Wait............
Fischer was that old?????
He looks so different from 1972!!!!!!!
Time marches on, dude. You'll find out one of these days.
Getting old isn't so bad when you consider the alternative.
?
By 1992, Polgar Judit was a Grandmaster.
She also is the strongest woman chessplayer ever, like Bobby is the strongest man ever.
What would have happened if, some time between 1992 and 2008, Fischer had agreed to play a match against Judit, and lost - thereby making Judit the World Chess Champion?
Hopefully Kasparov or Kramnik would get a chance of challenging her later and dream of achieving that themselves, too!
?
Dying young.
........................
Note that when after 1859, Paul Morphy refused to play chess, but lived till 1884, his sulking around barred anyone else from being World Chess Champion in his lifetime. Steinitz had already in 1866 beaten all serious opposition by defeating Anderssen, but with Morphy alive, Steinitz could not claim championship. So why wouldn´t Fischer sulking around 1975-2008 disqualify all other claimants like Morphy had done 1866-1884?
Sounds good. If Spassky would have retired just before facing Bobby, he would be the current World Champion!
Note that when after 1859, Paul Morphy refused to play chess, but lived till 1884, his sulking around barred anyone else from being World Chess Champion in his lifetime. ...
http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/champion.html
"... We present a compilation of early uses of such terms as ‘world champion’ and ‘world championship’ in relation to chess. ... 1872: Steinitz defeated Zukertort +7 –1 =4 in London. From page 150 of the Chess Player’s Chronicle, October 1872: ‘... Mr Steinitz, ... may now be fairly pronounced the champion player of the time.’ ..."
Depends how much Bob is getting paid. He'll do anything for money.
Bobby refused to be in commercials because he said he didn't use their products. After he won in 1972, he donated all his millions of dollars to a church