Why Didn't Bobby Fischer Defend HIs World Title?

Oh yes, and Tony Clifton, I'd like to thank you for making that reference to the Brady Bunch Variety hour from 1976-77.  I'd like to post just how awesome this show was.  If you get bored just skip to minute 3:07 in the clip for the "Hustle," Brady style:

I hope you make better progress with it than I did. 

I have seen all the episodes (all nine of em or however many it was).  The book makes a good case for the notion that all of the talent involved was top-drawer (although it's true that Robert Reed couldn't dance and Christopher Knight couldn't sing).  The real problem with it all was the concept itself...clearly the product of mountains of marijuana.  A real (TV) family gets to do a variety show while the head of the household apparently keeps his day job?  And they somehow or other live right next door to the set so they just skedaddle over there whenever it's time for another song & dance?  While Rip Taylor keeps them company, spewing confetti everywhere?  And showgirls cavort on trapezes and jump into a pool?

Yes, it all makes the proceedings mind-bogglingly weird at times.  A sort of contact high without the contact, you might say.  Like when the What's Happening kids show up (using their real names) and talk to the Bradys (who still use their character names).  And then they all start talking (in a very thinly veiled manner indeed) about getting high right there in their living room.  Oh yeah, and Tina Turner is a musical guest star, as well as the Ohio Players singing "Fire" around the pool!  And there's Tony Randall, and Milton Berle.  And of course we can't forget the spectacle of Fake Jan.  And speaking of spectacles...once you've seen Robert Reed dressed up as Carmen Miranda, you may just find yourself scarred (or at least scared) for life.

Of course, even when he dresses more sensibly, it's still not quite sensible:

Yep, maybe we all thought nothing happened back then because we didn't want to admit what really did happen... 

You know, Rip Taylor was featured in the Jackass movie in 2002 spewing confetti at the end.  And wasn't he in Match Game also?  And yep, I've seen the What's Happenin' kids on the Brady Bunch variety show and well as Redd Foxx.

And oh my, that Florence Henderson was a hottie for sure!

So we are now saying that Fischer did not defend his title, because he was watching the Brady bunch? I hope it is safe to presume that he was not one of them and that his touring schedule did not stand in the way of the match?

I'll throw the ball back in your court, John, and ask what you make of all this stuff?  I've often wondered that about today's generation...like how would I go about describing the Patti Hearst affair to somebody who wasn't even born then?  It all sounds like science fiction, even to me now (and I was right there to see all the headlines!).  But like I said, at the time that all seemed kind of drab (to me at least).

Well, sir, get your facts straight.  The Brady Bunch ran originally from 1969 to 1974.  It was already in syndication by 1975 and has been ever since.  The Brady Bunch Variety Hour just aired for half a season in 1976 to 1977.  

But I did hear that Fischer was too involved in the CIA scheme Azorian rasing the USSR sub K-129 with the Hughes Glomar Explorer in the Summer of '74 (which is incidentally when Nixon resigned) to defend his title in '75.  Especially when the US press broke the story and ruined everything.

Well, I've read about Patty Hearst and the Symbionese Liberation Army, kidnapped in 1974 and went on that bank robbing spree.  I think it must have been a crazy unpredictable time for everyone involved.  Plus I've always had a thing for tall women with long, dark hair parted in the middle.  (Just like Ted Bundy I know but hey!)

Btw there's a great documentary about that whole thing (the best doc I've ever seen in fact):

Guys, you are loosing the foreigners like me. I believe this chick fell in love with her kidnappers and found it cool to rob some banks with them. Is this mere for the creation of context or was Fischer part of this in one way or another?

The activist 70s.

They were strange, even dangerous times though few are aware of it. An anti-war activist set off an explosive at an armed forces recruiting office just a block and a half away from the house one night. Didn't break any of our windows but knocked stuff off the wall. The small structure is still standing though at the time it looked like it had its stuffings knocked out of it.

Turns out the guilty party was a professor from a local university.

My god. And we believed 9/11 was the cause of the security urge, you guys were in trouble long before.

Was the spirit of Mc Carthy completely dead in the seventies or did it still live in the FBI? Fischers mother being Russian seems to have triggered quite some strange reactions from the authorities...

Hey what about Starsky and Hutch?  You know I have no love for cops, but that was one kick-ass show!  Plus the 2004 parody with Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson was a fine film as well!

It's better if you asked the champ-fischer.

Dude, the guy is not Hannibal Lecter, being strapped down and subjected to chemical testing.  Show some respect will ya?

Early on in this thread I brought forward the rumour about the KGB and Bobby Fischer, nothing that I have read here so far has changed my mind about the possibility regarding that scenario. All of the other theories ( yes theories ) presented here are open to question. Much as we would wish otherwise Fischer DID NOT leave behind a letter to be opened in the event of his death stating that the reason he did not defend his title was : xyz, etc etc.

As for the theory that he was afraid of Karpov let us remember that Fischer wiped the floor with Tigran Petrosian and many others ( yes truly wiped the floor ). Just take another look at " The Game Of The Century " where a young Fischer ( coming onto age 14 ? ) destroyed D.Byrne, then a IM and later a GM. Oh Yeah, Fischer was scared of Karpov and yes Virginia there really is a Santa Claus ! ROFL.      

Cabdenwurt, this is what you said about your inane KGB "plot" conspiracy theory three weeks ago. (around posts 70-75).  Now you're saying that "nothing has changed your mind."

Is it our job to disabuse you of any fanciful or irrational notions that you have about everything?  Convince you the toothy fairy doesn't exist, stuff like that?

Fischer had high demands and FIDE wouldn't meet them.

That's basically it.

The ONLY player in the Universe with a + score against Fischer was Mikail Tal and He score most of his wins when Fischer was a teenager!

Let me tell You Karpov can't even come close to the Magician of Riga!!

Tal is possibly the greates tactician of ALL times able to develop an attack out of nowhere with just a few pieces and conceive attacks making three pieces sacrifices in a row and having ALL his pieces hanging and yet still win!