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60 Memorable Fischer Moments

Top moments and events in Bobby Fischer's spectacular chess career and uncommon life.

For an explanation of the draft version and the finished version (further down), see Can't Get There From Here.

DRAFT VERSION

1. 1942 • Fischer's mother under FBI surveillance : (Oct) Fischer's mother Regina comes to attention of FBI; placed under surveillance
2. 1943 • Fischer born : (Mar) Fischer born in Chicago -> Mobile AZ -> Brooklyn, NY
3. 1949 • Learns to play chess : Age 6, learns to play chess from sister Joan
4. 1951 • Response to mother's plea : (Jan) Helms responds to mother; RJF plays simul; meets Carmine Nigro
5. 1955 • First tournaments : U.S. Amateur, N.J. (less than 3.5 out of 6); U.S. Junior, Nebraska (5.0 out of 10)
6. 1956 • Rosenwald : (Oct) Lessing J. Rosenwald tournament; 'Game of the Century' vs. D.Byrne
7. 1957 • U.S. Junior : (Jul) Wins U.S. Junior, San Francisco (8.5 out of 9)
8. 1957 • U.S Championship : (Dec) Wins U.S championship for 1st time (+8-0=5), a point ahead of Reshevsky
9. 1958 • 'I've Got a Secret' : (Mar) Appears on 'I've Got a Secret'
10. 1958 • IZ Portoroz : (Aug) Portoroz Interzonal; 5th place; youngest candidate ever; awarded title of GM
11. 1959 • Drops out of school : (Mar) Drops out of school
12. 1959 • IT Zurich : (May) Zurich International Tournament
13. 1959 • CT Yugoslavia : (Sep) Candidates Tournament, Bled-Zagreb-Belgrade, Yugoslavia
14. 1960 • Mother leaves home : Mother leaves home
15. 1960 • IT Mar del Plata : (Mar) Mar del Plata International Tournament
16. 1960 • IT Buenos Aires : (Jun) Buenos Aires International Tournament
17. 1960 • OL Leipzig : (Oct) Leipzig Olympiad
18. 1961 • Match vs. Reshevsky : (Jul) Match vs. Reshevsky
19. 1961 • IT Bled : (Sep) Bled International Tournament
20. 1962 • Worldwide Church of God : Becomes follower of Worldwide Church of God
21. 1962 • IZ Stockholm : (Jan) Stockholm Interzonal; 1st
22. 1962 • CT Curacao : (May) Candidates Tournament, Curacao, accuses Russians of cheating
23. 1962 • OL Varna : (Sep) Varna Olympiad
24. 1963 • U.S. Championship : (Dec) Wins U.S. Championship 13-0; game vs. R.Byrne, 'more witchcraft than chess'
25. 1965 • IT Havana : (Aug) Havana International Tournament by telex(?)
26. 1966 • Fischer Teaches Chess : Publishes 'Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess'
27. 1966 • IT Santa Monica : (Jul) Santa Monica International Tournament; comeback in second half
28. 1966 • OL Havana : (Oct) Havana Olympiad
29. 1967 • IZ Sousse : (Oct) Sousse Interzonal; withdraws while leading
30. 1968 • OL Lugano : Lugano Olympiad; leaves abruptly
31. 1968 • Moves from NY to CA : (Mar) Moves from New York to Pasadena
32. 1969 • '60 Memorable Games' : Publishes 'My 60 Memorable Games'
33. 1969 • Declines to play U.S. Championship : (Oct) Declines to play U.S. Championship, a zonal
34. 1970 • USSR vs. Rest of World : (Mar) USSR vs. Rest of World; board 2 vs. Petrosian
35. 1970 • OL Siegen : (Sep) Siegen Olympiad
36. 1970 • Seeded into Palma IZ : (Oct) seeded into Palma IZ
37. 1970 • IZ Palma : (Nov) Palma Interzonal; 1st
38. 1971 • CM 1/4-final : (May) Candidates quarterfinal match vs. Taimanov (6-0)
39. 1971 • CM 1/2-final : (Jul) Candidates semifinal match vs. Larsen (6-0)
40. 1971 • CM 1/1-final : (Sep) Candidates final match vs. Petrosian
41. 1972 • Will he play Spassky? : (Jul) Slater doubles prize fund
42. 1972 • Game 1 : (Jul) Start of World Championship match vs. Spassky 1
43. 1972 • Game 3 : (Jul) Beats Spassky for first time 3
44. 1972 • Game 21 : (Sep) Wins match vs. Spassky; becomes world champion 21
45. 1974 • Demands for title match : (Jun) FIDE General Assembly considers demands for next title match
46. 1975 • Loses title by default : (Apr) Loses title by default to Karpov
47. 1981 • Arrested in Pasadena : (May) Arrested in Pasadena; 'I was tortured in the Pasadena jailhouse'
48. 1984 • Disavows Jewishness : (Jun) Writes letter disavowing Jewishness
49. 1988 • Files for patent : (May) Files for patent on Fischer clock
50. 1992 • Rematch with Spassky : (Sep) Press conference; spits on letter
51. 1992 • Game 1 Spassky rematch : (Sep) Plays Spassky second time 1
52. 1996 • Fischer Random Chess : (Jun) Fischer Random Chess (Chess960)
53. 1997 • Mother dies : Regina (mother) dies
54. 1998 • Sister dies : Joan Fischer Targ (sister) dies (b.1937)
55. 1999 • First radio interview : (Jan) First radio interview
56. 2001 • Reaction to 9-11 : (Sep) Radio interview and reaction to 9-11
57. 2002 • Biological father revealed : Biological father revealed as Paul Nemenyi (Jewish)
58. 2004 • Detained in Japan : (Jul) Detained in Japan
59. 2005 • Released to Iceland : (Mar) Released to Iceland
60. 2008 • Fischer dies in Iceland : (Jan) Dies in Iceland

FINISHED VERSION

'Larger than life', 'A legend in his own time', 'A god among mortals', have all been said about Bobby Fischer. These are our picks for the top moments and events in his spectacular chess career and uncommon life.
1. 1942 • Fischer's mother under FBI surveillance : (October) While carrying her second child, Fischer's mother Regina comes to the attention of the FBI. She is placed under surveillance. Over two decades, the FBI compiles a 900 page dossier.
2. 1943 • Fischer born : (March 9) Fischer is born in Chicago. His father is Gerhard Fischer, his mother Regina Fischer (nee Wender). They divorce in 1945. The family moves to Mobile, Arizona, and then to Brooklyn, N.Y.
3. 1949 • Learns to play chess : Age 6, the boy learns to play chess from his sister Joan.
4. 1951 • Response to a mother's plea : (January) After Regina writes to the Brooklyn Eagle, Hermann Helms responds, 'If you can bring your little chess-playing boy to the Brooklyn Public Library, he might find someone there about his own age.'. Fischer plays in a simultaneous exhibition against Max Pavey and loses. He meets Carmine Nigro, president of the Brooklyn Chess Club, who offers to teach him.
5. 1955 • First tournaments : U.S. Amateur, N.J. (May, less than 3.5 out of 6); U.S. Junior, Nebraska (July, 5.0 out of 10).
6. 1956 • John W. Collins : (June) Begins visiting Hawthorne Chess Club, a private chess circle at the Brooklyn home of John W. (Jack) Collins and his sister Ethel. Collins had been New York State Champion in 1952 and was a stabilizing influence on the young Fischer.
7. 1956 • Rosenwald : (October) Invited to play in the 3rd Lessing J. Rosenwald tournament, Fischer finishes 8/9th out of 12 players, 4.5 points behind the winner Reshevsky. He plays the 'Game of the Century' as Black against Donald Byrne.
8. 1957 • U.S. Junior : (July) Wins the U.S. Junior Championship, San Francisco with 8.5 out of 9 points.
9. 1957 • U.S Championship : (December) Wins the U.S Championship on his first try (+8-0=5), a point ahead of Reshevsky. Held at yearend during that period in U.S. chess, he also wins in 1958/59, 1959/60, 1960/61, 1962/63, 1963/64, 1965/66, and 1966/67, a total of eight times. The victory earns him a spot in the next FIDE Interzonal, a World Championship qualifier.
10. 1958 • 'I've Got a Secret' : (March) Appears on 'I've Got a Secret', and wins a trip to the Interzonal.
[...]
31. 1968 • OL Lugano : Lugano Olympiad; unsatisfied with the lighting, leaves abruptly without playing a single game.
32. 1968 • Moves from NY to CA : (March) Moves from New York to Los Angeles. Attracted to the LA area since playing in the 1966 Santa Monica tournament.
33. 1969 • '60 Memorable Games' : Publishes 'My 60 Memorable Games', the largest repository of his chess knowledge and an instant classic. Includes three Fischer losses and seven draws. Assisted by GM Larry Evans, also responsible for the game introductions.
34. 1969 • Declines to play U.S. Championship : (October) Declines to play U.S. Championship, a zonal, thereby forfeiting his right to participate in the 1970-1972 World Championship cycle. Top places won by Reshevsky, Addison, and Benko, who qualify for the forthcoming Interzonal.
35. 1970 • USSR vs. Rest of World : (March) USSR vs. Rest of World; ten matches, each of four games, between the Soviet Union's top players and all other top players. GM Bent Larsen of Denmark insists on playing first board against World Champion Spassky. Unexpectedly, Fischer agrees and plays board 2 vs. previous World Champion Petrosian. Fischer wins the first two games and finishes +2-0=2.
36. 1970 • OL Siegen : (September) Siegen Olympiad, West Germany; scores +8-1=4 on first board. The U.S team finishes 4th.
37. 1970 • Seeded into Palma IZ : (October) Seeded into Palma Interzonal. The 41st FIDE Congress, held during the Siegen Olympiad, opened the door for Fischer's participation in the next Interzonal. Benko gives up his qualifying spot, and Fischer confirms his willingness to play. He will be guided over the next three years by Colonel Ed Edmondson, USCF Executive Director.
38. 1970 • IZ Palma : (November) Palma de Mallorca Interzonal; 1st place (+15-1=7), 3.5 points ahead of Larsen, Geller, and Huebner. Qualifies for the Candidates Matches. Fischer wins the last seven games, although the 23rd game is a forfeit win over Panno.
39. 1971 • CM 1/4-final : (May) Candidates quarterfinal match vs. Taimanov, in Vancouver, Canada. Fischer wins 6-0.
40. 1971 • CM 1/2-final : (July) Candidates semifinal match vs. Larsen, in Denver, CO. Fischer again wins 6-0.
[...]

60 Memorable Fischer Moments
Top moments and events in Bobby Fischer's spectacular chess career and uncommon life.
For an explanation of the draft version and the finished version (further down), see Can't Get There From Here. DRAFT VERSION 1. 1942 • Fischer's mother under FBI surveillance : (Oct) Fischer's mother Regina comes to attention of FBI; placed under surveillance 2. 1943 • Fischer born : (Mar) Fischer born in Chicago -> Mobile AZ -> Brooklyn, NY 3. 1949 • Learns to play chess : Age 6, learns to play chess from sister Joan 4. 1951 • Response to mother's plea : (Jan) Helms responds to mother; RJF plays simul; meets Carmine Nigro 5. 1955 • First tournaments : U.S. Amateur, N.J. (less than 3.5 out of 6); U.S. Junior, Nebraska (5.0 out of 10) 6. 1956 • Rosenwald : (Oct) Lessing J. Rosenwald tournament; 'Game of the Century' vs. D.Byrne 7. 1957 • U.S. Junior : (Jul) Wins U.S. Junior, San Francisco (8.5 out of 9) 8. 1957 • U.S Championship : (Dec) Wins U.S championship for 1st time (+8-0=5), a point ahead of Reshevsky 9. 1958 • 'I've Got a Secret' : (Mar) Appears on 'I've Got a Secret' 10. 1958 • IZ Portoroz : (Aug) Portoroz Interzonal; 5th place; youngest candidate ever; awarded title of GM 11. 1959 • Drops out of school : (Mar) Drops out of school 12. 1959 • IT Zurich : (May) Zurich International Tournament 13. 1959 • CT Yugoslavia : (Sep) Candidates Tournament, Bled-Zagreb-Belgrade, Yugoslavia 14. 1960 • Mother leaves home : Mother leaves home 15. 1960 • IT Mar del Plata : (Mar) Mar del Plata International Tournament 16. 1960 • IT Buenos Aires : (Jun) Buenos Aires International Tournament 17. 1960 • OL Leipzig : (Oct) Leipzig Olympiad 18. 1961 • Match vs. Reshevsky : (Jul) Match vs. Reshevsky 19. 1961 • IT Bled : (Sep) Bled International Tournament 20. 1962 • Worldwide Church of God : Becomes follower of Worldwide Church of God 21. 1962 • IZ Stockholm : (Jan) Stockholm Interzonal; 1st 22. 1962 • CT Curacao : (May) Candidates Tournament, Curacao, accuses Russians of cheating 23. 1962 • OL Varna : (Sep) Varna Olympiad 24. 1963 • U.S. Championship : (Dec) Wins U.S. Championship 13-0; game vs. R.Byrne, 'more witchcraft than chess' 25. 1965 • IT Havana : (Aug) Havana International Tournament by telex(?) 26. 1966 • Fischer Teaches Chess : Publishes 'Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess' 27. 1966 • IT Santa Monica : (Jul) Santa Monica International Tournament; comeback in second half 28. 1966 • OL Havana : (Oct) Havana Olympiad 29. 1967 • IZ Sousse : (Oct) Sousse Interzonal; withdraws while leading 30. 1968 • OL Lugano : Lugano Olympiad; leaves abruptly 31. 1968 • Moves from NY to CA : (Mar) Moves from New York to Pasadena 32. 1969 • '60 Memorable Games' : Publishes 'My 60 Memorable Games' 33. 1969 • Declines to play U.S. Championship : (Oct) Declines to play U.S. Championship, a zonal 34. 1970 • USSR vs. Rest of World : (Mar) USSR vs. Rest of World; board 2 vs. Petrosian 35. 1970 • OL Siegen : (Sep) Siegen Olympiad 36. 1970 • Seeded into Palma IZ : (Oct) seeded into Palma IZ 37. 1970 • IZ Palma : (Nov) Palma Interzonal; 1st 38. 1971 • CM 1/4-final : (May) Candidates quarterfinal match vs. Taimanov (6-0) 39. 1971 • CM 1/2-final : (Jul) Candidates semifinal match vs. Larsen (6-0) 40. 1971 • CM 1/1-final : (Sep) Candidates final match vs. Petrosian 41. 1972 • Will he play Spassky? : (Jul) Slater doubles prize fund 42. 1972 • Game 1 : (Jul) Start of World Championship match vs. Spassky 1 43. 1972 • Game 3 : (Jul) Beats Spassky for first time 3 44. 1972 • Game 21 : (Sep) Wins match vs. Spassky; becomes world champion 21 45. 1974 • Demands for title match : (Jun) FIDE General Assembly considers demands for next title match 46. 1975 • Loses title by default : (Apr) Loses title by default to Karpov 47. 1981 • Arrested in Pasadena : (May) Arrested in Pasadena; 'I was tortured in the Pasadena jailhouse' 48. 1984 • Disavows Jewishness : (Jun) Writes letter disavowing Jewishness 49. 1988 • Files for patent : (May) Files for patent on Fischer clock 50. 1992 • Rematch with Spassky : (Sep) Press conference; spits on letter 51. 1992 • Game 1 Spassky rematch : (Sep) Plays Spassky second time 1 52. 1996 • Fischer Random Chess : (Jun) Fischer Random Chess (Chess960) 53. 1997 • Mother dies : Regina (mother) dies 54. 1998 • Sister dies : Joan Fischer Targ (sister) dies (b.1937) 55. 1999 • First radio interview : (Jan) First radio interview 56. 2001 • Reaction to 9-11 : (Sep) Radio interview and reaction to 9-11 57. 2002 • Biological father revealed : Biological father revealed as Paul Nemenyi (Jewish) 58. 2004 • Detained in Japan : (Jul) Detained in Japan 59. 2005 • Released to Iceland : (Mar) Released to Iceland 60. 2008 • Fischer dies in Iceland : (Jan) Dies in Iceland FINISHED VERSION 'Larger than life', 'A legend in his own time', 'A god among mortals', have all been said about Bobby Fischer. These are our picks for the top moments and events in his spectacular chess career and uncommon life. 1. 1942 • Fischer's mother under FBI surveillance : (October) While carrying her second child, Fischer's mother Regina comes to the attention of the FBI. She is placed under surveillance. Over two decades, the FBI compiles a 900 page dossier. 2. 1943 • Fischer born : (March 9) Fischer is born in Chicago. His father is Gerhard Fischer, his mother Regina Fischer (nee Wender). They divorce in 1945. The family moves to Mobile, Arizona, and then to Brooklyn, N.Y. 3. 1949 • Learns to play chess : Age 6, the boy learns to play chess from his sister Joan. 4. 1951 • Response to a mother's plea : (January) After Regina writes to the Brooklyn Eagle, Hermann Helms responds, 'If you can bring your little chess-playing boy to the Brooklyn Public Library, he might find someone there about his own age.'. Fischer plays in a simultaneous exhibition against Max Pavey and loses. He meets Carmine Nigro, president of the Brooklyn Chess Club, who offers to teach him. 5. 1955 • First tournaments : U.S. Amateur, N.J. (May, less than 3.5 out of 6); U.S. Junior, Nebraska (July, 5.0 out of 10). 6. 1956 • John W. Collins : (June) Begins visiting Hawthorne Chess Club, a private chess circle at the Brooklyn home of John W. (Jack) Collins and his sister Ethel. Collins had been New York State Champion in 1952 and was a stabilizing influence on the young Fischer. 7. 1956 • Rosenwald : (October) Invited to play in the 3rd Lessing J. Rosenwald tournament, Fischer finishes 8/9th out of 12 players, 4.5 points behind the winner Reshevsky. He plays the 'Game of the Century' as Black against Donald Byrne. 8. 1957 • U.S. Junior : (July) Wins the U.S. Junior Championship, San Francisco with 8.5 out of 9 points. 9. 1957 • U.S Championship : (December) Wins the U.S Championship on his first try (+8-0=5), a point ahead of Reshevsky. Held at yearend during that period in U.S. chess, he also wins in 1958/59, 1959/60, 1960/61, 1962/63, 1963/64, 1965/66, and 1966/67, a total of eight times. The victory earns him a spot in the next FIDE Interzonal, a World Championship qualifier. 10. 1958 • 'I've Got a Secret' : (March) Appears on 'I've Got a Secret', and wins a trip to the Interzonal. [...] 31. 1968 • OL Lugano : Lugano Olympiad; unsatisfied with the lighting, leaves abruptly without playing a single game. 32. 1968 • Moves from NY to CA : (March) Moves from New York to Los Angeles. Attracted to the LA area since playing in the 1966 Santa Monica tournament. 33. 1969 • '60 Memorable Games' : Publishes 'My 60 Memorable Games', the largest repository of his chess knowledge and an instant classic. Includes three Fischer losses and seven draws. Assisted by GM Larry Evans, also responsible for the game introductions. 34. 1969 • Declines to play U.S. Championship : (October) Declines to play U.S. Championship, a zonal, thereby forfeiting his right to participate in the 1970-1972 World Championship cycle. Top places won by Reshevsky, Addison, and Benko, who qualify for the forthcoming Interzonal. 35. 1970 • USSR vs. Rest of World : (March) USSR vs. Rest of World; ten matches, each of four games, between the Soviet Union's top players and all other top players. GM Bent Larsen of Denmark insists on playing first board against World Champion Spassky. Unexpectedly, Fischer agrees and plays board 2 vs. previous World Champion Petrosian. Fischer wins the first two games and finishes +2-0=2. 36. 1970 • OL Siegen : (September) Siegen Olympiad, West Germany; scores +8-1=4 on first board. The U.S team finishes 4th. 37. 1970 • Seeded into Palma IZ : (October) Seeded into Palma Interzonal. The 41st FIDE Congress, held during the Siegen Olympiad, opened the door for Fischer's participation in the next Interzonal. Benko gives up his qualifying spot, and Fischer confirms his willingness to play. He will be guided over the next three years by Colonel Ed Edmondson, USCF Executive Director. 38. 1970 • IZ Palma : (November) Palma de Mallorca Interzonal; 1st place (+15-1=7), 3.5 points ahead of Larsen, Geller, and Huebner. Qualifies for the Candidates Matches. Fischer wins the last seven games, although the 23rd game is a forfeit win over Panno. 39. 1971 • CM 1/4-final : (May) Candidates quarterfinal match vs. Taimanov, in Vancouver, Canada. Fischer wins 6-0. 40. 1971 • CM 1/2-final : (July) Candidates semifinal match vs. Larsen, in Denver, CO. Fischer again wins 6-0. [...]