Why do you consider Bobby Fischer overrated?

"Guatemala is a land of many contrasts...."

$50 for the full paper.

Actually, I'd heard it was a land of bad guats.

I dont think he is over rated.  He did more for chess than anyone else, in regards to prizes, playing conditions, etc.  He single handedly brought chess to the fore front in the US.  He could recall games from 10+ years ago move for move.  He defects were all personal.  After defeating Spassky he had reached his goal, and i think he had no where else to go and no more worlds to conquer. 

He is not overrated.

Nuff said.

I went to a tournament, and saw a master who played up in all of his games, didn't lose any, and drew a GM for the first time in his life when he was in his 60's. The field also included an IM, an FM, and a bunch of NM's and E's, and I was very impressed.  

Now imagine dominating every GM and IM in the U.S. championship every time, including 11-0, and dominating the candidates and world championship like he did from 1970-72.  He was an egotistical selfish and often hateful person who suffered from his lack of a father figure, the eccentricities and dynamic of his unique mother/son relationship, the lack of socialization that intense chess effort requires, and his likely Asperger syndrome.  But he was not overrated.

obviously all the americans will say bobby was the besto but........ this is not true, he had to face karpov to proved that, but he did not.....

Let's see:  "Nuff said"..."End of discussion"...yep, this is definitely a guy who hasn't been around here too long. 

Ugh.

Among the general public, Fischer is probably over rated, because many people people who don't follow chess still have heard of Bobby Fischer.   Among chess fans I don't think he is over rated because while some say Fischer was the best ever, there are also plenty who would say Kasparov, Karpov, Capablance, Morphy, Carlsen etc. 

fischer desappointme, he refuse to play larpov. that was his fault

larpov-fisher...we missed some match there.

Fortunately though we did get huge doses of larpov-lasparov.

Also a smidgeon here & there of lorchnoi. Those were the days...

And ljubojevic and larsen (oh wait)...

Well today there is lramnik he's not bad ?

Bobby Fischer solved chess thats why he retired.

Bobby fischer is never overrated.  In his season he made chess glorious on who he is.  His issues has something to do in making chess more complex.  The game tend to be attached to his personalities that led to chess glorious days.  Name me anybody in chess now that can make the scenario similar to what Fischer has done to this institution.

Fischer was an incredibly sick individual.  He was in dire need of psychiatric help, which he always refused.  Fischer was a self-hating Jew.  This was deeply ironic in that he was the son of a Jewish mother.  Both of his possible father(s) were Jewish, as well as his sister-whose family practiced Judaism.  After he quit playing, due to his untreated psychiatric problems, Fischer was probably a mediocre player at best.  His poor chess play was shown in the Spassky tournament. Read Endgame, for a good biography of this incredibly sad, tragic individual.

Nevertheless separating chess from his (Bobby Fischer) personal-life & politics. He was a genius at chess at left his mark on the game. 

He was the USA's only world-champion & as evidently he was ill was subsequently badly-treated by his country (withdrawal of citizenship etc).

We are left with a strange situation today whereby the majority of the USA champion him & celebrate his success & ability yet others deride him for his extremist politcal views ?

Think there is a need to segregate the chess-playing Bobby Fischer from the events of his later life when he clearly needed medical-help not to be ostracised & disowned.