Bobby Fischer Against the World in UK cinemas from July 15th
![Bobby Fischer Against the World in UK cinemas from July 15th](https://images.chesscomfiles.com/proxy/www.chessvibes.com/plaatjes/bobbyfischeragainsttheworld/290/http/98e384e37d.jpg)
Award-winning filmmaker Liz Garbus presents a fascinating portrait of one of the most intriguing and enigmatic figures of the 20th century – World Chess Champion Bobby Fischer. Out in cinemas 15 July, Bobby Fischer Against the World traces the Grand Master from child prodigy to Cold War hero to controversial recluse. Cutting interviews with Bobby and the people who knew him with footage and news reports, Bobby Fischer Against the World is a mesmerising portrait of the rise and bizarre fall of one of the great American icons.In 1958, 14-year old Robert James “Bobby” Fischer stunned the chess world by becoming the youngest Grand Master in history, launching a career that would make him a legend. Raised by his mother in Brooklyn, he taught himself to play chess at the age of six and started beating seasoned adult chess players at eight. Throughout the sixties, as his star rose Bobby would appear regularly on TV and tour the world resoundingly beating all. His career highlight came in 1972 when he played the Russian Grand Master and reigning champion Boris Spassky - a series that was equally tied in with the Cold War as it was with chess. After his victory Bobby became the most famous person on the planet, and his already erratic behaviour began spiralling out of control, turning this genius into an unrecognisable recluse and pariah.We asked GM Gawain Jones, who lives in London, to go and watch the show, and write a review about the film. He's currently working on that, but he already told us that he and his girlfriend had a very nice evening and... that there was someone in the audience he recognized!In fact Magnus Carlsen also visited the press screening last night, together with his manager Espen Agdestein. (To tell you the truth: we already knew this in advance, and informed Gawain about it.) Here's a photo of Gawain and Magnus. Obvsiously Gawain took the opportunity to ask the (former) prodigy what he thought about the film.Director Liz Garbus (Emmy Award® winning Ghosts of Abu Ghraib and Academy Award® nominated Street Fight) has crafted a complex film of a complex persona, exploring issues such as whether Bobby was ever equipped to deal with the fame and the pressures of being in the public eye; how his fractious relationship with his mother may have contributed to this; and how he propelled chess to a world-wide phenomenon, boosting it to a level of popularity not seen since. Truly unique, Bobby Fischer still stands as the most famous Grand Master, a life devoured by his obsession with chess and whose death revealed nothing about what eventually destroyed him.
“Chess is like my alter ego” – Bobby Fischer
Release date: 15 July 2011 Run Time: 92mins
![Gawain Jones and Magnus Carlsen at the Bobby Fischer Against the World UK Press Screening](https://images.chesscomfiles.com/proxy/www.chessvibes.com/plaatjes/bobbyfischeragainsttheworld/gawainandmagnus/http/39080a969e.jpg)