Spassky on Fischer (1986)

If he was healthy enough to beat spasky in 1992, why wouldn't he be healthy enough to play (and perhaps beat) karpov in 1975? 

Karpov told reporters that he expected to lose the 1975 match... but he also expected to gain enough valuable experience that he would win a 1978 match, in the next WCC cycle.

@kuakasar... that 92 rematch was a bit of a fiasco. Playing for WC against Karpov would be much more difficult? As mentioned, prime RJF would likely have won... unwell RJF would likely lose. Although he did great for the sport, if he went on to play Karpov and Kasparov... Chess would have been better than Rocky 4?!

Loved the bit about about the disgraced Soviet champions being pretty much interrogated... when they returned to Moscow. And the fact that Kasparov, at 9, had a coach and was playing tournament level... shows how they dominated Chess for so long? Machine indeed.

Here we go! The first conspirational anti soviet comment in a so far nice post. You know? Maybe Fischer would have beaten Karpov, not beacause of Fischer better play, but because Washington could have dropped some bombs in Karpov backyard. Just to bring to him «democracy», of course

Oh no. First anti american comment in what had been a pleasant post...

Check out the victor beach experince dot com 

You are reading a bit too much into an innocuous comment...

I don't normally put much store by Kasparov's 'analysis' of events outside of what goes on at the board itself - his perspicacity does not impress at all. However, I think he's perfectly perfect correct in his diagnosis of Fischer. Once he'd climbed Olympus - he found his ambition completely spent, it was nothing more than embers. What would be the point in thrashing the opposition for another decade or so? He was already far ahead of the rest of the competition and hadn't even yet reached his own prime. In 1978 he would have been 35, his powers undiminished, and it's unlikely that anyone would have stood a real chance until 1981, and probably would have held his crown until 1984 (assuming that he had kept playing).

I also think Kasparov's comment on Fischer is a good clue to the reason for his own retirement. Kasparov loved being the world champion just as much as he loved chess itself.

Hmm.

Of course by that logic, having climbed Olympus, so to say... RJF would have declined as a player and might not have kept the title. His demands and behaviour suggest he was rusty and somewhat worried by Karpov. But we are speculating, yes?

Here we are, jumped into this beautiful post about the Greatest World Champion, Fischer. I joinin y`all, give another thought to crush this post

What was happened to Fischer... Soviet hegemony on chess bein ruined by Fischer who won the championship. So, soviet thinkin about the way to stop Fischer,,, they use their network in the USA to provoke Fischer N Fischer ate the bait. N the story goes .. N itiz  a  happy end for the red Soviet...until I come.

Just joking

I think that Fischer never recovered from the trauma of winning the world chess championship. He had devoted his whole life to defeating the Russian Machine... and once he succeeded, he felt that he had been deserted by his enemies.

Of course we're speculating. My point was that had Fischer continued to play after Reykjavik 1972, cetaris paribus, he would have been far ahead of the competition for a good few years. As a basic assumption I don't think that's unreasonable given Fischer's his age and general fighting spirit, never ever taking his foot off the pedal in tournaments and matches even when he was streets ahead of the competition (the Stockholm Interzonal, steamrollering the US champ'ships on various occasions, the Palma de Mallorca Interzonal, the matches against Taimanov and Larsen, and so on).

However, Fischer having practically lived, eaten and slept chess since his early teens, once he achieved his aim, Kasparov's explanation as to why he disappeared virtually without a trace, strikes me as perfectly, not to say highly, plausible. Fischer, not the most stable person to begin with, having invested everything in chess hit with a 'Now what?' moment. He'd already sought religion, more or less out of nowhere (in light of his upbringing).

this is a great OP. thanks. Spassky is a real gentlemen. 

it was the original fischer-spassky match that got me interested in chess. This game has held my fascination now for 50 years. while my understanding and my rating have increased quite a bit, I still find the game a conundrum. 

there is a famous saying that I wish I could remember. it is something like a gnat can dip and an elephant can bathe in it. it relates to the depth and complexity of the game. 

Chess can be enjoyed equally by a rank beginner or an extremely experienced veteran. 

Let's fight now

That's how it feels to me.

I think it was hard for him to show up because it was almost a lose - lose situation. If he loses the match that would be incredibly negative, but if he wins the match it's even worse.

Fischer had massive issues well before that, adulthood, fame and fortune just allowed him to indulge. He was expelled from elementary school for kicking his principal, he once bit another chess player so hard it left permanent marks, I believe Reuben Fine? was asked no less than three times to counsel and help him, several chess players noted his extreme irrationality and anger when he lost as a child. He was on the crazy train (I am being flippant about his mental health, but how respectful can you be to someone who once told a Jewish player that he was reading this great book ‘Mein Kampf’) long before winning the championship. While I certainly recognize his talent and achievements, I don’t see any reason to admire Fischer the man.

clsrngody...

Does he know any chess players?