Steinitz didn't played for the money and I don't think in his time chess was related with a profession but rather a hobby. Emanuel Lasker brought first some money in his challenge against Capablanca but chess was not a business yet! After the period of the World War One and two chess manipulated from the Russian system and ambition to control the game. From 1945 until 1972 chess was a Soviet Union sport under surveillance!

After 1972 Fischer tried to uncover this kind of dependence FIDE had with the Russian government. He failed to prove anything but he's triumph against Spassky brought interest and merchandizing to chess. Karpov and Kasparov were employees from the Russian government, they were paid from their country to participate in chess games and tournaments, they were already professionals, why to deny?

Fischer was not! That's why he denied.

"Fischer was not! That's why he denied"

Fischer quit playing chess in 1972, and the reason he never played a serious game after that and refused to defend the title had less to do with his professionalism and more to do with his personal problems.

His personal problems didn't appeared after 1972. His personal problems started from his young age when he was grow up alone and later when he realized that he's mother used him for her interest. The fact that U.S never invested in to Fischer to change the nature of chess as a sport inside the country its not something we should connect with his personal life. U.S.A used Fischer to achieve a moral diplomatic victory against Soviet Union and then locked him a side...and all that happened because Fischer was not a employee of the state. He didn't worked for the system.

Even the movie now played in cinemas it's a terrible propaganda from U.S to make Fischer look like a natural madman and avoid their own responsibilities for the " psycho " they created!

Bobby Fischer and his denial to play against Karpov was the beginning of modern chess as a merchandising sport and necessary for the game to survive until now.

Even Karpov admitted in a interview that before 1975 a huge part of the prize money in the match finals went to governments, think that changed after Fischer told them : I DONT WORK FOR YOU.

Now imagine Carlsen to say : I don't work for the state of Norway. Who gives a shit?

Spassky, 1992

Bobby made himself and Boris the first chess professional millionaires.

Fischer's dispute was with the corrupt FIDE.

I think Fischer is the best.

Check this channel.

Learn to play chess.I will add intermediate and advance videos.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrkn87H8qcfZKxj6sEQMkFg

I found it interesting that during the Sinquefield Cup when they asked the best rated players in the world who they would want to see in the tournament if they could choose anyone from chess history, the overwhelming winner was Fischer.

Nice, fabelhaft!

Fischer

I wish we could see such a match.

Indeed...how about 30 historical and current GMs and World champions in a round robin tournament? Who besides Bobby and Magnus would you include?

A little off topic I know

Let's see...lasker, kasparov, karpov, tal, capablanca, alekhine, botvinnik, morphy, steinitz, euwe, kramnik, smyslov, spassky, petrosian...that's 16 so far

Forgot about anand for a second

I think that is a swell idea.  Some day we will be able to simulate such an encounter, like they simulate games between American college football teams of different eras.

Maybe korchnoi, keres, nimzowitch, staunton, tarrasch, marshall, rubenstein...leaving 6 spots for modern GMs

Well said jamie... I would pay big money to see that

Would reshevsky belong?

I'd put Morphy in.