse out the other guy win, lose or draw I am always polite. I may tell an oppanant I have to much time on my clock and come back in an hour and blitz him off the board in 2 or 3 minutes as retrbution  if he gets on my nerves too much. SO all that crazy stuff fischer did was not nice or ezcusable. ALIKEINE had world title ten years and died while champion. BUT kasparov is 20 year champ still looks great. I don,t think bobby could or would have withstood the test of time like that. I also add a lot of todays champions do a lot of teaching like karpov for example. the polgars all teach. and too many to name here. YOU see a champion does not justr aquire the title it is what he does in all other aspects to give to chess. the new champion magnus carlsen sets a good example in all he does already at his young age. HE is playing anyone lets anyone challenge him he plays to help chess not to mention his love of the game as one can see.  SO bobby was one of the best but hes second to kasparov in my opinion. oh I will say this one last thing I think in tactics carlsen would get buried by bobby. for a long time i never paid any attention to fischers games but I went into gm games and took a good long look. when i was done i can say I never say a gm who was down two power pieces to come back and win.  he also was the greatest pawn pusher I ever saw. I think judith polgar is a marvel like him with deep pawn pushs that surprise. THATS about it  have a good day. good chessing to you all.

Looking at the recent posts I think many are trying to minimize Fischer like somehow he cheated or lucked into it. The question is who was the greatest player in the world, and I think many will still say Kasparov is because of his entire body of work. It is still also a fact that Kasparov benefitted, as well as the chess world, from the innovations and ideas that Bobby Fischer utilized. (I am not saying that Kasparov would not have been Kasparov without Fischer, but only he had his material to study as well as computers to assist in his study)

Yes, Fischer was in it for the money. Yes, Fischer was completely insane. Yes, Fischer was not a role model for kids. 

But let's not minimize the impact he had on the game because of his motivations. Fischer still holds some of the most impressive single feats the game has ever seen. Regardless if money was his motivation or not, he still did it. 

Even as an American, I still think Kasparov is the better player overall because of his entire body of work. Longevity, consistency, being a good role model, all of these play into it.

@phren... without BF chess in the US would have had a greater appreciation by the general public. Instead it is associated with a a deranged individual that greatly hurt the image of chess.

Horseshoes is enjoyed and respected far more than chess in the US. BF was great for a very short time for promotion. But long term? The only people who glorify BF are chess players. The rest of the world sees his negative character and chess suffered imo.

@camurcu... how do you misunderstand a statement by BF "the US got what it deserved at 911, that he supports the terrorists in their cause"? What exactly do you not comprehend? Misunderstood?

for me the best is paul keres see the games of him youtube channel >> MatoJelic 

Karpov and Kasparov are the best in my opinion.

My view is chess in the US, as a whole would be in alot better place today if the phenomenon of BF never happened. A healthier environment with players of strong character would have served to promote chess better.

What the public got was the image of a "nutcase" making rediculas demands for money, changes of playing conditions, any number of things. All he had to do was play. Win the WC. Be a normal person. Earn respect.

The only people who excuse BF behavior are chess players, blinded by propaganda. It simply doesn't fly with the general public. Hopefully US chess can overcome the prevelent negative image it has had.

If not for Fischer the top players would still be playing for peanuts  too , so if nothing else Fischer should always be appreciated for the $$$$$$ he brought into the game , even Kasparov acknowledges this as do other professional players . In 1969 when Spassky beat Petrosian for the world championship Spassky got a few thousand dollars ( less than 5k I believe ) , Fischer certainly changed all that .