Did Fischer actually say this?

I love to read about Fischer. Especially books that give anecdotes about his incredible memory. His memory ability just blows me away.

however my own memory fails me on this, so I’m wondering if someone could confirm for me if Fischer actually said this:

From what I understand someone once asked  him for chess lessons. The reply was that Bobby said to him: "Ok  for the first lesson, I want you to play over every move from 'Modern Chess Openings', including the footnotes".

"For the next lesson, I want you to do it again". 

Is that a true story? ? Can anyone confirm?

 Much appreciated.

No prob. Surely someone will know. Not that it’s a big deal, I just need to satisfy my curiosity,

Copy and paste the quote into a search engine and browse through the results.

If that’s true, and assuming Fischer practiced what he preached AND did according to that advice, then I think it’s a fair bet we now know the secret to his greatness: a natural prodigious talent PLUS super diligence!!

I mean think about it! Play through every ECO including footnotes TWICE!

Only the most dog-determined SERIOUS among us has the time and gumption.

No doubt there are countless secrets waiting to be unlocked.

I have a book in my personal chess library: “Inside Chess Openings” by E Gufeld , N Kalinichenko, 1993 ISBN 1-879479-10-3. Of all the books in my library THIS one stands out for the daunting reams and reams of footnote variations. It’s just encyclopedic. 

I don’t know why I even bought it. There ‘s no way in blazes I could ever plow through all those variations without giving my brain an aneurysm!

But for Fischer it would have been like glancing through the classified ads.

Seriously! I’ve read anecdotes of some of his memory feats that seem literally humanly IMPOSSIBLE.

My favorite story concerning Fischer’s memory is that, before the world championship match, he memorized all 1,100 or so of Spassky’s games.

I don't think Fischer was suggesting that a player memorize everything in the MCO ...

I assume he was suggesting that going through the variations (with a board beside you) can help a player learn what proper chess looks like.

This can certainly teach a thing or two about chess, for sure ...

I was an MCO-lover in my younger days. I didn't plow through the entire book, of course. But I went through the main variations of the openings that I played at the time.

Much of the time, I didn't really understand what different moves did. Though on the rare occasions where a line made sense to me, it felt like a light-bulb going off in my head.

Those little "ah-hah!" moments can feel quite rewarding ...

I’d think you’re spot on in your assessment.

But I’d like to add that knowing Fischer’s memory, don’t put it past him to retain the variations he played through!

I read a guy who said he was playing a game in a tournament and Bobby walked by on his way to the bathroom. He quickly glanced at the position, did his own mental analysis, and continued on to the men’s room.

Many years later he ran into Bobby. Bobby asked him how the game went (all those years prior) and then he asked him “Did you play rook to B4?” (Or whatever move he cited.)

Well the guy obviously couldn’t recall. So Fischer took a board, set up the exact position as it was when he glanced at it, and showed him his analysis and the move!

Now mind you this was many years later, and Bobby had retained the exact position in his mind plus his fleeting analysis from a single, casual glance at the board!!

Someone like that is a many eyed monster to play against!! He literally saw everything on that board and many moves into the future from any possible position. 

That was from a single casual glance. Now give him a few minutes to intently study the board and I have no doubt he saw twenty moves ahead.

Can we edit these posts after posting?

I typed “I’d think you’re spot on.” (As in “I WOULD think.”

What I meant to type was “I think you’re spot on.”

Little difference in spelling, but major difference in meaning.

I believe all the elite chess players have a memory greater than the average person. That is why not everybody can become an elite chess player.

After his return to the USA Henry Nelson Pillsbury was invited to take part in an experiment. Before a blind simultaneous event he was asked to remember 30 words. After the four hour long simultaneous he was asked to repeat them.

Here are the 30 words of the list:

Antiphlogistine, Periosteum, Takadiastase, Plasmon, Ambrosia, Threlkeld, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Micrococcus, Plasmodium, Mississippi, Freiheit, Philadelphia, Cincinatti, Athletics, No War, Etchenberg, American, Russian, Philosopy, Piet Potgleter's Rost, Salmagundi, Oomisillecootsi, Bangmanvate, Schlechter's Neck, Manzinyama, Theosophy, Catechism und Madjescomalops.

Pillsbury looked at the list for about one minute and had no trouble at all to recite the words after the simul. The next day he still remembered all the words.

Incredible!

I had also heard that anecdote, and this kind of stuff still blows me away.

(And humbles me.)