For those people who have not seen the Blog by Pia_Swe it is definitely worth a read. Mind you it is a bit sad as GM Lombardy had a rather rough time of it in his later years.
Good Old Bobby !
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Jul 20, 2019
0
#23
badenwurtca wrote:
One thing that I have noticed is that we do not hear not enough about Fischer's childhood. He came from a single parent household and money may have been in short supply ( as one can see in the clothes that he wore the in early photos ).
--- Fischer also seemed to be a bit paranoid in regards to dealing with financial matters, possibly due to his family not being very well off when he was very young. After the WC match in Iceland he had a number of very lucrative offers to earn money thru endorsements but for some reason did not seize these opportunities.
Dec 2, 2019
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#25
Dick Cavett:
"Among this year’s worst news, for me, was the death of Bobby Fischer. Telling a friend this, I got, “Are you out of your bloody mind? He was a Nazi-praising raving lunatic and anti-Semite. Death is too good for him.” He did, indeed, become all that. But none of it describes the man I knew.
Towering genius, riches, international fame and a far from normal childhood might be too heady a mix for anyone to handle. For him they proved fatal. I’m still sad about his death. In our three encounters on my late-night show, I became quite fond of him.
In his New York Times eulogy Cavett writes: "Until the advent of Bobby Fischer, my image of a young chess genius was not flattering. I pictured a sort of wizened and unpopular youth, small of frame, reclusive, short, with messy hair, untended acne, thick glasses and shirt sticking out in back. And also perhaps, as the great V. Nabokov wrote in describing somewhat genderless piano prodigies with eye trouble, obscure ailments, 'and something vaguely misshapen about their eunuchoid hindquarters.'
Getting Fischer on my show that first time, before the big match, was considered a major catch at the time. If anyone in the audience shared my image of what a chess genius probably looked like, Bobby’s entrance erased it. Here was no Nabakovian homunculus. There appeared, somewhat disconcerted, a tall and handsome lad with football-player shoulders, impeccably suited, a little awkward of carriage and unsure how to negotiate the unfamiliarity of the set, the bright lights, the wearing of make-up, the band music, the hand-shaking and the thundering ovation – all at the same time. I had hoped to avoid the cliché 'gangling,' but Bobby gangled. He sort of lurched into his chair."
Cavett: "And there were the eyes. Cameras fail to convey the effect of his eyes when they were looking at you. A bit of Svengali perhaps, but vulnerable. And only the slightest hint of a sort of theatrical menace, the menace that so disconcerted his opponents. Looking out over the audience, I could clearly see entranced women gazing at him as if willing to offer their hearts – and perhaps more – to the hunky chess master."
Dec 7, 2019
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#27
Howhorseymove wrote:
This was typical of Fischer. He hated the idea of people making money based upon his name. He could have made money through endorsements but did not do so because he felt that people were going to take advantage of him.
Given that his mom was always short on funds having to take care of Bobby and his sister may have influenced his views on money.
Given that his mom was always short on funds having to take care of Bobby and his sister may have influenced his views on money.
--- Well he really did need a good financial adviser after returning from Iceland as World Champ. I gather that Fischer's lawyer received contracts for big endorsements but nobody could convince him to sign the deals, someone needed to explain to Fischer that fame can be very very fleeting so take the money and run. For one thing we might have been spared the very sad spectacle of Fischer being on the run after the match in Yugoslavia, that is to say he might not have been so desperate for money as to have to take that match. I mean the Ex-Champ of Chess getting arrested in Japan ? Thank goodness Iceland took him into their country.
Dec 7, 2019
0
#28
BlackKaweah wrote:
Dick Cavett:
"Among this year’s worst news, for me, was the death of Bobby Fischer. Telling a friend this, I got, “Are you out of your bloody mind? He was a Nazi-praising raving lunatic and anti-Semite. Death is too good for him.” He did, indeed, become all that. But none of it describes the man I knew.
Towering genius, riches, international fame and a far from normal childhood might be too heady a mix for anyone to handle. For him they proved fatal. I’m still sad about his death. In our three encounters on my late-night show, I became quite fond of him.
In his New York Times eulogy Cavett writes: "Until the advent of Bobby Fischer, my image of a young chess genius was not flattering. I pictured a sort of wizened and unpopular youth, small of frame, reclusive, short, with messy hair, untended acne, thick glasses and shirt sticking out in back. And also perhaps, as the great V. Nabokov wrote in describing somewhat genderless piano prodigies with eye trouble, obscure ailments, 'and something vaguely misshapen about their eunuchoid hindquarters.'
Getting Fischer on my show that first time, before the big match, was considered a major catch at the time. If anyone in the audience shared my image of what a chess genius probably looked like, Bobby’s entrance erased it. Here was no Nabakovian homunculus. There appeared, somewhat disconcerted, a tall and handsome lad with football-player shoulders, impeccably suited, a little awkward of carriage and unsure how to negotiate the unfamiliarity of the set, the bright lights, the wearing of make-up, the band music, the hand-shaking and the thundering ovation – all at the same time. I had hoped to avoid the cliché 'gangling,' but Bobby gangled. He sort of lurched into his chair."
Cavett: "And there were the eyes. Cameras fail to convey the effect of his eyes when they were looking at you. A bit of Svengali perhaps, but vulnerable. And only the slightest hint of a sort of theatrical menace, the menace that so disconcerted his opponents. Looking out over the audience, I could clearly see entranced women gazing at him as if willing to offer their hearts – and perhaps more – to the hunky chess master."
The video of an appearance by Fischer on the Cavett TV show just before he went to play in Iceland was up on YouTube a while ago as was Fischer's visit on a Bob Hope Special.
Dec 8, 2019
0
#29
Here is another look at Bobby on the game show "I've Got a Secret" from 1958. It took place before the Portoroz Interzonal, in which Fischer qualified for the 1959 candidates tournament.
It's great that the producers of the show stepped up and financed his trip to Yugoslavia and Moscow.
Dec 10, 2019
0
#31
badenwurtca wrote:
Thanks for the info.
You’re welcome. Now if I could just figure out why the embedded video is way off center. 
We just used to whack the side of the TV set. That usually would fix the picture problem! 
52yrral wrote:
We just used to whack the side of the TV set. That usually would fix the picture problem!
and, if someone moved the rabbit ears to where the reception was good, we would tell them they had to stay there, holding them.
They did get a big bowl of popcorn for their efforts.
badenwurtca wrote:
So I asked myself: can this forum stand yet another Bobby Fischer thread ? Well yes I guess so lol. Many people seem to feel that Fischer was not a very nice guy to begin with and then of course he kept getting worse and worse as he got older. However over on YouTube one can find a video clip of Fischer doing the Dick Cavett Show and the young Bobby does seem quite normal ( the title of the video is: " A Very Different Bobby Fischer " ). This clip from the Cavett Show was done a few months before Fischer went to Iceland for the WC match and is quite interesting to watch.
(lol) Hey, you can never get enough of the best!
Fischer was a complicated man for sure. Mental illness caused it and with the passing of time it made him worse.
Dec 25, 2019
0
#39
BlackKaweah wrote:
Dick Cavett:
"Among this year’s worst news, for me, was the death of Bobby Fischer. Telling a friend this, I got, “Are you out of your bloody mind? He was a Nazi-praising raving lunatic and anti-Semite. Death is too good for him.” He did, indeed, become all that. But none of it describes the man I knew.
Towering genius, riches, international fame and a far from normal childhood might be too heady a mix for anyone to handle. For him they proved fatal. I’m still sad about his death. In our three encounters on my late-night show, I became quite fond of him.
In his New York Times eulogy Cavett writes: "Until the advent of Bobby Fischer, my image of a young chess genius was not flattering. I pictured a sort of wizened and unpopular youth, small of frame, reclusive, short, with messy hair, untended acne, thick glasses and shirt sticking out in back. And also perhaps, as the great V. Nabokov wrote in describing somewhat genderless piano prodigies with eye trouble, obscure ailments, 'and something vaguely misshapen about their eunuchoid hindquarters.'
Getting Fischer on my show that first time, before the big match, was considered a major catch at the time. If anyone in the audience shared my image of what a chess genius probably looked like, Bobby’s entrance erased it. Here was no Nabakovian homunculus. There appeared, somewhat disconcerted, a tall and handsome lad with football-player shoulders, impeccably suited, a little awkward of carriage and unsure how to negotiate the unfamiliarity of the set, the bright lights, the wearing of make-up, the band music, the hand-shaking and the thundering ovation – all at the same time. I had hoped to avoid the cliché 'gangling,' but Bobby gangled. He sort of lurched into his chair."
Cavett: "And there were the eyes. Cameras fail to convey the effect of his eyes when they were looking at you. A bit of Svengali perhaps, but vulnerable. And only the slightest hint of a sort of theatrical menace, the menace that so disconcerted his opponents. Looking out over the audience, I could clearly see entranced women gazing at him as if willing to offer their hearts – and perhaps more – to the hunky chess master."
That says it all. The fact is no Chess champion since has been under as much pressure as he was and without the whole team of personal trainer, seconds psychologists etc. Also I don't understand why Americans want to throw their own champion under the bus. Though truth be told the Soviets did that. It's a complicated scenario. Look at Kasparov.
There is a very very good blog up here now at this site by Pia_Swe that is entitled " Serendipity: An Unforseen Friendship ". It is about her chance meeting with GM William Lombardy.