Why Didn't Bobby Fischer Defend HIs World Title?

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Avatar of Yereslov
BowerickWowbagger wrote:
Yereslov wrote:

Is Karpov Jewish? That might explain it.

I believe you are onto something ...it was not Fischers low rating ,it was because Karpov was a Jew,possibly

There is a rumor about it, though Fischer also had a Jewish heritage.

Avatar of Master_Po

I would agree Bobby wasn't afraid of anyone.  He was by far the best the world had ever seen in chess.  So being a perfectionist, he DID indeed have the chutzpa, honor and character to tell the controlling org. to piss off when his reasonable demands weren't met.  A "we don't need no stinking badges" sort of thing.  And as someone mentioned, he still claimed he was the world champion, not needing some org. to verify it anymore.   

Avatar of chesspooljuly13

There's something to be said for Karpov being an unknown quantity to Fischer (never played him) and while Karpov got the title without earning it, he made up for it by his success in tournaments afterward and proved a worthy foe of Kasparov

Avatar of fabelhaft
DavyWilliams wrote:

I would agree Bobby wasn't afraid of anyone.  He was by far the best the world had ever seen in chess.  So being a perfectionist, he DID indeed have the chutzpa, honor and character to tell the controlling org. to piss off when his reasonable demands weren't met.  A "we don't need no stinking badges" sort of thing.  And as someone mentioned, he still claimed he was the world champion, not needing some org. to verify it anymore.   

Fischer had so much chutzpah as to not even need to play chess to defend his title, compare that to someone like Kasparov who felt so insecure that he needed to verify his greatness by playing five title matches against Karpov (to begin with). Kasparov didn't even dare to demand that his challenger had to win with a margin of two wins, and on top of that abolished the rematch clause Karpov had, in this way making it easier for his challenger than it had been for himself (instead of making it more difficult for the challenger than it had been for himself as challenger).

Avatar of Master_Po
BowerickWowbagger wrote:
fabelhaft wrote:
DavyWilliams wrote:

I would agree Bobby wasn't afraid of anyone.  He was by far the best the world had ever seen in chess.  So being a perfectionist, he DID indeed have the chutzpa, honor and character to tell the controlling org. to piss off when his reasonable demands weren't met.  A "we don't need no stinking badges" sort of thing.  And as someone mentioned, he still claimed he was the world champion, not needing some org. to verify it anymore.   

Fischer had so much chutzpah as to not even need to play chess to defend his title, compare that to someone like Kasparov who felt so insecure that he needed to verify his greatness by playing five title matches against Karpov (to begin with). Kasparov didn't even dare to demand that his challenger had to win with a margin of two wins, and on top of that abolished the rematch clause Karpov had, in this way making it easier for his challenger than it had been for himself (instead of making it more difficult for the challenger than it had been for himself as challenger).

well said sir! Fischer was hack at best and could never be named in the same company as a true champion like Kasparov

I admire Kasparov for all his championship years.  He was a great champion who took on all comers, even computers.  However there is one, nearby, that in 50 lifetimes couldn't gain the heights to even become a pimple on Bobby Fischer's a$$.  Nuff said. 

Avatar of atarw
chesspooljuly13 wrote:

I'm not so sure Fischer ever realized he was ill. If he did, he would have gotten help. I think he realized the standard of success he set in 1972 (not just the WCC but the tournaments and matches leading up to it) likely would be impossible to duplicate so, rather than risk failure, he opted not to play. The standard he set for himself was so high that he thought people would judge him by that standard and that even one loss as WCC would be headlines around the world, while victories would be expected and considered routine

I believe he had schizerophrenzia (sry for the spelling)

Avatar of fabelhaft

Fischer stopped playing chess in August 1972, and this in itself had nothing to do with a possible title match in 1975. When Kasparov broke away from FIDE he played three "private" title matches in seven years, and continued to win top tournaments. But Fischer just didn't want to play chess in any form, whether it was match, tournament, FIDE, non-FIDE, anything, from August 1972. The only exception was the 1992 match against Spassky, but that was a one-off against an opponent that no longer was an elite player. In any case I think the reasons behind Fischer's quitting chess have to be found in himself rather than in FIDE's rules.

Avatar of Master_Po

He played the '92 match because he needed the money.

The media did an excellent job of dubiously convincing most that he was crazy. 

Avatar of Gil-Gandel
DavyWilliams wrote:

He played the '92 match because he needed the money.

The media did an excellent job of dubiously convincing most that he was crazy. 

The media didn't need to. "First to win ten games takes the title, except if I'm first to nine games I keep it" isn't a condition a sane man would seek to impose and would convince all but the hopelessly partisan. Well, that and becoming a recluse with a beard down to your knees.

inb4: Fischer could hose my sorry ass any time he liked, but that's no more the issue than that Anna Kournikova could beat an overweight fifty-something who can't play tennis.

Avatar of mattyf9

I think fischer did a good enough job himself letting everybody know he had a screw loose.

Avatar of AndyClifton
Gil-Gandel wrote:
50 years before Fischer the world champions were people like Emanuel Lasker (German), Alexander Alekhine (Russian... one out of four to you), Capablanca (Cuban) and Euwe (Dutch). None of them, as far as I know, had the chutzpah to attempt to insert a clause like "My opponent has to win ten games to take the title, but if I win nine games I keep it." 

Actually, allegedly Lasker did do such a thing (against Schlechter).

Avatar of AndyClifton
DavyWilliams wrote:

And as someone mentioned, he still claimed he was the world champion, not needing some org. to verify it anymore.   

lol...around these parts, we call that kind of behavior "delusional."

Avatar of Master_Po

What parts is that?  You missed the point.  That's ok, Tony Clifton probably got it.

Avatar of johnmusacha

Nice Tony Clifton reference.... haha.  gg.

Avatar of AndyClifton

Hey, I never miss the point, Grasshopper!

Avatar of beardogjones

Evidently Mr. Fischer did not find or was not able to make 

circumstances suitable for defending his title.

Avatar of AndyClifton

Besides which, everybody was all circumcised and taking the Shabbat & stuff!

Avatar of Master_Po

Wonderful comeback = "Hey, I never miss the point, Grasshopper!"    (sarcasm dripping)

What started out a serious thread, ended up a comedy routine for one of Howard Stern's 'get him off the stage'   X's. (rrrrrrggghhhh!) 

Thread closed. 

Avatar of slayerwpww

Read:

ENDGAME

Bobby Fischer’s Remarkable Rise and Fall — From America’s Brightest Prodigy to the Edge of Madness

By Frank Brady

Avatar of iplayedgarry

Fischer was far too picky with all his requirements and demands. He also felt the Russians were cheating (which has been proven to be true)!