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Bobby Fischer Is Dead At 64

A number of readers wrote in to make sure we know that former world chess champion Bobby Fischer has died in Reykjavik, Iceland, where he had lived since 2005. No cause of death was given.

377 comments

  1. reason for death by DeeQ · · Score: 0

    I think cnn or some other news site said his kidneys failed.

    1. Re:reason for death by DeeQ · · Score: 4, Informative

      Fisher died in a Reykjavik hospital on Thursday of kidney failure after a long illness, his spokesman, Gardar Sverrisson, said Friday. Story here
    2. re:reason for death by ed.han · · Score: 3, Funny

      anybody else glad that fischer can't write his own press release re: his death? b/c you know he'd blame this fictional jewish conspiracy for it...

      ed

    3. Re:reason for death by wamerocity · · Score: 3, Funny

      and then the rest of the dominoes will fall like a house of cards.. CHECKMATE!

      --
      "Thank you for using Stop-n-Drop, America's favorite suicide booth since 2008"
    4. Re:reason for death by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You are getting modded +funny for the "fictional" part

    5. Re:reason for death by Hextor_Freebish · · Score: 1

      On behalf of the International Zionist Conspiracy, allow me to be the first to say: Checkmate!

    6. Re:reason for death by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 0

      Fisher: "The United States is evil. There's this axis of evil. What about the allies of evil -- the United States, England, Japan, Australia? These are the evildoers,"

      He didn't mention "The Jews".

      --
      "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
      Never been known to fail..."
    7. Re:reason for death by mazanoid · · Score: 1

      could it have been sean paul's music?

      oh wait that was a diff article my bad.

    8. Re:reason for death by Rei · · Score: 3, Funny

      "Haaretz, this is Nevuah. Come in, Haaretz. The gambit has been played. Need to castle. Over."

      You know, if Fischer knew he might die there, he could at least have had some fun by writing on his hand something like:

      Fischer B
      Was Hijacked
      In Rekjavik ICL
      16.1.08, 21:00
      Came to ICL
      by fly BA 504

      --
      "99 dead duelists of Dios on the wall. 99 dead duelists of Dios! Take one's ring, pass it around..."
    9. re:reason for death by ed.han · · Score: 1

      fischer struggled throughout his life with being jewish himself and his anti-semitic harangues are pretty well-documented.

      ed

    10. Re:reason for death by Leftist+Troll · · Score: 1

      Heh, I guess you haven't seen his homepage.

    11. Re:reason for death by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You make it sound like struggling with cancer, or some other genetic disease transmitted by one's Mother.

    12. Re:reason for death by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 1

      Seen it? That's MY homepage!

      --
      "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
      Never been known to fail..."
    13. Re:reason for death by Tetsujin · · Score: 1

      You make it sound like struggling with cancer, or some other genetic disease transmitted by one's Mother. For an anti-Semite that's pretty much how it would feel, I suppose... Or else just some big, ongoing crisis of identity...
      --
      Bow-ties are cool.
    14. re:reason for death by ed.han · · Score: 1

      i don't view it that way, but i'm sure he did.

      ed

    15. Re:reason for death by smurgy · · Score: 1

      It's one of the common causes of death I guess... but does anyone else find it significant that he died at age 64, the number of squares on a chessboard?

      Spooooooooky...

    16. Re:reason for death by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      He was a hater. He won't much be missed.

    17. Re:reason for death by mr100percent · · Score: 1

      Come on, no American is going to know Mordecai Vanunu

    18. Re:reason for death by MrKaos · · Score: 1

      no-one ever says Reykjavik in a song.

      --
      My ism, it's full of beliefs.
  2. Did He Go To Heaven or Hell? by netglen · · Score: 2, Funny

    Regardless where ever he went in his after life, I hope he's forced to play checkers. Or at reincarnated as a marble in a Chinese Checkers game. :D

    1. Re:Did He Go To Heaven or Hell? by fatphil · · Score: 1

      Well, he didn't like chess anyway. Chess was "dead" over twenty years ago. (Something which Capablanca had already predicted, IIRC.)

      However, if he does find a chess set, I guess you'll just hope that he never finds a die...

      --
      Also FatPhil on SoylentNews, id 863
    2. Re:Did He Go To Heaven or Hell? by kellyb9 · · Score: 1

      Actually... He was in the process of being expedited to hell when purgatory jumped in and provided him sanctuary.

  3. Why such hate? by Shivetya · · Score: 5, Insightful
    On Sept. 11, 2001, he told a radio talk-show host in Baguio, the Philippines, that the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were "wonderful news," adding he was wishing for a scenario "where the country will be taken over by the military, they'll close down all the synagogues, arrest all the Jews and secure hundreds of thousands of Jewish ringleaders."



    That and a few other choice comments attributed to him make me want to say, good riddance. It is such a travesty to see such greatness overshadowed by blantant and raving bigotry. I don't care how good at chess he was anymore, the world doesn't need to celebrate assholes like this just because "they were once great"

    It really sounds like he succumbed to hate and had to disappear at times simply because he knew he couldn't exist in the real world

    --
    * Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
    1. Re:Why such hate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Too bad such a great chess mind was such a retard otherwise.

      Good riddance to the anti-semite. I'm glad he renounced his citizenship - we didn't need scum like him around.

    2. Re:Why such hate? by east+coast · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It really sounds like he succumbed to hate and had to disappear at times simply because he knew he couldn't exist in the real world

      Actually, the man succumbed to mental illness. Hopefully you're never in a position to pass any meaningful judgement on people who have these kinds of issues.

      Or what would you tell the readers on this site that lay claims to having Asperger's syndrome or a close relative of such? Would you tell them that it serves them right and that they're just a bunch of misfits?

      If anything Fischer's legacy outside of chess should be to show people that extreme talent and insight in a small area gives no one any special insight into anything else. Maybe actors and singers should take note of that.

      --
      Dedicated Cthulhu Cultist since 4523 BC.
    3. Re:Why such hate? by Vellmont · · Score: 5, Insightful


      That and a few other choice comments attributed to him make me want to say, good riddance.

      He was certainly a huge dick, and a bigot to boot. But AFAIK all he ever did was rant and talk. Not exactly someone you wish dead. In a word, "Mostly Harmless".

      I have to say, the world is a slightly less interesting place with Bobby Fischer not in it.

      --
      AccountKiller
    4. Re:Why such hate? by Deadstick · · Score: 1

      A man does crazy things because, well duh, he's crazy. Some brains are like the engines in fuel dragsters: they can accomplish extraordinary feats, but sometimes they blow up big time. I'm not a player, but I think they have a right to remember what he was before Garner Ted Armstrong saw him coming.

      rj

    5. Re:Why such hate? by COMON$ · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Maybe actors and singers should take note of that.
      And PHDs, Pastors, MDs or anyone else highly educated speaking of fields like an expert where they aren't.

      --
      CS: It is all sink or swim...oh and did I mention there are sharks in that water?
    6. Re:Why such hate? by nlitement · · Score: 1
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Fischer

      Robert James Fischer was born at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. His mother, Regina Wender, was a naturalized American citizen of German Jewish[11] descent There, *BANG*, once your mother's Jewish, you're Jewish. Even though I'm puzzled by his anti-Semitism, there's something called self-hating Jew
    7. Re:Why such hate? by Erwos · · Score: 5, Interesting

      When did "neurotic" come to mean "hateful and bigoted"? Stalin led the USSR to victory in WWII - that doesn't mean I'm going to start eulogizing the guy, because we all know what a total bastard he was in so many other ways.

      I never said anything bad about Bobby Fischer, but judging from the articles I'm seeing, he's said plenty bad about me as a Jewish-American. Why should I shed tears over the guy? Or is it somehow different when you spew rhetoric against groups rather than individuals?

      --
      Plausible conjecture should not be misrepresented as proof positive.
    8. Re:Why such hate? by Ubergrendle · · Score: 1

      To anyone familiar with his personal history, its clear he had psychological problems; I've read numerous opinions by mental health professionals that he exhibited numerous signs of paranoid schizophrenia. Don't be quick to judge his personal worth.

      Like many artists, scientists, and other great thinkers his personal life was a mess, his personal opinions muddled and ugly. But his accomplishments will remain long after his death; immensely talented as a chess player and his victory during the height of the cold war had political ramifications.

      His death @ 64 in some ways is a poetic end, given life's major achievements.

      --
      John Maynard Keynes: "When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do?"
    9. Re:Why such hate? by apankrat · · Score: 4, Interesting

      > Actually, the man succumbed to mental illness.

      Fischer's demise is oddly similar to that of Luzhin from The Defence novel by Nabokov. The main character was also a genius chess player that was drifting between the clear mind and the insanity. What's even more odd is that the novel dates back to early 1930s.

      --
      3.243F6A8885A308D313
    10. Re:Why such hate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      he was still a damn good chess player...

      And OJ was a damn fine football player

    11. Re:Why such hate? by Enderandrew · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      Neurotic is different from racist. And yes, we're all a little racist (thank you, Avenue Q) but he was a major bigot.

      --
      http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
    12. Re:Why such hate? by BenoitRen · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Or what would you tell the readers on this site that lay claims to having Asperger's syndrome or a close relative of such?

      Except that Asperger's Syndrome is not a mental illness.

    13. Re:Why such hate? by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 1

      "Actually, the man succumbed to mental illness."

      Bigotry is a mental illness, wouldn't you say?

      --
      Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
    14. Re:Why such hate? by nlitement · · Score: 1

      Quick fix (or not, stupid 5 minute post intervals). Jesus Christ I wish you could edit your posts.. The self-hating Jew link was meant to lead to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-hating_Jew

    15. Re:Why such hate? by hey! · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Because he was, not to put too fine a point on it, as crazy as a sack full of ferrets. His way of looking at things had all the perspective of a one eyed bureaucrat peering through a broken microscope.

      It makes no sense at all to discuss his pronouncements on current events as if there were any possibility he would express any understanding of their human dimensions. It's not hate, it's indifference. And it's not really very far removed from the kind of indifference that is politically acceptable because its common. The only reason people don't sound so callous when they discuss war or economic policy is because they're tuned to the same wavelength as the others around them. They know what kinds of real things seem real and what kinds of real things seem unreal to the people they're talking to, hardly the kind of nuance you'd expect a mind like Bobby Fischer's to grasp.

      Bobby Fischer had pretty good reason to hate the American government. The indifference to the suffering of others thrown in with that is not particularly shocking, and the fact that he let it show publicly just demonstrates his utter lack of tact, a quality that in all probability he never felt the need for. The antisemitism was just garden variety self-loathing, obviously ugly as well as bat-shit crazy, but not so incomprehensible.

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
    16. Re:Why such hate? by darkmeridian · · Score: 1

      Fisher really sounds like a paranoid schizophrenic. They think that people are out to get them and stuff--whether it's aliens, the CIA, or a cabal of evil Jews. It seems to fit, but I do not think he's ever been diagnosed as such (or would have let a doctor close enough to do so).

      --
      A NYC lawyer blogs. http://www.chuangblog.com/
    17. Re:Why such hate? by palegray.net · · Score: 2, Insightful

      That's not what Wikipedia has to say about it. Or this page, or this one here, or even this one at Yale. But hey, what do they know anyways...

    18. Re:Why such hate? by dintech · · Score: 1

      Excuse my ingorance but I've never heard of him before until today. I felt a little sad and respectful when I read the headlines but digging into his character a little a now I just feel dissapointed by him. I don't think he'll actually be missed very much.

    19. Re:Why such hate? by Vellmont · · Score: 1


      The only reason people don't sound so callous when they discuss war or economic policy is because they're tuned to the same wavelength as the others around them. They know what kinds of real things seem real and what kinds of real things seem unreal to the people they're talking to, hardly the kind of nuance you'd expect a mind like Bobby Fischer's to grasp.

      Huh. That's probably the most insightful thing I've read in months.

      --
      AccountKiller
    20. Re:Why such hate? by jrifkin · · Score: 1

      If anything Fischer's legacy outside of chess should be to show people that extreme talent and insight in a small area gives no one any special insight into anything else. Maybe actors and singers should take note of that.
      Even more so, politicians should take note of that, judging from recent history.
    21. Re:Why such hate? by jandersen · · Score: 1

      Nobody is ever simply good or bad - this is something that we all need to realize. I used to believe that my heroes were only good and my 'enemies' were only good, but all it ever gave me way isolation from reality. If you can't see something of yourself in your worst enemy and something of him/her in you, then you're missing an important part of reality, and you are cutting yourself off from the possibility of solving the problems and moving forward.

      Didn't Jesus say something to that effect? That ought to count for something in the US, a nation that calls itself Christian.

    22. Re:Why such hate? by east+coast · · Score: 1

      Perhaps your correct. But my understanding is that it's a mental condition with possible genetic roots. (of course, I'm not a doctor). I think as our understanding of mental illenss evolves we're going to see more of this. Just look at John Nash and his son.

      We have a ton we just don't know yet. It's going to be an interesting trip.

      --
      Dedicated Cthulhu Cultist since 4523 BC.
    23. Re:Why such hate? by insertwackynamehere · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Yeah he had clearly gone off the deep end by that point. He wasn't just "neurotic". He probably just had personal daddy issues since he was a Jew, and by that point they spun out of control and he reflected his hate on himself through melodrama, reclusion and stupidity. So what if he could play a stupid game? It's just a nerdy version of sport hero worship. Sure not everyone can do it, but stop idolizing those who can if it means you have to look past who they are as people. Anyway Kasparov is a great chess player and his post-chess political career is much more respectable.

    24. Re:Why such hate? by insertwackynamehere · · Score: 1

      You mean like 1 year for each square on a chess board?

    25. Re:Why such hate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, the man succumbed to mental illness. Hopefully you're never in a position to pass any meaningful judgement on people who have these kinds of issues.

      Mental illness is not an excuse for bigotry.

    26. Re:Why such hate? by Gospodin · · Score: 1

      Yes, I long for days of yore, when politicians were experts who had deep insight into their subjects and consistently made good choices.

      --
      ...following the principles of Heisenburger's Uncertain Cat...
    27. Re:Why such hate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I never said anything bad about Bobby Fischer, but judging from the articles I'm seeing, he's said plenty bad about me as a Jewish-American.

      He wasn't speaking about you personally. Or was he?

    28. Re:Why such hate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's curious, but Kasparov seems to be the exact Russian counterpart of Fisher.

      Does Putin even have his propagandists trolling /.?

    29. Re:Why such hate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or what would you tell the readers on this site that lay claims to having Asperger's syndrome or a close relative of such? Every one of the bazillions of people I've run across that either paid for or gave themselves a diagnosis of Asperger's is obviously quite proud of it. And why not? It's a nerd wet dream. "Yes, you are smarter than everyone else. And it's not your fault you can't interact with people, so don't bother taking the effort to learn how to."

      If you teach your children to acknowledge what is special about others and to work hard to change themselves you create a community. When you teach your children that they are special as they are and that others should change you tear a community apart.
    30. Re:Why such hate? by Rogerborg · · Score: 1

      Jesus, yes, after Richard III it's just been armchair quarterbacks in charge of the charges.

      --
      If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
    31. Re:Why such hate? by Rogerborg · · Score: 1

      AFAIK all he ever did was rant and talk.

      Hitler gassed a lot of Jews personally, did he?

      Oops, I lose.

      --
      If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
    32. Re:Why such hate? by Volante3192 · · Score: 1

      But apparently ignorance is an acceptable excuse to make thoughtless comments.

      You can't imagine what it was like in his head, nor can I. If you don't have full capacity of controlling your mind, how can you be held accountable for what it does?

    33. Re:Why such hate? by insertwackynamehere · · Score: 3, Insightful

      ? I don't think Kasparov is an anti-semite who's pro-terrorism. He's against his government and Putin but frankly it makes much more sense for him to be rebelling in Russia than it made for Fischer to be rebelling in America. Anyway, Kasparov is using civil disobedience to do what he thinks will make Russia a better place. Fischer snapped, renounced his citizenship and went to Iceland.

    34. Re:Why such hate? by ConsistentChaos · · Score: 1

      No.

    35. Re:Why such hate? by altoz · · Score: 1

      Isn't this common for a lot of geniuses? They achieve greatness early and go crazy later. The line between genius and insanity is very thin, Bobby Fischer being a great example.

    36. Re:Why such hate? by quickbrownfox · · Score: 1

      Interestingly, both of his parents were Jewish.

      --
      Repo man's always intense.
    37. Re:Why such hate? by radish · · Score: 1

      What happened to freedom of opinion? Feel free to disagree with someone, but wishing them dead (or celebrating their death) because of things they've said is out of order as far as I'm concerned.

      --

      ---- Den ene knappen er powerknapp, den andre er Bender voice knapp "Bite My Shiny Metal Ass"

    38. Re:Why such hate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Trust me. Asperger's wouldn't make Bobby Fischer an asshole. Socially awkward maybe. But he would've managed to make an ass out of himself without it. The man had issues with the US and was a fugitive for quite a while. Listen, he was a "genius" who thought he knew everything but knew nothing. He had an over-inflated ego and tried to twist the system so he could maintain his "chess-god" status.

      Good riddance I say.

    39. Re:Why such hate? by McDutchie · · Score: 1

      Fisher really sounds like a paranoid schizophrenic.

      Yeah, he really does, a cursory glance at his own homepage should be enough to confirm that.

      I mean, holy crap -- this is not your regular hatemonger. Even the Icelandic government, which gave him Icelandic nationality to get him out of detention in Japan, is "filthy dirty CIA-controlled" because the prime minister refused to personally intervene in his personal banking conflict.

      Poor man, he knew not what he did. The pressure clearly got to him. Let's remember him for his greatness and consider his mental decline a symptom of his show and tragic process of dying. RIP.

    40. Re:Why such hate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I find it ironic that Bobby Fisher who had real talent gets maligned for behavior like this and yet Paris Hilton and Brittney Spears have no real talent and are famous for their crazy behavior.

    41. Re:Why such hate? by Cyberax · · Score: 1

      Kasparov is allied with NBP (National Bolshevisk Party - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Bolshevik_Party) - it's known for its racist and nationalistic (and occasionally antisemic) rhetoric.

      So Kasparov IS close to Fisher.

    42. Re:Why such hate? by Himring · · Score: 1

      As an insane genius he's in good company. Nietzsche, Nash, Van Gogh, Poe, Plath, Camus, Kafka -- the list goes on.

      Be careful when discrediting others based on their flaws alone. Fischer is the archetype of chess masters, the platonic ideal of such.

      I used to love to say to others, "Deep Blue never played Bobby Fischer."

      Fischer's final years, much like Nietzsche, were fogged by mental illness. Give the man a break, and celebrate his achievements alone without besmirching his name. My god, placing such a negative post at the top of this discussion. Wtf modded that up?

      --
      "All great things are simple & expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope." --Churchill
    43. Re:Why such hate? by daenris · · Score: 1

      I have no mod points right now, so I'll just have to agree. And given that it's listed in the DSM, which... stick with me here... is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Yeah I'd say it classifies as a mental illness.

    44. Re:Why such hate? by palegray.net · · Score: 1

      Oh, don't get me wrong... I'm not citing Asperger's as an excuse for Fischer being a complete prick. I simply pointed out that the GP is dead wrong in his/her assertion that Asperger's doesn't qualify as a "real disorder."

    45. Re:Why such hate? by metallic · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It should be noted that Bobby Fischer's mother is Jewish. The man was mentally ill, which while not excusing the things he said, at least makes it a little easier to understand.

      --
      Karma: Positive. Mostly effected by cowbell.
    46. Re:Why such hate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      the world doesn't need to celebrate assholes like this just because "they were once great"
       
      Fuck you, I will still love Michael Richards.

    47. Re:Why such hate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Except that Asperger's Syndrome is not a mental illness."

      He didn't say it was. Reread post.

    48. Re:Why such hate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      O.J. Simpson was a damn good football player and good enough to win for San Francisco a Super Bowl championship. So what if he murdered 2 people. Are we not all murderers to some degree?

    49. Re:Why such hate? by Himring · · Score: 1

      Fischer said some unfortunate things about the U.S., but if you knew his history and the way he drug into U.S. cold war politics -- against his will -- maybe you'd be a little more understanding. It was none other than the Nixon administration that leveled its weight against him. Fischer strikes you as one who doesn't like to be pushed around. When forced, he forced back. Ironic that he became an unwilling "pawn" in such a way. The aftermath is he left the U.S. never to return. I would like it better myself if he had never said such nasty things, but then again, he's Bobby Fischer....

      --
      "All great things are simple & expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope." --Churchill
    50. Re:Why such hate? by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 1

      Bobby was Jewish, too.

      --
      "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
      Never been known to fail..."
    51. Re:Why such hate? by Doctor_Jest · · Score: 1

      They hanged Nazis for the same ideas... the only difference is Fischer didn't act out his hatred. (That we know of...)

      --
      It's the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man.
    52. Re:Why such hate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Im guessing he was referring to all of the nazi ties the american government/corporations had during the war.

      But yeah, lets just hate the guy without actually considering what he meant by the comments.

    53. Re:Why such hate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      [Or what would you tell the readers on this site that lay claims to having Asperger's syndrome or a close relative of such? Would you tell them that it serves them right and that they're just a bunch of misfits?]

      Bobby Fischer aside, self-diagnosis of autism on the internet, especially Slashdot, is hardly ever accurate.

      I'm socially awkward but reasonably intelligent! I can't get a date because I breathe through my mouth and only think about programming and video games! I must be a savant!

      Of course, on other sites, like SA, IBS is the new autism.

    54. Re:Why such hate? by gstoddart · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I never said anything bad about Bobby Fischer, but judging from the articles I'm seeing, he's said plenty bad about me as a Jewish-American. Why should I shed tears over the guy? Or is it somehow different when you spew rhetoric against groups rather than individuals?

      I wouldn't want to defend his antisemitism (at all), but everything I've heard about the man suggests he might have been suffering from serious, and untreated mental illness.

      In which case, I just try to have some empathy towards him and whatever was rattling around in his head. I have a cousin with Schizophrenia, and I wouldn't really judge him by "normal" rules for being accountable for his behaviour. In fact, his doctors have removed him from society mostly indefinitely, and have done so for almost 20 years.

      It is entirely possible Bobby Fisher was somewhat delusional but still functioning high enough not to be under more direct care.

      Sorry, this isn't from a Jewish perspective, so I don't mean to ask you to forgive what you cannot. Just trying to give a different perspective on the matter.

      Cheers
      --
      Lost at C:>. Found at C.
    55. Re:Why such hate? by siriuskase · · Score: 2, Interesting

      This is a perfect example of what I hate about the cult of celebrity. If he had never been the great chess champion, we would have never known of his antisemitism or his extreme opinions to being used as a propaganda tool. Yes, greatness in one arena tends to go hand in hand with being nuts, possibly from pressure or possibly from the same personality flaws that made him great at chess. He acted quite nutty during the Spasky match; the public debate at the time was whether it was just an act. But, it did serve to psych out his opponent and amuse the rest of us. But, Fischer and other celebrities rarely have great expertise outside of the field that got them famous in the first place and I do wish that their opinions on politics, religion, and parenting were not considered news worthy.

      --
      If you must moderate, please moderate as irrelevent, not something bad, because I'm sure someone will find this interest
    56. Re:Why such hate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In my experience with folks who have Asperger's (I know many; kind of an occupational hazard), there's no link between Asperger's and the kind of ideas Bobby Fischer expressed. However, it is possible that he also had say schizophrenia, which sometimes does lead to people becoming obsessed with those sorts of ideas. But I A N A Psy.

    57. Re:Why such hate? by MightyMartian · · Score: 1

      I think the general consensus is that Fischer was nuts. He was a brilliant chess player, but in other respects he was a pretty disturbed individual.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    58. Re:Why such hate? by east+coast · · Score: 1

      I wasn't implying that Fischer had Asperger's. I was making a statement about how those with issues such as mental illness or Asperger's (if you choose not to see it as a mental illness) should be judged with a bit of sympathy due to a condition that they have no reliable control over.

      In a more simplistic sense it's like saying not to blame someone for lying if they think that they're telling the truth. To sit and call everyone who has even stated an erroneous fact as a liar is a pretty harsh judgement. In some cases they are, in some cases they're simply misinformed. Not to say that they couldn't stand a bit of correction and that the facts shouldn't be set straight but in the case of the mentally ill it's not so simple.

      --
      Dedicated Cthulhu Cultist since 4523 BC.
    59. Re:Why such hate? by 14erCleaner · · Score: 1

      But AFAIK all he ever did was rant and talk. Not exactly someone you wish dead. In a word, "Mostly Harmless". He played in a match in Yugoslavia sponsored by a criminal financier, Jedzimir Vasiljevic, thus lending legitimacy to the latter's pyramid schemes and arms dealing, and arguably making the early-90's mess in the Balkans worse. Not harmless at all.
      --
      Have you read my blog lately?
    60. Re:Why such hate? by dedalus2000 · · Score: 1

      while I'm not aware of any clinical classification racism is certainly socially maladjusted and requires levels of denial and self delusion that fail to merely border on the pathological.

      --
      My keyboads not woking popely.
    61. Re:Why such hate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      Right on. I've know someone's brother who actually has Asperger's. He's not capable of basic social functions, much less a conversation on a computer, and even if they were they wouldn't go around telling people they had Asperger's. Moslty he acts like an alien and without constant support would be dead within a few days. Anyone who claims to have Asperger's is just a nerd making excuses.

    62. Re:Why such hate? by siriuskase · · Score: 1

      Yes, the Spaskey match wouldn't have had such a big audience if Bobby wasn't such a nutcase, but back then, we didn't know if he was really a nut or just acting.

      I think that if the ranting and raving is extreme enough, it tends to have the opposite effect on the listener.

      --
      If you must moderate, please moderate as irrelevent, not something bad, because I'm sure someone will find this interest
    63. Re:Why such hate? by Maxo-Texas · · Score: 1

      It sounds like he was not a major bigot but was actually mentally ill.

      Any of us can go that way any time. It doesn't change who we were when we were sane. We should remember the good and forget the bad in this case I think.

      --
      She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
    64. Re:Why such hate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Simpson had nothing to do with any of San Fransisco's championships.

      Simpson retired from football in 1979. The 49ers won their first Super Bowl in the 1981 NFL season. The actual Super Bowl game was played in January 1982.

    65. Re:Why such hate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think if you had someone with mental illness in your family you wouldn't be so harsh. I have a relative who used to claim that he was a god, and blame all of his problems on black, jewish, and hispanic people. When he takes anti-psychotic medication, he knows that all of that is nonsense. If he falls behind on a dose, he falls right back into it. It really does seem to be something chemical, that he can just take a drug and fix.

      It's easy to pass judgement on these people, and yes, sometimes I am a little hard on that particular family member during his outbursts but... I think a lot of people neglect the fact that we really are slaves to our brain chemistry. Something that seems like a "choice" to us could be involuntary for others.

    66. Re:Why such hate? by steelfood · · Score: 0

      Why should I shed tears over the guy?

      Because he's a human being, and as such, has friends and family who will be a little lesser for their loss. And because he did what most of us can only dream of doing, an accomplishment that involved neither destruction nor malice, and which changed society, arguably for the better. And for that alone, regardless of what he might have said or become later in life, I think he deserves both my respect and gratitude. In fact, the turn of events that caused him to be so hateful only makes me sadder still, that his life had to end this way.

      So why wouldn't you shed tears over him?

      --
      "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be."
    67. Re:Why such hate? by cayenne8 · · Score: 1
      "I never said anything bad about Bobby Fischer, but judging from the articles I'm seeing, he's said plenty bad about me as a Jewish-American. Why should I shed tears over the guy? Or is it somehow different when you spew rhetoric against groups rather than individuals?"

      Hey...everyone is entitled to their opinions, and free to express them, no matter how unpopular they are.

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    68. Re:Why such hate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't forget MBAs...

    69. Re:Why such hate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Asperger Syndrome is a type of autism, and autism is a neurological disorder that affects the way a person interacts with others and his or her world. It's not a mental illness"1

      "Despite Asperger's being listed in the APA's Diagnostic manual it is not a mental illness, it cannot be caused by trauma or neglect and it cannot be cured with therapy or a change in lifestyle or attitude." 2

      You are confusing concepts disorder and illness. They are not synomyms. If you don't believe that, read this article about popular medical definitions of personality disorders. "They are distinguished from mental illness ---"

    70. Re:Why such hate? by Nullav · · Score: 1

      At least you can ask questions and do something when you're disliked based on your own merits; but what can you do if someone targets you solely because you believe something?

      --
      I just read Slashdot for the articles.
    71. Re:Why such hate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      And OJ was a damn fine football player

      Q: What's the difference between Tang and OJ?

      A:Tang won't KILL YOU.

      - nyuk nyuk nyuk

    72. Re:Why such hate? by Stormwatch · · Score: 1

      Bobby was Jewish, too.
      He did not regard himself as such, therefore he was not.
    73. Re:Why such hate? by necro2607 · · Score: 2

      Actually, I wouldn't call Fischer's statement pro-terrorism at all. Maybe he's just pissed off at USA's long-standing "we rule the world" attitude and essential bullying of other countries. You know, kind of like back in school where if the high school bully got his ass kicked, you wouldn't even feel bad for a second? Frankly, the parallels there are pretty obvious. Then again I've just set myself up to get modded into oblivion by not saying how much of a crazy asshole he was to make that statement.. Oh well, not going to prevent me from sharing my perspective, especially because of how rare a perspective it seems to be.

    74. Re:Why such hate? by insertwackynamehere · · Score: 1

      That's a flawed analogy because the high school bully isn't thousands of innocent people and "the good guy" in a high school situation like that wouldn't be a crazy bigot.

    75. Re:Why such hate? by COMON$ · · Score: 1

      LOL, made my day.

      --
      CS: It is all sink or swim...oh and did I mention there are sharks in that water?
    76. Re:Why such hate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In a word, "Mostly Harmless"

      Actually, that's two words...

    77. Re:Why such hate? by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 1

      I don't consider myself "white". That doesn't keep these peckerwoods from sending me Christmas cards and credit applications. :-(

      --
      "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
      Never been known to fail..."
    78. Re:Why such hate? by iron-kurton · · Score: 1

      It's not really fair to compare Fischer to Stalin. AFAIK, Fischer never killed anyone.

      It is morally acceptable to dislike someone but appreciate their accomplishments. Personally, I celebrate Fischer's accomplishments in chess.

      --
      Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine -- Robert C. Gallagher
    79. Re:Why such hate? by EddyPearson · · Score: 0, Troll

      "So what if he could play a stupid game? It's just a nerdy version of sport hero worship."

      You sir, are a fucking idiot.

      I neither play chess, nor worship sports heros. However to compare one to the other shows true ignorance on your part, yet you feel the need to broadcast it on possibly the most discerning and judgemental backstreet of the Web, Slashdot.

      You got balls, sir.

      --
      You feel sleepy. Close your eyes. The opinions stated above are yours. You cannot imagine why you ever felt otherwise.
    80. Re:Why such hate? by PCM2 · · Score: 1

      He probably just had personal daddy issues since he was a Jew

      That would be mommy issues, actually. Judaism is "inherited" from the mother. (The clearest explanation why that I ever heard: "Somebody always knows who your mother is.")

      --
      Breakfast served all day!
    81. Re:Why such hate? by billcopc · · Score: 0, Troll

      (extends neck)

      I certainly don't agree with the jew-bashing, but as a Canadian (and a megalomaniacal psychopath), I too was relatively pleased the day the towers fell. That very morning, I thought "it's about time someone made the US Government their bitch". I foolishly hoped for humility, that someone at the white house would stop and think "We've been pissing the world off for far too long, and this is the price we pay for a century of antisocial behavior". Instead what happened was "Goddamnit I hate these arabs, Me & My Daddy are gonna kill em all!".

      Despite the idiocy of the Bush administration, I still think, for all the lives lost that day and in the ensuing cockfight, there is some good to come out of it, with a lot more on the way. It divided people, forced them to think about what had been done and step outside of their comfort bubble. Bobby Fischer was a wacko for hating Judaism and its followers, but I think he was right in saying the world trade center was a welcome tragedy.

      --
      -Billco, Fnarg.com
    82. Re:Why such hate? by Traa · · Score: 1

      Don't forget that his greatness has a lot to do with his world championship win against Spassky in 1972 making him a Cold War hero. It is weird to see how Americans idolize those who 'won' anything against the USSR during that dark period. Media and politicians have long send out the message that creating a better world consists of beating down your opponents and dominating them. The fact that the cold war eventually ended through a shift in tolerance and cooperation rather then winning some fight seems lost to many. /rant off

    83. Re:Why such hate? by BrentH · · Score: 1

      Thing is he (Fisher) didn't lead the planes into the building, he's just commenting, whereas Stalin had the power (and the will) to actually do all the bad stuff. So remembering for what he did is a whole lot different to remembering what Stalin did. What Fisher did what being good at chess, and he developed some weird notions later in life, just like many other senile elderly do, their brains are deteriorating. I wonder if he really was clear of mind anymore when he spouted all his nonsense. Also, about 9/11, he voices what a lot of people in the world think, even if it is only deep down. The US had it coming, and while most won't like how it happened (unlike Bobby Fisher), many people do like that something happened, and that is I think the sentiment Fisher voices.

    84. Re:Why such hate? by AshtangiMan · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I don't think "they" hanged Nazis for their ideas. Nazi war criminals were tried based on their actions. But it seems like there are a lot of people in the world who are willing to hang or persecute a person based on their ideas alone. This is what the Nazis (and others) did.

    85. Re:Why such hate? by daenris · · Score: 1

      That's only because of the way those particular sites decide to define mental illness. From the National Alliance on Mental Illness:
      "Mental illnesses are medical conditions that disrupt a person's thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others, and daily functioning." link Their definition page then goes on to use mental illness and mental disorder interchangeably.

      And from the NIMH it also tends to use disorder and illness interchangeably in this page: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-numbers-count-mental-disorders-in-america.shtml

    86. Re:Why such hate? by The+One+and+Only · · Score: 1

      Stalin led the USSR to victory in WWII - that doesn't mean I'm going to start eulogizing the guy, because we all know what a total bastard he was in so many other ways.

      That's a harsh and unforgiving analogy, but it's also a harsh and unforgiving viewpoint when taken at face value. Stalin was without a doubt insane and the world is better off without him than we were with him, but another tragedy is that a human being was made into a twisted madman by his early life experiences, and became the monster that he did. On the other hand I do attempt to practice understanding and sympathy for all humans, which is something few people are capable of or inclined to attempt.

      --
      In Repressive Burma, it's not just your connection that dies. slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=314547&cid=20819199
    87. Re:Why such hate? by PatrickThomson · · Score: 1

      I salute you, sir, for making a first post on slashdot containing mostly antisemitic ranting, and wrapping it in the required context to get +5 insightful.

      --
      I am one of many. My idea is not unique, nor do I expect my voice alone to sway you. I speak in a chorus of opinion.
    88. Re:Why such hate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      but what can you do if someone targets you solely because you believe something?

      So all beliefs are equal? If you believe in cannibalism of five year old boys, well even if you've never actually eaten one I'm still going to keep my kids away from you.

    89. Re:Why such hate? by risk+one · · Score: 1

      What about Wagner? Am I not allowed to enjoy his music, because he was an anti-semite?

    90. Re:Why such hate? by IgnoramusMaximus · · Score: 1

      I neither play chess, nor worship sports heros. However to compare one to the other shows true ignorance on your part ...

      How so? Competetive sports involve people performing otherwise useless activities, such as throwing a pig-skin clad item around or chasing a piece of plastic around on ice, while chess players waste brain power on moving silly pieces around 64 squares on a little board, neither having any useful real life consequences from any perspective other then "entertainment". If anything, sports at least have the supposed side-effect of encouraging healthy life-styles by promoting physical fittness. Playing chess on the other has not been linked in any way to improvement of any other cognitive skills or brain functions, and this very example of a chess "genius" is proof positive that it has even nothing whatsoever to do with common sense!

      So, logically, activities such as, say, competetive spitting is just as "useful" as chess ... or checkers ... or Black Jack ... etc and so on.

    91. Re:Why such hate? by Apostata · · Score: 1

      Kasparov is allied with NBP (National Bolshevisk Party - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Bolshevik_Party) - it's known for its racist and nationalistic (and occasionally antisemic) rhetoric. Proof please. I can find no such association outside of message-board gossip. What I can find (http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=2329) is that the NBP may have been responsible for assaulting Kasparov at a rally. That said, if you can provide something that backs-up what you're saying, I would appreciate it. Thanks.
      --

      This wasn't just plain terrible, this was fancy terrible. This was terrible with raisins in it. - Dorothy Parker
    92. Re:Why such hate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Clearly, hating Jews OR Americans is exempt from "bigotry" these days. Hating other people are bad. But it is o.k. if they hate you. This is exactly why world opinion is such a joke.

    93. Re:Why such hate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Jewish ethnicity is different from the Jewish faith, and criticizing the latter when you belong to the former doesn't and shouldn't mean one loathes him/herself in any way, shape or form.

    94. Re:Why such hate? by insertwackynamehere · · Score: 1

      Yeah I knew someone would point that out :P I know it's on the mom's side and all but I just threw that in.

    95. Re:Why such hate? by Opyros · · Score: 1

      There were other chess champions before Fischer who became insane - notably Paul Morphy and Wilhelm Steinitz.

    96. Re:Why such hate? by sanosuke76 · · Score: 1

      Depends on whether you're talking race or culture. You can't change your race, but you can choose your culture, to a degree.

      --
      My 229 is all the Sig I need http://thegunwiki.com/
    97. Re:Why such hate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I was born of Christian parents but do not consider myself one. Am I?

    98. Re:Why such hate? by smithmc · · Score: 1

        If anything Fischer's legacy outside of chess should be to show people that extreme talent and insight in a small area gives no one any special insight into anything else. Maybe actors and singers should take note of that.

      C'mon, it's only natural for a person to want to make use of publicity/exposure/audience/etc. to put forth his/her views to a large group of people. It's the people who listen to actors and singers, and lend extra credence to their words, who should learn a lesson from Bobby Fischer.

      --
      Downmodding is the refuge of the weak. Don't downmod, make a better argument!
    99. Re:Why such hate? by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 1

      Israel claims it is the home of all Jews - even the Atheists. I do not believe that being Jewish is identical with adopting the religious practices of Judaism.

      In this, it is an ethnological affinity - not one of creed or association.

      --
      "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
      Never been known to fail..."
    100. Re:Why such hate? by Serge_Tomiko · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The antisemitism was just garden variety self-loathing, obviously ugly as well as bat-shit crazy, but not so incomprehensible.

      I'm just curious, how can you possibly make such a statement? Self-loathing? crazy? You've obviously made many subjective defamatory statements against this dead man, but these particular ones I believe deserve some explanation.

      We have a particular people who have never lived in peace with their neighbors in the entire history of their existence. Are we to believe that everyone who has hated these people since the days of Cyrus the Great were simply self loathing and crazy?

      Tis a bit hard to believe, and shows your lack of thorough analysis of history and the current state of world politics.

    101. Re:Why such hate? by roguetrick · · Score: 1

      Isn't it hypocritical to see this modded 5 Insightful on Slashdot?

      --
      -The world would be a better place if everyone had a hoverboard
    102. Re:Why such hate? by Petrushka · · Score: 1

      It really sounds like he succumbed to hate and had to disappear at times simply because he knew he couldn't exist in the real world

      I don't disagree with your other comments, but the actual reason he had to disappear was he committed the appalling crime of playing a chess game in Montenegro in the 1990s. This violated one of Bush senior's presidential decrees, and as a result, in many parts of the world he was facing extradition to, and prison in, the US (even though violating a US president's decrees isn't a crime outside the US). The Icelandic government gave him political asylum.

    103. Re:Why such hate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've know someone's brother who actually has Asperger's. He's not capable of basic social functions

      Finally, thank you! I'm glad someone had the balls to stand up and tell us all that there's no room for any of this 'varying degrees of severity' bullshit. Asperger's Syndrome is very clearly black and white.

    104. Re:Why such hate? by Omestes · · Score: 1

      Not getting into the actual validity of it, thats a fight for another day, but I do still smell a fallacy. The DSM isn't really as scholarly as people think, a bunch of doctors get together and VOTE on what gets included, and lately, since the DSM IV, they've been getting more and more inclusive. Hence rumors of SHYNESS being a mental illness in DSM V.

      How many diagnostic manuals are created by democracy? These are not somatic diseases, these are opinions derived from an observed deviation from some current "norm". The DSM is a reflection of society, lacking the rigor of other texts, such as Taber's. Mental illness used to be defined mainly along three axis "harm to self", "harm to others", and "impairs ability to function". But a reading of the current DSM will net you a SLEW of illnesses, which pretty much are universally applicable. ADD/ADHD, and asperger's come to mind, most intelligent people will meet the 4/5 or 3/6 conditions needed to be diagnosed, and thus medicated, for these, even without meeting the above three criteria.

      Part of this is the fact that these are affective and not somatic. Schizophrenia is somatic, caused by brain abnormalities, whereas ADD is... what?

      Another issues is the increased presence of pharmaceutical corporations trying to advance their drugs (for self-proclaimed altruistic reasons). Doctors are elevating minor things to larger problems, so they have something to cure (with drugs, if possible). Another problem is that our society, and jobs, are becoming more and more psychologically unhealthy. Sitting in an office 8 hours a day is not a natural human condition, thus expect personal psychology to react, and to an extent rebel, against this. In this case it isn't a psychological problem, but a SOCIETAL problem which we have encountered. Part of this, as well, sad to say, is that we all want to be special, we all need a label. Asperger's and ADD have some positive connotations (being thinkers diseases), and no real downfall. Its just like people running around being proud for being left-handed.

      Now, to escape being called a Scientologist, there are some real problems that psychiatry should be treating. Schizophrenia, major depression (not sadness, or anomie, or general malaise, or the like), autism, and the like. Things that actually impair our ability to function and presents harm to one or another. And yes, there do exist some cases of REAL ADD/ADHD, but not nearly as many as are diagnosed. And yes, Autism does exist, but as a label for a spectrum of symptoms and not as a unitary whole. And yes, every single person on this planet can read the DSM and find something that applies to them.

      --
      A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government. -edward abbey
    105. Re:Why such hate? by donfrench · · Score: 1

      Fischer had chess player's disease, paranoia. He is not alone among the great champions of chess in having this disease. It both derives from and contributes to greatness in chess. A chess player must always be on the lookout for the hidden attack. The great players see hidden attacks when they are hidden very deeply indeed. Patterns that appear innocuous to the less capable appear as deadly to the master. Those who devote their entire lives to chess and especially those who excel at it like no others have this ability and the obsession to use it deeply ingrained in their psyches. To the chess player, everything appears potentially threatening and requires deep analysis to determine if danger really exists in the position, and if so, what the true nature of the danger is. Eventually, with some at least, this obsession persists into real life. Unfortunately, reality is not as clear-cut as the chess board. It is not always possible to ascertain all the facts off the board and the frustration with trying to analyze every "position" ever deeper and deeper with only limited success makes the paranoid personality even more paranoid. It is a vicious circle, as they say.

      Of course, growing up a Goyim in Brooklyn, where most of the other pre-teen boys went to class after school to learn the secret language and rituals of the great worldwide Jewish cabal, might have contributed to Fischer's condition as well. :)

      In any case, it is sad that he became what he did and that the world did not have a chance to experience more of his unique talent and art on the chessboard.

    106. Re:Why such hate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because he was supposed to be deported from Japan and put in front of a kangaroo court in a political show trial. You can say whatever you want about him (and personally, while I think he was a great chess player, I'm really disgusted by the things he spouted), but it's not as if he really left because he wanted to give the USA the finger - he left because they were giving HIM the finger.

    107. Re:Why such hate? by Allison+Geode · · Score: 1

      ah, but if that were the case, then you'd say that the westboro people were 'mostly harmless' too, except, when you talk, and due to accomplishments (in chess, or whatever else) people listen, then frankly, a bit of hate speech can be more damaging and dangerous than a bit of going out and hitting people. speech can incite more people to violence or hatred, if the one speaking has a voice that is considered worth listening to. Fischer was a master chess player.

    108. Re:Why such hate? by Khaed · · Score: 1

      So is the GP poster, though; he doesn't have to like Bobby Fischer or shed tears over him. You can have opinions all day long, but I don't have to like you or your opinions.

    109. Re:Why such hate? by HuguesT · · Score: 1

      Really? Clearly these radio comments come not from a very sane man. Unfortunately brilliance and madness are not very far apart, and it must not be very comfortable.

      I'll wager that history will forget his unfortunate racist comments, but remember forever his chess games.

    110. Re:Why such hate? by Khaed · · Score: 1

      chasing a piece of plastic around on ice

      Vulcanized rubber. Plastic only applies to street hockey. Just saying. (Yeah, I'm a hockey fan who reads /.)

      Mostly, I agree with your post, by the way. I don't see Fischer as all that admirable; I do think Kasparov is, however, because in addition to his chess skill, he's standing up for what he believes in (and not being a racist prick like Fischer).

    111. Re:Why such hate? by fatphil · · Score: 1

      At a stretch, it might be a _symptom_ of a mental illness, perhaps.

      It's mostly a symptom of ignorance. Ignorance breeds fear. Fear breeds hate.
      But ignorance /per se/ is not a mental illness.

      --
      Also FatPhil on SoylentNews, id 863
    112. Re:Why such hate? by HuguesT · · Score: 1

      Exactly. Bobby Fisher had an influence far above the mere game of chess. Not so long ago he was hailed as a hero. He has contributed a little more than most regarding the question of what mere humans are intellectually capable of doing.

      At the same time his chess brilliance came at an enormous price which he had to pay all by himself. This is extremely sad.

    113. Re:Why such hate? by HuguesT · · Score: 1

      Fortunately is 100% OK to speak of a field in which you are not an expert. If that were forbidden, then there would be no journalist, no news, extremely few and specialized books, and people would have extremely boring conversation.

      You as a listener are also 100% free to take home whatever message you want, if any.

    114. Re:Why such hate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "I never said anything bad about Bobby Fischer, but judging from the articles I'm seeing, he's said plenty bad about me as a Jewish-American. Why should I shed tears over the guy? Or is it somehow different when you spew rhetoric against groups rather than individuals?"

      Mental illness or not it makes you wonder why he was so antisemitic considering the fact that's Jewish as well. Maybe he was just a conspiracy-theorist...

    115. Re:Why such hate? by fatphil · · Score: 1

      Perhaps DSM is to mental illness what Merriam Websters is to language.
      (And yes, I have noticed the 10th definition of 'bad' therein.)

      --
      Also FatPhil on SoylentNews, id 863
    116. Re:Why such hate? by HuguesT · · Score: 1

      Oh yes, mental illness is a perfectly valid excuse for just about anything, up to and including murder.

    117. Re:Why such hate? by fatphil · · Score: 1

      No-one can grow up a goyim. Goyim is plural. C.f. Seraphim, cherubim, nephilim, hasidim, etc.

      --
      Also FatPhil on SoylentNews, id 863
    118. Re:Why such hate? by hey! · · Score: 4, Informative

      I'm just curious, how can you possibly make such a statement? Self-loathing? crazy?


      Fischer's mother was Jewish, which technically makes him Jewish. It is probable that his biological father was Jewish as well.

      Therefore being an anti-semite is a form of self-loathing for him.
      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
    119. Re:Why such hate? by necro2607 · · Score: 1

      Oh, thousands of innocent people, that supposedly democratically voted in the government that has such bully-like behaviours?

    120. Re:Why such hate? by dbIII · · Score: 1

      Good thing that leaves the engineers out. We do know a little bit about everything.

    121. Re:Why such hate? by dbIII · · Score: 1

      That is why it is called an analogy instead of being exactly the same thing. Anyway to sum things up the guy was mentally ill and the far right in Isreali politics made the tactic of putting the "anti-semite" label on anybody they don't agree with commonplace.

    122. Re:Why such hate? by Usquebaugh · · Score: 1

      You don't quite understand the whole race/religion thing, do you?

    123. Re:Why such hate? by Urox · · Score: 1

      You do realize his mother was Jewish, right?

      --
      "Would you rather have a playstation addicted dork wearing a star wars t-shirt?"
    124. Re:Why such hate? by Doctor_Jest · · Score: 1

      Some of the people involved in the war crimes never actually _did_ the damning things to the Jews,gypsies,etc... Goering (who escaped the gallows through suicide) didn't fire up the ovens himself.... he and the other Nazi elite orchestrated (or for the $2 word.. "conspired") the whole thing. Most of the time, their defense was "we did as we were told", or "we didn't know." Throwing their beloved, and dead, leader under the bus to save their own asses at Nuremberg. They were just as guilty as those who put the Jews in ovens by their idealogical slant to enforce/coerce underlings to do so... Not because they had those ideas, but because they expressed them as "the thing to do" in germany. :)

      There were some Nazis in the lower echelon who did some of the day to day work, but nothing really on the order of "the Nazis who had the stupid ideas were okay, but those who acted on their stupid ideas got the gallows." Other than the controversial use of Nazis in administrative duties (rather former Nazis) by Patton, most of them were either tried for being a Nazi and having either a hand in, or by their inaction allowing, the war crimes and atrocities to continue. And prisons were full at the time for this purge. Getting the "masterminds" was the key, and the Allies running the court did so to great success (even if some escaped their fate through suicide.)

      Albert Speer, who was "just" an architect for the Reich, spent a huge amount of time in Spandau (sp?) prison (I forget how long), for his ideas and following that nutjob into global conflict and destruction. (and not doing anything about the atrocities, I'd wager... not that he could, really... but that's not the point of the trials...)

      So, my point still stands... I am not defending the Nazis or their policies, actions, or whatever. I was just pointing out to the OP that they did hang people for the same ideas Fischer had... mental illness or not. (I don't know if anyone at the Nazi trials after WWII did use "crazy" as an excuse...)

      As disgusting or hateful or idiotic someone's ideas are, I never advocate killing/silencing/oppressing anyone until they act on those ideas (and or incite others directly to do the same). Freedom of ideas is what separates us from the lesser life forms. Individuality is not something to suppress... no matter how much you or I would want to (Fischer and the Nazis were some stupid assed moronic anti-Semites.. for whatever origin... mental or otherwise.)

      Bobby Fischer was either mentally ill or just an evil bastard... and since we know our history (and I've thought about it more), I'm leaning towards evil bastard.... Anyone who thinks otherwise is entitled to their opinion... just as I'm entitled to mine. Great chess player or not, he had some stupid, insensitive, hateful, and downright evil ideas...

      --
      It's the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man.
    125. Re:Why such hate? by jerel · · Score: 1

      Um... not to put too fine a point on it, but how many of us are *experts* in the fields covered on Slashdot? Many are, I know, and I'm grateful for their comments. There is a place for everyone to be involved in a discussion, expert or not, but arrogance is what usually generates the flames. As long as one is not arrogant they should be welcomed to any discussion.
      Regarding Bobby Fischer, I don't know the man except by reputation, and in his early years he was phenomenal at chess. But I know about mental illness, and "not guilty by reason of insanity" comes to mind for him. What he said was vile in the extreme, but should be attributed to his illness and not the man.
      I would say that the duty falls on the media to not report these things in great detail, only to say that he was mentally ill and unfortunately used his fame to say things that were inappropriate in the extreme. Someone with Tourette's Syndrome would also be expected to say things that were inappropriate in the extreme, and would most likely *not* be quoted in the media.

      --
      Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints.
    126. Re:Why such hate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nabokov's novel was probably fictionalized the history of Paul Morphy rather than being written as an anticipation of Fischer.

    127. Re:Why such hate? by BungaDunga · · Score: 1

      George W. didn't receive a majority (or even a plurality) of the popular vote. Are you honestly saying that the people in the twin towers deserved their fate because "they voted" for him?

    128. Re:Why such hate? by dotancohen · · Score: 1

      I'm Jewish, and I forgive him. If we could not forgive those who have hated us, then we would be in a constant state of hatred with almost every race we have ever encountered. Jews are able to forgive (but not forget) as a step towards reconciliation. Even with the dead.

      --
      It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.
    129. Re:Why such hate? by BenoitRen · · Score: 1

      They don't know much. Especially in the US. But hey, you have to classify it as something 'abnormal' somehow.

      It's not a disease. It's something in the brain that is wired differently. People with Asperger's Syndrome are just different.

      It's kind of like saying homosexual have a disease. No, they're just different.

    130. Re:Why such hate? by Cyberax · · Score: 1

      Look here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Other_Russia

      "The group includes both left and right-wing opposition leaders as well as mainstream liberals such as former world chess champion and United Civil Front leader _Garry_ _Kasparov_, former Prime Minister of Russia and People Democratic Union leader Mikhail Kasyanov and Russian Republic Party leader Vladimir Ryzhkov, _as_ _well_ _as_ _the_ _National_ _Bolshevik_ _Party_ _with_ _its_ _leader_ _Eduard_ _Limonov_ and far-left Vanguard of RedYouth."

      There's also a good photo: http://duma.lenta.ru/news/2007/12/02/others/ - Kasparov is on the left and Limonov is on the right. It shows Kasparov and Limonov putting corrupted (with several marked candidates) voting papers in a ballot box.

      I live in Russia, the association of Kasparov and NBP is very well-known and alienated a lot of Kasparov's supporters.

    131. Re:Why such hate? by This+Rhino+Flies · · Score: 1

      uh, you forgot one - slashdot posters ...

    132. Re:Why such hate? by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 1

      The Nuremberg trials were in a large part trials of ideas. For example, Julius Streicher was sentenced to death, though he did not personally inflict harm, nor did he order anyone to do so directly or indirectly, nor was he in an official position of authority over someone who did so. His sole crime was "inciting hatred" - essentially a precursor of the modern "hate crime" laws. Whether death penalty for such is justified or not (particularly for a man whose last words - alone of all their bunch! - were "Heil Hitler!") can be debated, but this is clearly an instance of persecution for holding, expressing and spreading a specific belief.

    133. Re:Why such hate? by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 1

      Well, we have had a particular religion for quite a while, which had long held to a doctrine that those particular people were to blame for the greatest sin ever committed. It might have something to do with "not living in peace with one's neighbors", especially when it's said neighbors who always bring the torches...

    134. Re:Why such hate? by wwphx · · Score: 1

      Morphy insane? Not that I've heard of. He stopped playing chess because he considered it an amateur's game and not worthy of professional concern. He was an attorney but was unable to get his practice going because of the Civil War and everyone just wanting to talk about his chess. He died of an apparent stroke in a bathtub.

      Steinitz was rumored to have syphilis, so he was probably kinda nuts at the end.

      --
      When you sympathize with stupidity, you start thinking like an idiot.
    135. Re:Why such hate? by mstahl · · Score: 1

      Judaism is a religion but composed largely of ethnically semitic people. Being an Ashkenazi jew myself, though I do not always practice the religion, well, religiously, I am in fact of a separate ethnicity than merely being white. Just like you wouldn't call everyone from central Africa just "black" and leave it at that, there are many different jewish ethnicities and mine is just the most common one here in the United States. There's a pretty thorough analysis on wikipedia if you're really interested.

      I'm sad that Bobby Fischer couldn't be comfortable with his place in this grand culture we've got going. It's a pretty nice heritage to share in, and it's just sad when one of our own spreads hatred and misunderstanding—even if no one listens to them.

    136. Re:Why such hate? by mstahl · · Score: 1

      Sibling post is right on. I see Bobby Fischer not as a simple hate monger but really as one of our own that went astray through mental illness. All the people who are thinking "good riddance" are really missing the point. His death may not be as sad as his life was.

    137. Re:Why such hate? by Opyros · · Score: 1

      Morphy became paranoid after his retirement - he believed e.g. his brother-in-law was trying to cheat him of his inheritance, and conspiring with a friend named Binder to kill him and/or steal his clothes! Ernest Jones wrote a paper about him called "The Problem of Paul Morphy".

      As to Steinitz, he became psychotic twice, the first time after he lost the championship (and the return match). He believed he could make telephone calls without a telephone, and that he could move chess pieces without touching them by electrical currents emitted from his body. His wife committed him to an asylum. I don't know whether he had syphilis or not, though that could explain quite a bit - references I've found seem uncertain.

      They're both discussed in Reuben Fine's The Psychology of the Chess Player, if you can find a copy.

    138. Re:Why such hate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0


      His biological father was Jewish. ...and that was part of the conspiracy!!!

      j/k

    139. Re:Why such hate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's why I put my faith in dilettantes!!

    140. Re:Why such hate? by Serge_Tomiko · · Score: 1

      I'm really not sure what you're talking about. Certainly, when the Romans decided to raze Jersualem to the ground, it had nothing to do with their "sins" as the Romans did not believe in sin. Of course, the civil war that split the Holy Land into Judea and Israel had little to do with any belief by the Israelites that the Jews had committed any sin. Then of course with have Hanukkah, where Jews celebrate their military victory over Hellenic people who did not subscribe to their views. Did those Hellenic people of the Holy Land consider the Jews to be sinners?

      For reasons still unknown to me, Jews decided to move into Christian countries rather than non-Christian countries. This is true. But, if they truly came from the east - why move west? Why did they not simply stay on their continent and move to India or China or wherever?

      I presume you could be suggesting it is Christians who have persecuted Jews all these years, but that is not supported by the historical record. Even their fellow Israelites hated them.

      So, I'll presume that you are a particularly ignorant soul who knows nothing of history, and simply accepts whatever propaganda is shoved down your throat. It's easy to be a follower, I know. So, I'll ask you - do the Greeks, Romans, Babylonians, Persians, Christians, Israelites, Egyptians, Philistines, Muslims share ANYTHING in common that would make them hate Jews so much? What do they do to have successfully pissed off every neighbor they have ever had over the past 3,000 years?

      It should be an easy question to answer... Good luck.

    141. Re:Why such hate? by Erwos · · Score: 1

      I don't know his friends and family. Let them cry for him, not me. I'm not going to be some insincere Slashdotter who pretends he cares about everyone on earth when he really doesn't.

      And I don't dream of winning some grand chess match - I dream of improving the world in far more direct ways than some meaningless chess game. I don't even see how you can think that his world championship somehow makes up for the hate that he spewed later on. He may have made the world a slightly better place, but he screwed it up and made it a slightly worse place.

      There are good people for you to cry over. Bobby Fischer is not one of them.

      --
      Plausible conjecture should not be misrepresented as proof positive.
    142. Re:Why such hate? by Erwos · · Score: 1

      I think you need to distinguish between racial hatred (often unearned by individuals) and individual dislike (by individuals who earned it).

      I forgive Bobby Fischer in the sense that I don't want him burning in hell on my account. That's not the same as me loving him and actually being sad that he's gone.

      --
      Plausible conjecture should not be misrepresented as proof positive.
    143. Re:Why such hate? by dotancohen · · Score: 1

      You are right, I don't distinguish in this case. Not because I don't see the distinction, but because I do not know Bobby personally, and so far as I know he's never actually hurt anybody, therefore he is lumped into the 'anti-jews' bin along with many others. Only distinguished members of that group that I know personally, or that are active in destroying me, are treated on a personal basis. Nasrallah, for instance, I will not forgive at death. Actually, I'd like to help him get there myself.

      --
      It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.
  4. God by waterford0069 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Checkmate!

    1. Re:God by rodney+dill · · Score: 1

      He was rooked

      --

      Use your head, can't you, use your head,
      You're on earth, there's no cure for that
      - S. Beckett
    2. Re:God by Tribbin · · Score: 1

      The house always wins.

      --
      If you mod this up, your slashdot background will turn into a beautiful sunset!
    3. Re:God by dj_krztoff · · Score: 1

      "Always bet on black" ... eerrrrrr ... wait ... wrong game.

      How often do you get to use Passenger 57 references though? Give me a break.

    4. Re:God by BenBoy · · Score: 1

      Checkmate ... but it took God 64 years to nail him ... Bobby was just that good.

    5. Re:God by davidsyes · · Score: 1

      Was he pawned? Will he return as a queen, a bishop, a knight?

      --
      Previously: "Linux... Toward the Sunrise..." Now: "Linux... Toward the-- No, now, part of Every Sunrise"
    6. Re:God by Cuppa+'Joe'+Black · · Score: 1

      It's even scarier when God says, "mate in three."

      --
      Technically, murder-suicide does not violate the golden rule.
    7. Re:God by ExploHD · · Score: 1

      It's even scarier when God says, "mate in three."

      Three... Two... One...

  5. Re:good by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    ohhh good one

  6. Truly Unfortunate by eldavojohn · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I am by no means an expert or historian on Bobby Fischer's life. I once admired him. Sadly, for Mr. Fischer, I always wished that his past caught up with him and he would forget his new found convictions.

    From an admirable chess player early on, he showed signs of mental instability. But really, who hasn't from time to time? He made absurd demands to move Moscow closer to the ocean or make the sun set sooner for his convenience when he appeared at the famous game. I've read accounts that make him sound borderline autistic. Although he seemed to have much more cognitive powers ... usually.

    I wish I could erase the last half of Bobby Fischer's life from history. I wish he never touched a radio station's microphone. His proclamation that the September 11th attacks were "wonderful news" and calling for the US to be destroyed, his several radio aired remarks against Jewish peoples and other disparaging remarks. Was this for attention? Was this really what he believed? I'm not sure what personally made him feel this way but living in Iceland under political asylum was not the way I wanted to see it end.

    Unfortunate that he died. Even more unfortunate that he never came around to apologize and promote chess in schools and everywhere. We'll miss the young Bobby Fischer and always be a little confused about what happened to make him cross that fine line between ingenuity and insanity. Rest in peace, Bobby Fischer.

    --
    My work here is dung.
    1. Re:Truly Unfortunate by Volante3192 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      When I compare Fischer's early life to that of his later, it seems to parallel another brilliant nutcase: Ted Kaczynski (The Unabomber). The man had like three degrees, published over ten papers, and then spent his life in a cabin sending out bombs.

      While two cases don't make a solid trend, you wonder how many slip under the radar.

    2. Re:Truly Unfortunate by Donniedarkness · · Score: 1
      I've got to say-- after reading some of the anti-Fischer comments here (and I'm not saying that they're wrong, by any means), reading something like this is refreshing.

      Fischer had some problems, but he had an absolutely amazing mind. He had some issues with the US Government. I've always suspected that they put a lot of pressure on him during his match with Spassky-- I can see why that might have made him sour towards the US. His hate of Jews seems to stem from his mother (who was Jewish), but nobody really knows what all happened there. He went a little crazy, but I wonder how much of it was from all the stress (and pressure) he was under.

      --
      Earn a % of cash back from Newegg, Tiger Direct, Walmart.com, and more: http://www.mrrebates.com?refid=458505
    3. Re:Truly Unfortunate by Ungulate · · Score: 1

      Was this for attention? Was this really what he believed? I'm not sure what personally made him feel this way

      Acute mental illness. For some reason, many people with paranoid schizophrenia find an outlet in antisemitism, like John Nash of A Beautiful Mind fame. I think the harshness of Fischer's comments should be tempered with consideration of the fact that he just wasn't well in the head. This is not a courtesy I extend to Mel Gibson.

    4. Re:Truly Unfortunate by fastest+fascist · · Score: 1

      Smart people being unstable isn't exactly unheard of. Or maybe an obsessive nature sometimes contributes to success in intellectual fields, and later gets out of hand.

    5. Re:Truly Unfortunate by Basehart · · Score: 1

      "While two cases don't make a solid trend, you wonder how many slip under the radar."

      Ask the FBI, I'm sure they have a list somewhere.

    6. Re:Truly Unfortunate by mblase · · Score: 1

      We'll miss the young Bobby Fischer and always be a little confused about what happened to make him cross that fine line between ingenuity and insanity.

      It still surprises me that people don't see a connection between the two. Could anyone become a chess grand master without being at least a little obsessive, autistic, or both? Is it possible to spend so much of one's life being the acknowledged best in the world at something as sophisticated as chess and not become rather self-centered as a result?

      Better to think of his racism and bigotry as symptoms of his chess prodigy than as an unfortunate coincidence.

    7. Re:Truly Unfortunate by Daniel+Dvorkin · · Score: 1

      Except that there are a lot of people who play chess obsessively enough to get really, really good at it ... and most of them don't have reputations as raving anti-Semitic whackos. In fact, this is true in a lot of intellectual fields. When some famous scientist or artist turns out to be completely insane, people shrug and say, well, what do you expect, the great ones are always mad -- except it's not true. There are a lot more sane, hard-working people out there doing great things with their minds than there are insane ones who managed to keep the insanity under control just long enough to accomplish something. And then there are those who don't manage to keep it under control, who might have the talent to do great things but end up getting drunk in alleys and muttering about the conspiracy that destroyed them.

      Genius and madness are orthogonal. You can be smart and sane, smart and crazy, dumb and sane, or dumb and crazy. By and large, it's the smart sane ones who actually get things done.

      --
      The correlation between ignorance of statistics and using "correlation is not causation" as an argument is close to 1.
    8. Re:Truly Unfortunate by SuperBanana · · Score: 1

      We'll miss the young Bobby Fischer and always be a little confused about what happened to make him cross that fine line between ingenuity and insanity.

      Bobby Fisher was somewhat deranged, but he was mostly egotistical and self-centered. There's a huge difference. Both halves of his life are defined by arrogance, egotism, and a belief that the world revolved around him. I think "autism" is trotted out far too often as a free hall-pass for people who just happen to be very good at something, and because of that, have a massive superiority complex.

      Even more unfortunate that he never came around to apologize and promote chess in schools and everywhere.

      Bobby Fisher didn't play chess because he loved the game. He played it because he was good at the game. Why do you think he stopped showing his face when he realized he wasn't the best? Why do you think that the requirements for matches were absolutely insane? (answer: so that he could abandon the game, or blame conditions for his losing.)

      His comments regarding the world trade center attacks were pretty insane (as is his psychotic hatred of everything Jewish)

      I agree with you on his hatred of everything Jewish, but let's not throw the (admittedly very small) baby out with the bathwater; he's not alone in believing that the United States' unfaltering support of Israel was (and still is) the primary motivation and recruitment tool for Islamic terrorists.

    9. Re:Truly Unfortunate by russotto · · Score: 1

      Except that there are a lot of people who play chess obsessively enough to get really, really good at it ... and most of them don't have reputations as raving anti-Semitic whackos.

      Most of them don't have reputations at all, outside chess circles.

      Genius and madness are orthogonal. You can be smart and sane, smart and crazy, dumb and sane, or dumb and crazy. By and large, it's the smart sane ones who actually get things done.


      I don't think they are orthogonal -- there are too many crazy geniuses out there. Both craziness and genius are rare conditions; if they were uncorrelated there should be far fewer of them.
    10. Re:Truly Unfortunate by necro2607 · · Score: 1

      Couldn't have said it better, I was about to write a post almost identically worded. *thumbs up*

    11. Re:Truly Unfortunate by halivar · · Score: 1

      A good analogy is Martin Luther. Today, he is still respected because of his earlier writings propounding tolerance, compassion, and grace. His senility and subsequent violently anti-Semitic ravings do not, thankfully, invalidate the inspiration drawn from his earlier work.

      Shakespeare said (and I probably misquote), "The evil a man does lives on after him; the good is oft interred with his bones." Sometimes, thankfully, Shakespeare is wrong. I think it's entirely appropriate to remember the good things Bobby Fischer accomplished rather than focusing on the negative aspects of his later life.

    12. Re:Truly Unfortunate by Deanalator · · Score: 1

      Notice his obsession with circumcision? I am guessing that his whole antisemitism thing comes from him resenting his parents for circumcision (he grew up in a Jewish family). He often talks about how the Jews "mutilate their children". Also keep in mind that his family was hounded endlessly by the FBI as he was growing up (during the red scare, when they were at their worst), which could only greatly inflame his sense of paranoia.

      I am not a psychologist, but cases like his really make me wish I was. He achieved so much in his life, but I've always felt he could have done more if he had a happier childhood. I really hope that someday a psychologist will write a biography about him, maybe even reconstructed from the FBI case files. He was a brilliant guy, and he will be missed.

    13. Re:Truly Unfortunate by arbitraryaardvark · · Score: 1

      When I compare Fischer's early life to that of his later, it seems to parallel another brilliant nutcase: Ted Kaczynski (The Unabomber). The man had like three degrees, published over ten papers, and then spent his life in a cabin sending out bombs. While two cases don't make a solid trend, you wonder how many slip under the radar. Recently I was reading an obscure biography of a doctor from Kalamazoo MI. He had heard or read something from Kaczynski's mother than when Ted was 2, he got sick (Rheumatic fever?) and was in the hospital for awhile, and when he came out his personality had changed, less trusting, less social. The mother blamed herself, assuming the hospital stay was traumatic and her not being there for him causes the personality change. But the doctor had a different theory - that the virus that causes rheumatic fever attacks the brain and damages the emotional centers, so that there was a medical reason Kaczynski was the way he was. Will there be an autopsy of Fisher? Or will his brain mysteriously disappear, and a commission assure he was killed by a single bullet from a lone gunman, and certainly not as the result of covert actions by a conspiracy because he knew too much....

    14. Re:Truly Unfortunate by The+One+and+Only · · Score: 1

      Kaczynski was actually still a very articulate writer even after his reign of terror began--Industrial Society and its Future is very well-written and worthy of a respectful response, although the bombs he sent out were only worthy of the response they ultimately got.

      --
      In Repressive Burma, it's not just your connection that dies. slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=314547&cid=20819199
    15. Re:Truly Unfortunate by Volante3192 · · Score: 1

      Fischer watched chess matches on Icelandic TV and phoned in a responce to one match even. He might not have been as sharp as before, but he was still seeing moves.

    16. Re:Truly Unfortunate by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I wish I could erase the last half of Bobby Fischer's life from history. I wish he never touched a radio station's microphone. His proclamation that the September 11th attacks were "wonderful news" and calling for the US to be destroyed, his several radio aired remarks against Jewish peoples and other disparaging remarks.


      in order to provide some context, bobby fischer was once a member of herbert w. armstrong's worldwide church of god. while they are somewhat mainstream now, at the time fischer was involved, they proclaimed to be god's one true church and they took some scriptures to make the united states and britain the descendants of two of the twelve tribes of israel (herbert may have stolen the british israelism theology rather than made it up himself).

      the teaching was that britain and america would be beaten in war and enslaved leading up to the 2nd coming of jesus.

      while it is impossible for me to know exactly what bobby meant, he may well have been referring to this idea when saying america should be destroyed - to speed the 2nd coming of jesus.

      or not. but his connection to worldwide church of god beliefs may well have formed some of his misguided opinions.
    17. Re:Truly Unfortunate by SpinyNorman · · Score: 1

      Genius and madness are orthogonal

      I disagree. They may not always go hand in hand, but they are certainly highly correlated. Genius is generally more an abnormality than a gift - a step in the direction of the idiot savant, where a slightly miswired brain appears to devotes more resources to some area, but very much at the cost of being deficient in others.

    18. Re:Truly Unfortunate by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Lets get this on the board. I know I will get marked -1 Troll, but...

      HE PLAYED CHESS! WHO THE FUCK CARES? He didn't create anything, he didn't destroy anything. He didn't do anything that a 3Ghz processor couldn't do in about 30 minutes to any living person. He had a movie written about him... whooop de do! He beat a Russian in math... woooooooo If he could beat a Russian in drinking Vodka, that would be impressive, but its just chess. Who gives a shit.

      Rot in pieces, scumbag.

  7. He should've played Go. by the_other_chewey · · Score: 5, Funny

    So as a Go player, he would've lived for 297 more years?

    1. Re:He should've played Go. by ccguy · · Score: 4, Funny

      So as a Go player, he would've lived for 297 more years?
      Nah, he would have demanded the go board to have a more convenient (to him) number of squares :-)
    2. Re:He should've played Go. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      An Icelandic website has already made a similar observation about Sir Edmond Hillary. He died at the age of 88 years and 176 days. 176 days is 48% of one year. Thus, Hillary became 88,48 years old. Now, what's the height of Mt Everest in meters?

    3. Re:He should've played Go. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Technically there are only 324 (smallest) squares on the go board, giving him only 260 more years. ;-)

    4. Re:He should've played Go. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Nah, he would have demanded the go board to have a more convenient (to him) number of squares :-)

      That would be 25x25. You'll never know if his opponent might be getting moves relayed from a computer...

      ...and the first 16 stones of both sides will be placed at random.

    5. Re:He should've played Go. by aqk · · Score: 1

      Now, what's the height of Mt Everest in meters?

      It's approximately 8,792 metres.
      So what's your point?


      But a 750ml bottle of Pinoqachole at the top would make it 8792.5 metres!
      Geez, you guys are pathetic, what?
      Were Sir Edmund alive, he'd be rolling around in your graves!

      grrr...

  8. Cause of death - Kidney Related by ThisIsForReal · · Score: 5, Informative

    He died from complications to his kidneys. He'd been ill for some time.

    --
    -THE END-
    1. Re:Cause of death - Kidney Related by hansamurai · · Score: 1

      Now that's an appropriate signature.

  9. He was contimplating his next move... by BUL2294 · · Score: 0

    ...after the mistake of moving to Iceland.

    --
    Windows 3.1x calc: 3.11 - 3.10 = 0.00
    1. Re:He was contimplating his next move... by techpawn · · Score: 1

      Well, with every other over 60 moving to warmer areas it would only make sense for Fisher to move to a colder area and confuse his opponents, No?
      His death, is a loss to the chess world but every time someone does the King's Pawn opening we will be paying a slight homage to the man.

      --
      Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what your country did to you
    2. Re:He was contimplating his next move... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why is moving to Iceland a mistake?

    3. Re:He was contimplating his next move... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ICEland. I like my balls the size they are now.

    4. Re:He was contimplating his next move... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ICEland is GREEN and GREENland is covered in ICE... It's cold but habitable eh? Got to love the Viking sense of humor when naming new lands...

  10. here's his real homepage by SaberTaylor · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://home.att.ne.jp/moon/fischer/

    mental illness is sad. 1 beer a day will not cure dementia.
    Fischer was truly epic in his takedown of the Russian "machine". Then the American politicians screwed him for playing the immortal game during a temporal war.
    In chess you don't have to die young to leave a good looking corpse you just have to get out of the spotlight while you're ahead. (Britney Spears take note.)
    Well we have his radio rants happy about 11-9 but at least no bad chess games out of his prime.

    --
    If you need text styles to communicate then you don't have a message.
    1. Re:here's his real homepage by angus_rg · · Score: 2, Funny

      1 beer may not cure psychological problems, but a 6 pack will make it feel a lot better. Believe me, I would know, and so would I.

    2. Re:here's his real homepage by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      (Britney Spears take note.)


      I don't think Britney Spears plays chess. She knows a lot of semi-conductor physics,, though.

    3. Re:here's his real homepage by ca111a · · Score: 1

      Britney Spears take note.
      It is probably a good idea to emphasize that message somehow. Otherwise she may not notice it while she is reading though the comments.

    4. Re:here's his real homepage by wikinerd · · Score: 2, Insightful

      his real homepage

      Was that really his own homepage, and was he its only webmaster? What is going to happen to his homepage now that its webmaster is dead? Will it just disappear like its webmaster after the server is left unpaid or unmaintained?

      Just as we keep books published by dead poets and other authors, perhaps we (the Internet community) should have a way to preserve webpages of dead people. This is going to be of much more importance as more and more people get creative on the Internet (this is not to say that I agree with the ramblings of his homepage, I speak generally) rather than publishing paperbooks.

  11. Checkmate Indeed by RailGunSally · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The latter day Fischer was a raving lunatic. His "politics" do not merit rebuttal or even serious consideration. I choose to remember the Fischer of my youth -- which was quite pleasantly misspent in the 70s. No single player has ever so completely dominated chess like Fischer. His play is a model of simplicity, logic, creativity, and elegance. I would say that he will be missed, but, in truth, we in the international chess community have already missed the real Bobby Fisher for many years.

    "Checkmate", from the Persian "shah mat" meaning, "the king is dead".

    1. Re:Checkmate Indeed by dukefluke · · Score: 1

      No single player has ever so completely dominated chess like Fischer What about Paul Morphy?
    2. Re:Checkmate Indeed by saforrest · · Score: 1

      "Checkmate", from the Persian "shah mat" meaning, "the king is dead".

      This etymology is not quite true: apparently "shah mat" means "the king is helpless/ambushed/defeated". See this reference.

    3. Re:Checkmate Indeed by Notquitecajun · · Score: 1

      Not just that, but his erratic behavior had a tendency to distract his opponents. He played both brilliant chess AND head games.

  12. why should we care? by circletimessquare · · Score: 0, Troll

    the guy was a raving hatefilled a**hole of the highest order

    we're not talking alternative politics here folks, we're talking about venom and spite and bigotry

    we shouldn't mourn his passing, and he really shouldn't be slashdot frontpage material

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:why should we care? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because for the first half of his life, he was an inspiration to more people than you can imagine. He made sport of the mind acceptable. I regret and disagree with much what he said on radio in his later life, but will never forget what he inspired in me.

    2. Re:why should we care? by Aladrin · · Score: 1

      If he was merely a 'hatefilled asshole of the highest order', I'd agree. But the fact is that he was mentally deranged. He obviously didn't have complete control of his mind.

      Mourn the passing of his younger self, and feel free to despise his older self.

      --
      "If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; But if you really make them think, they'll hate you." - DM
    3. Re:why should we care? by theMerovingian · · Score: 2, Funny


      Mourn the passing of his younger self, and feel free to despise his older self.

      Fans of the Highlander series are especially adept at selective memory such as this.

      --
      "If you think you have things under control, you're not going fast enough." --Mario Andretti
    4. Re:why should we care? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      When you spit on someone's grave, how are you any better?

    5. Re:why should we care? by Rob+the+Bold · · Score: 1
      He was raving, all right. But I don't think that's necessarily a reason not to mourn -- or at least note -- his passing. He did say crazy things, but then again, he was crazy. I even find it especially sad that passed away at a relatively young age, possibly a complication of his mental illness. Paranoid delusions and the like can make treatment more difficult for physical illness, too. Victims of mental illness can get some strange ideas of what's causing their physical symptoms, causing them to fail to seek or refuse treatment for serious conditions.

      The hateful things he said are still hateful and offensive, but I think it's a mistake to take a crazy person's ravings at face value, rather than as symptoms of mental disease. Of course, he may very well have been a jerk, too -- mental state notwithstanding.

      Despite his handicap, he was a great chess player, and it's sad that he died untreated and presumably in pain. He had a gift that the world couldn't benefit from since it was trapped in his mind.

      --
      I am not a crackpot.
  13. Nintendo? by Bozzio · · Score: 1, Troll

    Did anyone else see this under "Games," read "64" and automatically assume it was Nintendo related?

    Yes, I know I'm pissing my Karma away posting this.

    --
    I just pooped your party.
    1. Re:Nintendo? by teh+kurisu · · Score: 1

      I got half way through your first sentence and automatically assumed that you automatically assumed that it was Commodore related.

    2. Re:Nintendo? by Bozzio · · Score: 1

      But what about your karma?

      --
      I just pooped your party.
    3. Re:Nintendo? by mblase · · Score: 1

      Did anyone else see this under "Games," read "64" and automatically assume it was Nintendo related?

      I think most of us were too busy admiring the fact that 64 equals the number of squares on a chessboard.

    4. Re:Nintendo? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I mentioned "pissing away my karma" because I knew some incompetent mod would abuse his points.
      My comment isn't a troll, or flamebait, or offtopic (because most of the posts at the time were similarly light-hearted).

      Just because you have mod points doesn't mean you need to mod down! Just because something is slightly tangential doesn't mean it's offtopic, or a troll, or flamebait! Hey, mods: Relax! Try to understand what you're supposed to be doing with those points and then stop using modpoints as a reflection of your own opinions.

      Thank you.

  14. Best game ever by ocean_soul · · Score: 0
  15. RIP by Sepiraph · · Score: 0, Troll

    Not that I agree with some of his rather eccentric remarks, but Mr. Fischer is definitely an interesting person. Although in this new century, with the dominance of AI it is hard to see any human champion beating the computer.

    1. Re:RIP by Thexare+Blademoon · · Score: 1

      While that may be true, I'm much more interested in matches between two humans rather than a human against AI.

    2. Re:RIP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you mean "beating a computer program written by a human on human built hardware".
      I'm sick of all this human vs. machine crap. At present, it's always human vs. human.

  16. Bobby Fischer by C_Kode · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Fischer's ability to analyze quickly and precisely the complexities of chess in all its applicable levels at any given type made him very special and gave him so much to offer the world. The defunct psychosis that he suffered from rendered him completely useless for the greater good that his abilities offered.

    Bobby Fischer was a great man of nothing.

    1. Re:Bobby Fischer by mblase · · Score: 1

      The defunct psychosis that he suffered from rendered him completely useless for the greater good that his abilities offered.

      Really? I didn't know you had to be a humanitarian to be a great chess player, or to offer that skill to generations that followed you.

      The chess-playing world will still be studying and learning from his games long after his bigotry has been forgotten and glossed over.

  17. the thin line? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Maybe this is just the 'proof is in the pudding' to use an old saying to comment on another old saying: 'there is a thin line between genius and insanity'. And sometimes, genius looks like insanity because the 'normal' people don't have the capacity to understand the genius. Granted not necessarily in the circumstances referenced by you.

    1. Re:the thin line? by insertwackynamehere · · Score: 1

      Or maybe he could play chess well but the rest of his brain wasn't given the same power as the chess-thinking part.

    2. Re:the thin line? by warpup · · Score: 1

      Dammit, the proof is not in the pudding! Who puts the proof in the pudding, anyway? The saying is "The proof of the pudding is in the eating". And, just to stay on topic, Bobby is proof that unconventional thinking in one aspect of life can lead to difficulties if unchecked in other areas. Inspired becomes insane if the inspiration doesn't lead to success.

  18. Spelling Nazi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Strikes YOU!

  19. He had chess pains just before he died by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    He died last Knight and apparently a Bishop gave him last-rites
    He was just a Pawn in the struggle between Kings and Queens

    thomasdz

    1. Re:He had chess pains just before he died by angus_rg · · Score: 1

      Knight jumps queen! Bishop jumps queen! Pawns jump queen! Gangbang!

    2. Re:He had chess pains just before he died by Donniedarkness · · Score: 1

      I've never been so sick of chess jokes in my life.

      --
      Earn a % of cash back from Newegg, Tiger Direct, Walmart.com, and more: http://www.mrrebates.com?refid=458505
    3. Re:He had chess pains just before he died by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      At least he didn't die a rookie.

    4. Re:He had chess pains just before he died by shadowofwind · · Score: 1

      the world is full of kings and queens
      who blind your eyes and steal your dreams

    5. Re:He had chess pains just before he died by Kelz · · Score: 1

      I can't even rook at such an insensitive statement.

  20. One year for every square. by rasman1978 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Seems appropriate somehow.

    --
    MHNATY.
    1. Re:One year for every square. by wikinerd · · Score: 1

      One year for every square

      I really wonder whether a mentally unstable chessmaster would want to cause their death at the age of 64, as the chessboard has 64 squares... Could it have been just a coincidence?

    2. Re:One year for every square. by bobertk · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I noticed that too. One year for each square and then -- checkmate!

  21. 64 = Number of squares on a chess board. by NC-17 · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Rather apt.

    1. Re:64 = Number of squares on a chess board. by gardyloo · · Score: 1

      Ah. I guess someone did an apt-get remove Fischer, then. No word on whether "--purge" was used, too.

    2. Re:64 = Number of squares on a chess board. by FunkyELF · · Score: 1

      $ emerge -C Fischer

  22. Greatest player of all time by 192939495969798999 · · Score: 0

    Whatever else he was, he was probably the best chess player ever. I liked how he would come out of obscurity to beat whomever was the current Grandmaster, then disappear again.

    --
    stuff |
    1. Re:Greatest player of all time by ctid · · Score: 1

      I liked how he would come out of obscurity to beat whomever was the current Grandmaster, then disappear again.

      He came out of obscurity once, in 1992, to play Boris Spassky. Obviously Spassky was a grandmaster (once you've earned the title you don't lose it) but he wasn't "the" grandmaster (whatever that might mean - did you mean "world champion"?). Spassky was not a particularly strong GM by 1992 (at least by elite chess standards). There is no compelling reason to believe that Fischer was the best player ever - it's certainly possible but not "probable" by any definition which includes the Elo scale.
      --
      Reality is defined by the maddest person in the room
    2. Re:Greatest player of all time by tlayne · · Score: 1

      Yeah. Too bad that never happened, though. He played two matches after 1972 and neither was against a top player. Spassky had long since retired and Polgar may be a grandmaster, but has never been a serious world champion threat.

      --
      Terry Layne
      Portland, OR
    3. Re:Greatest player of all time by Zontar_Thing_From_Ve · · Score: 4, Informative

      Whatever else he was, he was probably the best chess player ever. I liked how he would come out of obscurity to beat whomever was the current Grandmaster, then disappear again.

      This isn't correct. From 1963-68 for a variety of reasons (some of them relating to his religious beliefs at the time), he rarely played, but he played well when he did play. Then in 1969 he got serious about competing for the World Championship and returned to full time active play. After winning the championship in 1972 he essentially permanently retired from chess by simply refusing to play again, coming out of retirement only in 1992 to beat Spassky (the guy he defeated in 1972 for the championship) again in a rematch. Spassky at this time had long stopped being a top notch player and was probably at best in top 70 or so chess players, possibly even lower than that. So to say that Fischer "would come out of obscurity to beat whoever was the current Grandmaster" is completely inaccurate, but he certainly did disappear again.

      By the way, there are many "Grandmasters" in chess. While compared to average guy on the street they are chess playing geniuses, there are at any time multi-hundreds of grandmasters in chess. I've known of US ones who were quite good on the US scene and absolutely nothing in terms of their international standing.

      While many Americans would love to believe that Fischer was the greatest chess player ever, certainly it was really Garry Kasparov. If some thought that Anatoly Karpov (the man that Fischer lost his title to in 1975 by refusing to play) was better than Fischer, I wouldn't argue it. Karpov was a truly great player. Fischer was truly excellent, but he only played a very limited number of openings with both the white and black pieces. Kasparov and Karpov excelled at all openings with white and black. One of Fischer's favorite defenses with black, the Benoni, has been mostly discredited since his championship title in 1972. The Benoni basically is a losing defense for black if white plays what is called the "Four Pawns Attack" against it. This method of attack by white has never been successfully answered by the black pieces. In fact, this attack is so fearful that most Benoni players will transpose into the Benoni from other openings only after it becomes impossible for white to use this method. No grandmaster is brave enough to start the Benoni from the first move for fear of white adopting the Four Pawns Attack against it. Fischer was a specialist in a very limited repertoire of white and black moves and Karpov and Kasparov could play anything. I'd personally place him 2nd of all time behind Kasparov.

    4. Re:Greatest player of all time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not to lessen what Bobby Fisher has done for chess in the US. I dont believe he was the greatest of all time. Many chess experts consider Gary Kasparov to be the greatest to ever play they game.

      Of course we will never know what Bobby Fisher could have achieved if he had remained stable and focused his attention on tournament style chess instead of blitz ( speed chess) and his variations on chess. In the end you have to do what you love I guess.

      I am no expert on chess, please correct me if I am in error with anything in this post.

    5. Re:Greatest player of all time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Did you like the fact that he hated jews? Perhaps if he hated chinks, niggers and spics as well you'd have been more offended?

    6. Re:Greatest player of all time by durdur · · Score: 1

      The Four Pawns Attack has not exactly killed off the Benoni for Black - in fact a Benoni was played in a recent top-level tournament (http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1482102), and White even passed up the chance to play 7. f4, which would not be likely if it was indeed a sure win. But in any case, most Grandmasters can and do evolve their opening repertoire as times change. Fischer was quite capable of finding something different to play if necessary.

      But I agree that Karpov was very, very good in 1975 and would have had a good chance against Fischer. Many people would have wanted to see how a Karpov-Fischer match would turn out. We'll never know now.

    7. Re:Greatest player of all time by DoctorSchwa · · Score: 1

      http://db.chessmetrics.com/CM2/PeakList.asp suggests that whether Fischer or Kasparov was the greatest ever depends on what time window you average over, but if you take a 3-year average as an indicator of peak performance, Kasparov has a tiny edge.

  23. Re:Good Riddance by dave420 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Just because you don't like someone doesn't mean you should be happy they died. Some folks might think you're an asshole, but would that stop people you love from being hurt when you died? Of course not. Just be glad he's at peace, that his hatred has left the building.

  24. Turn in your geek card by trolltalk.com · · Score: 1

    Checkmate!

    It's checkm8! He's p0wn3d!

  25. Cause of death... by Jumphard · · Score: 4, Funny

    The machines have turned! Deep Blue murdered him in his sleep! Checkmate.

    1. Re:Cause of death... by hey! · · Score: 1

      It's funny you should bring up Deep Blue. One of the defining aspects of Bobby Fischer's chess style was his willingness to do unorthodox things. In fact he gave up playing standard chess because he felt it would become a creative dead end in the near future, with too much emphasis on memorization.

      One of the variants he played (and in fact adapted from an earlier chess variant) was called Chess960, in which the initial placement of the pieces is one of 960 random possibilities that still conserve the possibility of every kind of chess move.

      The idea is that having a database of chess openings, memorized by brute force, becomes much less useful, tipping the game toward skill in tactical improvisation. This also might tip the balance away from computers and towards the best of the human players, at least for some years until a combination of AI and the accumulation of opening data allowed computers to catch up.

      Some of the chess variants in which four or more pieces are added to each side, and which are played on a slightly larger board, combined with randomization, would result in a game that was still recognizably chess, but which would be much more computationally intractable. Of course, such variants might result in tournaments that were impractically long on one hand, or in which chance plays too large a role on the other, but Fischer didn't have any problem with the idea of very long tournaments. What could you do with your life that would be more important than play chess?

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
  26. Godwin's Law by morgan_greywolf · · Score: 1
    1. Re:Godwin's Law by foobsr · · Score: 1

      Hitler was a quarter Jewish.
      br> Nope. see

      Werner Maser, Hitler: Legend, Myth & Reality
      http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Hitler (German)
      http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alois_Hitler (German)

      CC.

      --
      TaijiQuan (Huang, 5 loosenings)
  27. Kidney Failure is the reason given by d0ida · · Score: 0, Redundant
  28. cause by mincognito · · Score: 1

    No cause of death was given.
    Bf1
  29. Actually Dead? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I know this might seem a tad far fetched, and seriously conspiracy theory... but who is to say he isn't faking his own death so he can get away from his past? I mean this is a person who regularly dashed off to anywhere on the planet to avoid people... faking ones own death might be a good way to get away from everything in a really serious manner. He did have serious concerns about "THE JEWS" enough to believe that he would think they would be out to get him, this way... they would stop trying.

  30. 64? by argiedot · · Score: 0, Redundant

    You mean like the exact number of squares on a chessboard. Death by numerology!

  31. Re:God - 64 Squares by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    He had one year for each square on the chessboard. He simply ran out of squares.

    If only he'd played scrabble instead...

  32. Disturbed Genius by Qrypto · · Score: 2, Informative

    This was a man of great genius, and like many of his talent was prone to highly idiosyncratic behavior, if not in some way pathological. It is sad that such a disturbed man was given a forum (esp. radio) to disgrace himself so thoroughly; however, due to his reclusiveness the public could never know the details of any mental issues he may have suffered from toward the end. Regardless this is a man who should be remembered for his talent, and his contributions to the game of chess.

    To those many Americans who will dismiss him for his unfortunate and terrible comments: Give the guy a break - you should be proud of this man's accomplishments on behalf of the US, who inspired your children to learn the game and who's story captured the world.

    RIP Bobby Fisher

  33. Mental Malfunction by Philotechnia · · Score: 3, Interesting

    When a mind possessed of analytic capacities such as Fischer's turns those powers on the world, the result is inevitability some kind of psychosis. The world simply requires a more synthetic approach. While the content of Fischer's diatribes is certainly controversial, let's be wise enough to see they likely stem from the fact that he was a man trapped in his mind, unable to escape the analytical powers of his mind and live more holistically in the world. Even if the content of his politics had changed, it wouldn't change the fact that they were based in a mental misappropriation of the world.

    Lets not remember the man for his faults, which boil down to misapplied genius if not true biological mental illness. Instead, let's remember the man for the great intellect that he possessed, and let his later political endeavors serve as reminder to us all of what can happen when we analyze the world from too great a distance instead of simply living inside of it.

    Vivere in pace, Mr. Fischer, wherever your soul now resides.

    1. Re:Mental Malfunction by bondjamesbond · · Score: 0

      I took a "History of Math" course as part of my math minor, and you wouldn't believe how many of our great math minds wound up in the looney bin, killing themselves or just disappearing. Even Newton had several nervous breakdowns where he would hole up in his house for a year at a time. I guess this is a common side effect of a naturally overclocked brain.

    2. Re:Mental Malfunction by Philotechnia · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Could be. If you look at the brain from an evolutionary standpoint, it's an organ that serves as an information-processing device meant to ensure survival of the physical body. As most of the dangers to our existence come from natural forces, it seems intuitive that longer-term mental projects focused on an understanding of the world in an attempt to mitigate these dangers more effectively. Indeed, the whole of human history is filled with the rise and fall of these projects. Religion, at least initially and in its most organic form, is an attempt to save existence from the clutches of death. Religion loses its focus, and we see the rise of science as a better means of understanding dangers. Science, at least initially and in its most organic form, is an attempt to save physical existence from the dilemmas it faces.

      Perhaps we live in a world where the scientific project is losing its focus, and some sort of project that would protect mental existence must become the new paradigm. Whatever the case, I think the mental breakdowns that you talk about aren't the result of an overclocked mind, but rather of a mind that is ahead of its time, that is searching, stumbling about, for a paradigm to rest in, but which it can not find. The mental breakdowns the great thinkers suffer should warn us of this need, of the insufficiency of science on its own.

      As much of a genius as we regard Fischer, or Newton, or any other great thinker, perhaps even they were reaching for something beyond even them, and we should forgive their stumblings, and instead look towards that for which they may have been reaching, consciously or subconsciously...

    3. Re:Mental Malfunction by rhizome · · Score: 1

      When a mind possessed of analytic capacities such as Fischer's turns those powers on the world, the result is inevitability some kind of psychosis.

      A friend once relayed a possibly-apocryphal quote, "Insanity is a logical response to a world that doesn't make sense."

      --
      When I was a kid, we only had one Darth.
    4. Re:Mental Malfunction by Philotechnia · · Score: 1

      Indeed. Or the way I look at it:

      If you choose to view the world as ordered, your life will be chaotic. So goes the scientist.

      If you choose to yourself as ordered, the world will be chaotic. So goes the monk.



      If you view the world as logical, you will be insane. If you view yourself as logical, then insanity is the only rational approach.

      Of course, this is using a quite liberal definition of what it means to be insane...

  34. Fischer will be missed by burky79 · · Score: 1

    A sad loss for the world of chess and original and critical thought.

  35. Boy's Life by Nom+du+Keyboard · · Score: 2, Interesting
    I remember Bobby Fischer once provided chess problems to Boy's Life magazine. It was a generous thing for him to do, and was my first exposure to the problem-solving side of chess itself.

    As for Fischerandom Chess, I had a similar idea years ago where each side arranged their first row into their own preferred order, which was then revealed to their opponent at the commencement of play. It was a combining of Chess with Stratego that I called Modern Chess. Of course, my idea never caught on since, unlike Bobby Fischer, I Am Not A Chess Grand Master.

    I'm sorry that his views over the later years became so hard to justify, or even understand in any rational sense, but I'll always remember my first contact with his name.

    --
    "It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
    1. Re:Boy's Life by NotPeteMcCabe · · Score: 1
      I believe there are options like what you describe at http://www.itsyourturn.com/. I can't access the site right now (school firewall) but I'm pretty sure there's a version where you arrange your pieces before the game.

      I have no connection with the site, which has both free and subscriber modes. But if you like playing chess (and/or other games) it's definitely worth checking out.

  36. she has more time in the spotlight by nomadic · · Score: 3, Funny

    In chess you don't have to die young to leave a good looking corpse you just have to get out of the spotlight while you're ahead. (Britney Spears take note.)

    I think Britney Spears' chess career isn't over by a long shot. Remember that brilliant opening she made in her first game in last year's USCF championship?

    1. Re:she has more time in the spotlight by Apostata · · Score: 1

      Mod above "totally underrated"

      --

      This wasn't just plain terrible, this was fancy terrible. This was terrible with raisins in it. - Dorothy Parker
  37. Re:Good Riddance by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Oh, and where were these loved ones you're so concerned about when Fischer was squealing with delight over the thought of murdering Jews?

  38. where did i spit on anyone's grave? by circletimessquare · · Score: 1

    but since you brought up spitting in the context of bobby fischer...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjbaSVXUq5c

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
  39. Who is mourning? by jotaeleemeese · · Score: 1

    We are *noting* his demise. Because he was notable, in a scale that many people around here just don't understand.

    He beat the Soviets at their own game in the middle of the Cold War. Think Jesse Owens and you may understand how massive was his victory (and before some idiot even suggests it, I am not comparing both men, but I am certainly comparing their respective achievements and what they meant on the day).

    To sit down and replay some of his games is pure magic, and that is why chess is so magnificent, because anybody can touch the minds of geniuses with a chessboard and a few lines containing the notation of a good game.

    --
    IANAL but write like a drunk one.
  40. wasnt he lurking by jameseyjamesey · · Score: 1

    wasnt he lurking on the yahoo chess sites?

  41. dont touch the jews by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Nothing was as funny as the self righteous morons who attacked him because of his jewish comments. Seems to me a part jewish guy can make comments like that just like a part black guy can make nigger jokes.

    His comment is no worse that you hear from Fox commentators and right wing radio pundits say about other countries. Americans attacking arabs in the same manner is ok, jews attacking jews is not.

    I heard US secretary's call a whole nation (not one person) killers and murderers which I think is a lot worse than a civilian spouting personal opinions.

    The whole saga with Japan and the US which led to his exile to Iceland was a tragic farce that was petty and reminded one that the machine we fought against in the 70's is what we became.
    Of course, the venom here would stop anyone from acknowledging that saga. ... especially since he attacked the jews.
    That is a cardinal sin that we have programmed people to react to like pavlovian dogs.

  42. dead at 64 by justleavealonemmmkay · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    There's no denying his contribution to hate and bigotry. Truly a national socialist icon.

  43. I guess he checked out, mate. by Maxo-Texas · · Score: 1

    I grew up with stories of his games though I was never into chess myself.
    I wonder what he was like as a person and what his legacy will be.
    Did he write any books or teach anyone or found any institutes or foundations?
    Did he have any children?

    --
    She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
    1. Re:I guess he checked out, mate. by east+coast · · Score: 2, Informative

      There are a number of books out there by and about Fischer. If you're looking just for a book involving his insights into chess My 60 Memorable Games is a great work by Fischer.

      We warned, tho, it's not for the casual chess player. I read it at a point when I studied a lot of chess and considered myself (and was considered by others) to be a pretty good chess player. As far as chess books go it's a pretty hard read. Also note that according to one of the Amazon reviewers that there are several editions of this book. I have a 1st edition copy so YMMV by which edition you pick up.

      --
      Dedicated Cthulhu Cultist since 4523 BC.
    2. Re:I guess he checked out, mate. by SystemFault · · Score: 1

      Uh, I'm fairly sure that _My 60 Memorable Games_ was ghost written by GM Larry Evans, although the selection of which games to include was made by Fischer.

    3. Re:I guess he checked out, mate. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Larry Evans does an intro to each game but I have never seen it suggested that the game annotations were ever done by anyone aside from Fischer. I'd be interested if you could site a source and if there is any credence to your proposal I'm sure that there is more than one guy out in the chess world that rails on about this at length. I simply have never heard anyone say this.

  44. dude by circletimessquare · · Score: 1

    you don't defend one person's bigotry because of someone else's bigotry, real or imagined

    you simply attack all bigotry, in all its forms

    bobby fischer spewed hate. therefore, he is worthy of censure. it really doesn't get any more complicated than that. any other hate spewed anywhere else by anyone else does not excuse him

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:dude by BotnetZombie · · Score: 1

      The man was mentally ill - not evil. Let's hope your mental health will always prevent you from saying regretful things.

  45. On the 23,425th day God said ... by peter303 · · Score: 1

    CHECKMATE.

  46. dealing with mental issues by Simonetta · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Actually, the man succumbed to mental illness. Hopefully you're never in a position to pass any meaningful judgment on people who have these kinds of issues.

        Every four years I vote in the American presidential election.

    1. Re:dealing with mental issues by east+coast · · Score: 1

      Every four years I vote in the American presidential election

      The real question for that is if you vote for the one that is as crazy as an outhouse rat or the one that is pure genius.

      All too often people make it sound like there is no middle ground.

      --
      Dedicated Cthulhu Cultist since 4523 BC.
    2. Re:dealing with mental issues by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      He said meaningfull.

  47. i think someone's character by circletimessquare · · Score: 1

    is more important than their ability to play a game

    look at michael vick, or oj simpson: because they played well at a game they should be excused for their character issues?

    that's what i hear in your statement to me about bobby fischer

    his chess playing ability, no matter how genius, does not eclipse the judgment that must be passed on his hate and bigotry

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:i think someone's character by Apostata · · Score: 1

      look at michael vick, or oj simpson: because they played well at a game they should be excused for their character issues? Fischer didn't murder two people, nor did he train dogs to brutally kill each other. You are comparing someone who was verbally spiteful to people who willingly spilled blood. There is more than a semantic difference.
      --

      This wasn't just plain terrible, this was fancy terrible. This was terrible with raisins in it. - Dorothy Parker
  48. Pat Robertson... by PortHaven · · Score: 1

    I wonder if the same thing has been happening to Pat Robison. Many Christians I know have noted how drastic and extreme he's been getting over the past decade or so.

    And it seems every year more so...

    My wife, who is a nurse, made a comment about wondering if he might be suffering from mental illness.

    1. Re:Pat Robertson... by The+One+and+Only · · Score: 1

      You know, I wonder how many of these people always held these views, they just decided at some point that they weren't running for President, they were rich and famous enough to get away with anything, and that as a consequence, they might as well just be honest about it all. We've all got biases we don't like admitting to.

      --
      In Repressive Burma, it's not just your connection that dies. slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=314547&cid=20819199
  49. Re:Good Riddance by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The guy was mentally ill. Do you think he chose to be that way or had any control over it?

  50. 64 squares by Nosklo · · Score: 1

    I think that was not the reason. It was something related to 64 squares in a board.

    --
    find -name "*base*" -exec chown us {} \; ; ln -s /dev/zero /dev/chance ; make time
  51. Am I the only one who gets it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Stop me if I'm wrong here, but a chessboard is square with 8 board positions on a side. A chess king tips over at age 64 and you guys rant about politics??? This is a clear sign that in fact god doesn't play dice, he plays chess, and he's got quite a sense of dark humor too!

  52. Fischer versus the New England Patriots by 14erCleaner · · Score: 2, Funny

    Fischer's greatest legacy was probably his amazing winning streak of 20 consecutive games, during the Interzonal tournament and Candidates matches leading up to the world championship match with Spassky. This may never be equalled at such a high level, especially in a game where draws are so common. Presumably Tom Brady will never wind up in a Japanese prison fighting extradition to the US for consorting with arms dealers in Yugoslavia.

    --
    Have you read my blog lately?
  53. you are so very wrong and ignorant by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    > liked how he would come out of obscurity to beat whomever was the current Grandmaster, then disappear again

    What's that supposed to mean?? there is no "THE current grandmaster" in chess... And Fisher did not do anything like this repeatedly (as your 'he would come' seems to imply).

    Fisher has disappeared from chess in early 70. He came out of obscurity exactly ONCE (in early 90s) and beat Spassky in a match. Spassky was a grandmaster of course (this is a life title) but he was far from strongest player at that time (accordingly to chessmetrics he was not in the top 50 at that time)...So that particular performance of Fisher is not even close to being remarkable.

    > Whatever else he was, he was probably the best chess player ever.

    And even that is myth to a very large degree. He had a truly remarkable performance in Candidates matches, and it's possible that for that 1 year he was the best chess player ever... But we are talking only 1 YEAR HERE.

    And accordingly to chessmetrics Fischer does have the best ever performance over 1-year period (but he is not the best for any longer period).

    I suspect that both Karpov and Kasparov at their best would have beaten Fischer at his best.... But that's of course only a guess...

  54. Nothing to offer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Really? I didn't know you had to be a humanitarian to be a great chess player, or to offer that skill to generations that followed you.

    Fischer had nothing really to offer future generations, except perhaps future generations of psychologists and psychiatrists. I believe his ability to focus so intently and be so calculating in his chessplaying skill was merely a manifestation and byproduct of his mental illness and personality disorders. Tragic, indeed... but he probably belonged in a psychiatric institution. Instead, our government bullied and persecuted him.

  55. Re:Good Riddance by Jack9 · · Score: 1

    Just because you don't like someone doesn't mean you should be happy they died.

    Should is a strong word, almost universally implying subjectivity. I believe it's normal to be happy when someone, you don't like, dies. It's a logical biological reaction.
    --

    Often wrong but never in doubt.
    I am Jack9.
    Everyone knows me.
  56. osama bin laden is mentally ill by circletimessquare · · Score: 1

    hitler was mentally ill

    if a guy stabs you because he is a racist, or a man stabs you because he is a paranoid schizophrenic, you still bleed. the knife weilder is still a threat which must be removed from society and confined. it doesn't matter WHY you committed a crime, just that you committed a crime. your punishment will be different, but you will still be punished

    likewise, bobby fischer is not absolved of his hate just because of mental problems. he said hateful words, therefore, he is cansured. doesn't matter WHY he said hate filled words. he doesn't get a pass

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:osama bin laden is mentally ill by BotnetZombie · · Score: 1

      Bin Laden is not mentally ill any more than many other violent people unless you consider all fundamentalists (christian, muslim and other religions) to be nutjobs as well. At least I've never heard that he would be classified as mentally ill by a psychiatrist.
      That said, I have no idea why you're comparing Bobby Fischer, admittedly a man of foul words (and who many professionals consider to have been mentally ill), with racist stabbers, Bin Laden and Hitler.

  57. Hmmmm.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    well, there are 8 spaces in either direction on a chess board

    8x8=64

    hmmmmmm.....

  58. Eccentricities on and off the board. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Consider that his eccentricities are what makes him strong on the board, hence the shadow is cast in the real world. I've studied many of his games, and I've noticed many things in his game that would be considered strange, unusually or erratic, but are very brilliant. Take a different perspective on his life.

    M

  59. Don't forget me by JonTurner · · Score: 1

    I'm a moron, you inconsiderate clod.

    Uh. wait. That didn't come out right at all.

    1. Re:Don't forget me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're right, that's insensitive clod...moron.

  60. Remember the Chess by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Lets remember the wonderful game Byrne-Fischer 1956 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Game_of_the_Century_(chess)), where the 13 year old Fischer announced his genius to the world.

    Lets remember his 8 titles from 8 attempts in the U.S Championships, including winning as a 14 year old kid in 57/58 and scoring a perfect 11/11 in the 63/64.

    Lets remember the openings he made his own - Najdorf Poisoned Pawn, Kings Indian, Bc4 vs Sicilian, Ruy Lopez Exchange, etc.

    Lets remember the amazing 20 game winning streak when qualifying for his World Title Match, including the unheard of feat of trouncing world class players Taimanov and Larsen 6-0 in match play.

    Lets remember the wonderful 7th match game vs Petrosian (http://www.mark-weeks.com/chess/71fp07.htm) where he seemed to beat Petrosian at his own game.

    Lets remember the Spassky match, not the politics but the games themselves. Fischer's surprising yet virtuoso use of the Queen's Gambit (http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1044366), his fighting Alekhines, classic Ruys, etc.

    Thanks for the chess Bobby.

  61. He died how he lived. by EddyPearson · · Score: 0, Redundant

    How many cells are there on a chess board? 64.

    Coincidence????

    --
    You feel sleepy. Close your eyes. The opinions stated above are yours. You cannot imagine why you ever felt otherwise.
  62. Re:Good Riddance by vinn01 · · Score: 1


    I fail to see how dying improves a bad personality.

    If anything dying removes any chance of apologizing for being an asshole and making amends.

    Fischer left plenty of hate behind. It's not left the building. It's recorded for posterity.

    I'm not happy when an asshole dies, but I'm not going to pretend that someone was not an asshole when they die.

  63. Each game of chess means there's one less ... by QuatermassX · · Score: 1
    ... variation left to be played. Fischer's mercurial brilliance did at least inspire that much-neglected musical:

    http://www.chessthemusical.com/
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_(musical)

    Fischer's quick descent into madness was repellent and so very, very sad.

  64. Bxh2 did him in by Paradise+Pete · · Score: 1

    He took that poison pawn back in '72, and it was slowly killing him ever since.

    1. Re:Bxh2 did him in by Derek+Loev · · Score: 1

      For those who don't know what he's talking about, there's a diagram here.

  65. Dean Cyril Reed by Max_W · · Score: 1

    1986

  66. checkmate by Chewbacon · · Score: 1

    Grim Reaper wins.

    --
    Chewbacon
    The Bible is like Wikipedia: written by a bunch of people and verifiable by questionable sources.
  67. So what? He's still a jerk. by Valdrax · · Score: 1

    Actually, the man succumbed to mental illness. Hopefully you're never in a position to pass any meaningful judgement on people who have these kinds of issues.

    His mental illness absolves him of any legal responsibility for his actions, but it doesn't make him a good and wonderful person.

    I still wouldn't want to be friends with a raging bigot regardless of why he's a raging bigot. I mean, the shape of his mental illness is partially shaped by the sane portions of his mind -- it's not like there's a magical Jew-hating portion of the brain that got damaged.

    --
    If it's for-profit but free, you're not the customer -- you're the product (e.g., the Slashdot Beta's "audience").
  68. Read your quoted sentence again by p3d0 · · Score: 1

    The "he" refers to the father.

    --
    Patrick Doyle
    I mod down every jackass who puts his moderation policy in his sig. Oh, wait a sec....
  69. Searching for Bobby Fischer by dorpus · · Score: 1

    I remember a line from that movie where the mentor guy tells the kid not to end up like the chess-playing bums in the park.

    They left out the part where the kid turns into one of them.

    1. Re:Searching for Bobby Fischer by Derek+Loev · · Score: 1

      Actually, no, they didn't.
      The movie Searching for Bobby Fischer is based on Josh Waitzkin's childhood. The idea came from the book (same title) written by Josh's father.
      In fact, one of the themes in the movie was even though everybody in the chess community was searching for a new Bobby Fischer, Josh didn't want to succumb to the same things Bobby had.
      Josh Waitzkin continued playing chess into his early twenties before moving into the martial arts (where he has become a champion.
      The movie and book are wonderful and you don't have to be a fan of chess (or even know how to play) to enjoy it.

  70. Hate by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    much?

  71. Racial In-Jokes != Calling for a Holocaust by Valdrax · · Score: 1

    Seems to me a part jewish guy can make comments like that just like a part black guy can make nigger jokes.

    It's one thing to make jokes about the flaws of your own community, a la Chris Rock or Jeff Foxworthy.

    It's another thing to call for the detention of an entire people, the execution of hundreds of thousands of its leaders, and the destruction of its places of worship, a la Bobby Fischer. He was a Holocaust denier, and an advocate for a new one, and if you think that's equivalent to making jokes about trashy people within your own community, then you're completely mad.

    --
    If it's for-profit but free, you're not the customer -- you're the product (e.g., the Slashdot Beta's "audience").
    1. Re:Racial In-Jokes != Calling for a Holocaust by dbIII · · Score: 1

      He was deranged. A lot is being made here of a thoughtless comment from somebody that was mentally ill. He was not your enemy only his own enemy.

    2. Re:Racial In-Jokes != Calling for a Holocaust by Valdrax · · Score: 1

      He was making "thoughtless comments" about Jews for nearly two decades before 9-11. It was not an isolated incident, and it's not excused because he's half-Jewish like the poster I was replying to suggested.

      Also, mental illness is not a free "get a pat on the head card" for every horrible thing you say. Some things need to be decried.

      --
      If it's for-profit but free, you're not the customer -- you're the product (e.g., the Slashdot Beta's "audience").
  72. Bigger than chess by Sara+Chan · · Score: 1

    One of the things that makes Fischer so special is that he was bigger than chess. I.e. people who had never played chess, and had little interest in doing so, would still be interested in Fischer. He really did promote chess that much.

    As a comparison, among American sports players, there were only three in the 20th century that were bigger than their sport: Babe Ruth, Mohammad Ali, and Michael Jordan. (People would go to see each of them, even if they had little interest in the sport.) As a different example, Wayne Gretzky was easily the best hockey player of the century, but he was not bigger than hockey. Fischer is up there with Ruth, Ali, and Jordon. Quite an achievement.

    1. Re:Bigger than chess by skiflyer · · Score: 1

      I think Woods, Nicklaus and Palmer may have each achieved similar status in golf. I would also add Byrd to the list for basketball and Minnesota Fats for pool. Robinson for MLB and maybe you could put in Sosa/McGwire as a combo.

    2. Re:Bigger than chess by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I would agree on Tiger Woods, except that's the next century. None of the others rank. Minnesota Fats??—he never won a single major tournament.

  73. Arthur C Clarke short story on chess by Sark666 · · Score: 1

    Aww, I can't help myself. I keep posting this story whenever chess comes up. It's a short story he did once for putting an extremely shot story on a post card. Being slashdot, the majority have probably read it, but for the few it's a good quick read:

    http://www.research.ibm.com/deepblue/learn/html/e.8.2.shtml

    This story deals with there being more unique chess games than atoms in the universe.

    And, funny, I just watched searching for bobby fischer last week. It's one of those kinds of movies I watch every couple of years. Just a classic.

  74. that's an amazing crystal ball you possess by circletimessquare · · Score: 1
    you're willing to say osama bin laden is not mentally ill, and bobby fischer is

    compare any speech by osama bin laden with

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_fischer

    [edit] Radio interviews
    Fischer, whose mother and probable biological father were both Jewish,[48][49] made occasional hostile comments toward Jews from at least the early 1960s. From the 1980s, however, his hatred for Jews was a major theme of his public remarks. He denied the "Holocaust of the Jews," announced his desire to make "expos[ing] the Jews for the criminals they are [...] the murderers they are" his lifework, and argued that the United States is "a farce controlled by dirty, hook-nosed, circumcised Jew bastards."[50]

    In 1999, he gave a call-in interview to a radio station in Budapest, Hungary, during which he described himself as the "victim of an international Jewish conspiracy." Fischer's sudden re-emergence was apparently triggered when some of his belongings, which had been stored in a Pasadena, California storage unit, were sold by the landlord, who claimed it was in response to nonpayment of rent. Fischer interpreted this as further evidence of a worldwide Jewish conspiracy perpetrated by "the Jew-controlled U.S. Government" to defame and destroy him.[51] In 2005, some of Fischer's belongings were auctioned on eBay. In 2006, Fischer claimed that his belongings in the storage unit were worth millions.[52]

    Fischer participated in at least 33 such broadcasts between 1999 and 2005, mostly with radio stations in the Philippines, but also with stations in Iceland, Colombia, and Russia.

    For some years Fischer lived in Budapest. He played Chess960 blitz games as well as analyzed many games with Zsuzsa Polgar.

    [edit] Radio interview after the September 11, 2001, attacks
    Hours after the September 11, 2001, attacks Fischer was interviewed live[53] by Pablo Mercado on the Baguio City station of the Bombo Radyo network, shortly after midnight September 12, 2001 Philippines local time (or shortly after noon on September 11, 2001, New York time). Fischer commented on U.S and Israeli foreign policy that "nobody cares ... [that] the US and Israel have been slaughtering the Palestinians for years".[54] [55] Informed that "the White House and Pentagon have been attacked", he proclaimed "This is all wonderful news."[54][55] Fischer stated "What goes around comes around even for the United States"[54][55] and said that if the U.S. fails to change its foreign policy, it "has to be destroyed." After calling for President Bush's death, Fischer also stated he hoped for a coup d' etat in the U.S., and that the military government would then execute "hundreds of thousands of American Jewish leaders", "arrest all the Jews", and "close all synagogues".

    Subsequent to that interview, Fischer's "right to membership in the United States Chess Federation [was] canceled" by a unanimous 7-0[56] of the USCF,[57] taken on October 28, 2001. In 2006, that decision was subsequently "vacated" by the same Board.[citation needed]


    the source of osama bin laden's hatred is fundamentalism, while the source of bobby fischer's hatred is a mental problem

    how the hell can you tell?

    how the hell can anyone tell?

    in other words, it's bullshit: mentally ill seems to be a label you and other people apply to a**holes they want to forgive for some reason or another. it has no basis in a sound psychiatric examination

    it seems to me then that "mental problem" in your mind is shorthand for "some guy i don't want to stop admiring even though he's a hate filled puss bag so i'll give him a pass"

    when you shouldn't

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:that's an amazing crystal ball you possess by BotnetZombie · · Score: 1

      How the hell can anyone tell if a person is depressed/bipolar/schizofrenic or not? Well, we have professionals that spend most of their adult life doing just that. I'm pretty sure you wont find many of those that would subscribe to your point of view, though no doubt you could find some. I've heard/seen interviews with psychiatrists talking about both Bin Laden and Fischer and that's what I base my opinions on - sorry I don't have any links now to back that up.
      I don't admire B. Fischer as a person, and I only know the same generic stuff about his chess victories as most people do. I do however have a sympathetic bone for people that really can't help being the way they are. But each to his own opinion.

  75. The madness of Bobby Fisher by sjvn · · Score: 1

    It's a pity that so many here seem only to recall him for his hate-filled tirades. Yes, for the last decades of his life he was filled with venom. He was, I believe, quite insane. It's not only a matter of his public statements. He turned on his supporters and friends as well.

    But, and it's an important but, he also created some of the finest games of chess to ever have been played. To my mind, they are every bit as great as other works of art.

    He also, by winning the world championship, fostered an entire generation of American chess players.

    I know. I'm one of them. His play up to, and including beating Spassky for the crown, inspired me into becoming a serious player. While I never became a master--darn it!--I also never would have fallen as deeply in love with the game as I did. Today, I play chess for fun and very rarely play in tournaments, but when I play well, when I read over a game and I can see the beauty of the contest of ideas over the board, then I realize I still owe a debt of gratitude to Fisher.

    I am sorry for him, and for us, that his last decades were spend in the squalor of madness. On his best days, he really was chess' greatest player.

    Good-bye Mr. Fisher. I wish it could have turned out otherwise.

    Steven

  76. 64=8x8 by masticina · · Score: 1

    64 is 8 times 8 the tiles of the chess plate. Doesn't means much still a nice co-incidence!

    --
    Codefile Defected to another Hexadimal Range refresh your CHAOSTACK.NLM file with a new copy
  77. A great player but a little man! by zukinux · · Score: 0

    I will never forget his game vs. a great ranked player where he sacrificed his queen 17 moves ahead in-order to win, when he was 13.
    But, man, this is a man which hated jews for being jews, although he was a jew!!! This shows that he was little minded man, he was a great player which I really admire as a chess player, but stupid man.
    This is a great loss for the chess world

    BTW, I'm jewish and loved his games, but hated his thoughts.
    You can view is games at Robert James Ficher games

  78. A story from Bobby's youth.... by sampson7 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    There's a wonderful and somewhat tragic tale from Bobby's youth that I think explains so much. (I'm sorry I don't remember which book I read it in, so I can't give credit.)

    Bobby was living in New York City as a teenager and playing chess at an amazingly high level. He was also, clearly, a mentally troubled young man, and many of his chess playing friends noticed the instability as well as the genius. A number of friends convened a meeting and discussed taking up a collection to try to get Bobby some professional psyciatric help, which it was clear he needed even then. The meeting is going along, and most agree to encourage Bobby to get help.

    Towards the end of the meeting, someone asks "What if Bobby gets well and stops playing good chess?" The meeting then breaks up and nothing ever came of it.

    In many ways, Chess is about black versus white. My former chess teacher always prefered that we use the terms "light" and "dark" squares, rather then black and white, and I think it makes a very apt metaphor for Bobby's life. He lived some of his life on the light squares, accomplishing one of the greatest mental-athletic endeavors of all time. For this, he is rightly lionized as one of the great geniuses of the 20th century. He also led many of his years on the dark side of the board as well. Homeless in Los Angeles. Travling around penniless and without recognition for over 20 years. Finally reaping considerable financial rewards in Yogoslovia at the cost of his freedom.

    Finally, people note that Bobby in his later years was an anti-semite and said some truly disturbing things. Yet that's not how I see it. Rather than spiteful, his ramblings should be chalked up to the mental illness that clearly ravaged his brain throughout his later life. Just as the deranged homeless man on street should be pitied, so should Bobby. He lived in the largely Jewish chess community of New York for years, and while he may have had issues, his hatred of Jews only reached full blown proportions as his mental health declined. Clearly, he did not suffer fools. But I see no evidence that his dislike for stupid people was anything other than color/creed blind until later in life. Truly, these were the untreated manifestations of the illness that his chess colleagues recognized all those years ago in New York.

    RIP Bobby, and I hope that you find the peace in the next world (whether that be in the big chess board in the sky or simply as worm food) that eluded you in this one.

  79. Read the facts again by PCM2 · · Score: 1

    Bobby Fisher's mother was a Jew. His father was not -- although apparently (ahem) there's some dispute over who his father actually was.

    --
    Breakfast served all day!
  80. The Final Game by CMBologna · · Score: 1

    No matter what, he's got one last chess game to play. Will he go for victory or stalemate?

  81. MOD PARENT UP PLEASE by ggvaidya · · Score: 1

    It's semi-offtopic, sure, but this is the kind of detailed dissection which truely makes Slashdot worthwhile. Thank you!

  82. Fischer - Byrne 1956 by Intron · · Score: 1

    17. ... Be6!!!

    Barely out of the opening, Fischer, 13 years old, offers a queen to one of the best US players. Mate in 24.

    --
    Intron: the portion of DNA which expresses nothing useful.
  83. you're making a determination of intent by circletimessquare · · Score: 1

    as if someone can spew hate and vitriol for years

    and they are helpless innocent victims of mental illness, with no intent to say what they say or act the way they act

    he's not hereing voice, he's not changing personality, he's being himself, and divulging the content of his soul

    he's a bigot

    and you say you he "can't help the way he is"

    what incredible bullshit

    do you even know what intent is? how it forms? you're a pretty poor judge of human beings and their motivations

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:you're making a determination of intent by BotnetZombie · · Score: 1

      Who's making a determination of intent if not you? And why the angry tone?

      Googling "Bobby Fischer paranoid schizophrenia" quickly gives some reading material. Take a look here, and here. From the second one: "Bobby Fischer has been swindled out of a "vast fortune" in royalties by book publishers, movie studios, and clock manufacturers (yes, clock manufacturers), who have brazenly pilfered his brand name, patents, and copyrights... Gary Kasparov, the world's top-rated player, is a "crook" and a former KGB spy who hasn't played a match in his life in which the outcome wasn't prearranged... Millions of dollars' worth of personal memorabilia, painstakingly collected and stockpiled by Bobby Fischer in a ten-by-ten-foot Bekins storage room in Pasadena, California, has been stolen from him in a secret plot involving the Rothschilds (Jews), Bill Clinton (a secret Jew), and unnamed Bekins executives (CIA rats who work for the Jews)". Sane?

      FIY, I got a BA degree in psychology before I turned to CS. That in no way makes me capable of diagnosing someone I only know through the media. What makes you the authority to declare him having been a hate-spewing sane person?

  84. Game of the Century by daffmeister · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Just to pull this discussion back a little from mental instability and mention his chess, his "game of the century", played at the age of 13 against a former US Open champion, is quite remarkable.

    You can see a version with commentary or an interactive chessboard version.

  85. Something possibly related:Yahoo! Chess is offline by Bushido+Hacks · · Score: 1
    Prior to knowing of Mr. Fischer's death, I noticed that it Yahoo! Chess was offline today. This is either due to a computer error or in honor of passing.

    Reguardless there is going to be alot of questions about his exile.

    The fact that the United States labeled him as a traitor just for playing Chess in Yugoslavia may have lead to his anti-Semitism. Sort of like saying "Well, f*** you, too!" after being told to DIAF.

    Fischer did see the world for what it is and not some doctored sob story fabiracted by the media to side with the creation of Israel.

    Yes the Holocaust was horrible, and yes it did happen. But did it justify the creation of Israel? NO! If it is anti-Semetic to say that Israel sucks, then fine.

    I'm tired of this world-wide suicide game.

    A strange game.
    The only winning movie is not to play.

    How about an nice game of chess?
    --W.O.P.R. Wargames (1983)
    --
    The Rapture is NOT an exit strategy.
  86. From the PGN Chess Specification. by neo · · Score: 1

    Standard: Portable Game Notation Specification and Implementation Guide

    Revised: 1994.03.12

    Authors: Interested readers of the Internet newsgroup rec.games.chess ...

    Under Tags for termination of games:

    9.8.1: Tag: Termination

    This takes a string that describes the reason for the conclusion of the game.
    While the Result tag gives the result of the game, it does not provide any
    extra information and so the Termination tag is defined for this purpose.

    Strings that may appear as Termination tag values:

    * "abandoned": abandoned game.

    * "adjudication": result due to third party adjudication process.

    * "death": losing player called to greater things, one hopes.

    * "emergency": game concluded due to unforeseen circumstances.

    * "normal": game terminated in a normal fashion.

    * "rules infraction": administrative forfeit due to losing player's failure to
    observe either the Laws of Chess or the event regulations.

    * "time forfeit": loss due to losing player's failure to meet time control
    requirements.

    * "unterminated": game not terminated. ...

    RIP Bobby Fischer, "death" is a horrible way to lose a game of chess.

  87. Surprised no one mentioned it yet, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Bobby Fischer where is he?
    I don't know, I don't know.
    Bobby Fischer where is he?
    I don't know, I don't know.

    In answer, probably not anywhere I'd want to be.

  88. Fischer was one of the greatest artists ever. by Wargames · · Score: 1

    You have to appreciate the limitations of the medium of chess. Then, you have to play through his games. Only then can you appreciate that he was one of the greatest artists of all time. He produced some of the most beautiful works ever made. He contributed immensely to the art of chess during his brief career. He was foremost a great American singlehandedly bringing down the Russians stranglehold of the chess world while inspiring many to practice the beautiful game that makes people think. I mourn the loss of the great artist!!!

    --
    -- Each tock of the Planck clock is a new world and here we are still life. --
  89. Did Chess Make Him Crazy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm no fan of Time Magazine, but every now and then I notice the rare article and raise an eyebrow.

    What about this?

    "Did Chess Make Him Crazy?"

    a short quote from the article before you click to read it all:
    "Why such proximity between genius and madness in chess? There are three possible explanations. One is that chess is a monomania. You study it intensively day and night from childhood if you are going to rise to the ranks of the greats, and that kind of singular focus constricts your reality and makes you more vulnerable to distortions of it. "A chess genius," wrote George Steiner, "is a human being who focuses vast, little understood mental gifts and labors on an ultimately trivial human enterprise. Almost inevitably, this focus produces pathological symptoms of nervous stress and unreality." Plausible, perhaps, but there are lots of folks who are monomaniacal in other "trivial" spheres and who come out psychically intact. Tiger Woods was raised from infancy to be a great golfer and is not just intact but graceful and charming. The ranks of great golfers, swimmers and Dominican shortstops are not more noticeably skewed to the deranged than the general population."

  90. I remember...... by LinuxLuver · · Score: 1

    I remember the hype around the first Fischer / Spassky meeting in 1970....and it was probably the beginning of the end of my confidence in the mainstream media. It's just a game for chrissake......yet you'd think the fate of the world hung on the outcome judging by the press at the time. Even though i was only 13 then, and living in a small city in northern Ontario, Canada, this seemed more than weird to me.

    --
    Only boring people are ever bored.
  91. Lack of proof. by adougher9 · · Score: 0

    Oh so no one could be him at chess, where one has to prove their ideas, so people just resort to *saying* he is crazy (note the lack of PROOF).

  92. so if someone showed you the same by circletimessquare · · Score: 1

    about osama bin laden, does that excuse him in your mind?

    of course, you'll tell me you know all about his mental health too, right?

    the point is very simple: if someone spwes hate, they are to be punished. the genesis of their hate may be anything, but it doesn't matter the cause, because the effect is the issue

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:so if someone showed you the same by BotnetZombie · · Score: 1

      Osama Bin Laden is responsible for killing a lot of people - Bobby Fischer is not. Still you can't stop comparing them.
      I assume you're from the USA, correct me if wrong. What about the fundamentalist christians there that spew hate about homosexuals, doctors at abortion clinics and many more. If they're not insane, where's their punishment?
      That aside, the laws in most countries do make a distinction for those mentally ill that commit crimes. So if Bin Laden were insane, he should end up in a mental institution, not prison. But I'm sure you disagree strongly.

  93. Sorry by p3d0 · · Score: 1

    I stand corrected.

    --
    Patrick Doyle
    I mod down every jackass who puts his moderation policy in his sig. Oh, wait a sec....
  94. Re:Good Riddance by dave420 · · Score: 1

    If you find joy in anyone's death, you've got some serious problems. Do you like the thought of people enjoying the pain your loved ones might feel when you die? Does the mental image of strangers smirking and smiling at your grieving relatives make you feel happy? If not, then you've got some serious hypocrisy going on. If it does make you happy, then you've got a serious lack of empathy for those around you.

  95. Re:Good Riddance by dave420 · · Score: 1

    Probably living in hell because someone they loved was horribly mentally ill and not in control of his faculties. Clearly something you don't give a rat's ass about either. Nice humanity, there.

  96. Re:Good Riddance by Jack9 · · Score: 1

    If you find joy in anyone's death, you've got some serious problems.

    This is a subjective statement as humans are wired to be competitive and there is a mechanism for enjoying the end of struggle. The idea that everyone should be loving, caring, and nurturing is a "Politically Correct" AMERICAN ideal, not reality.
    --

    Often wrong but never in doubt.
    I am Jack9.
    Everyone knows me.
  97. Re:Good Riddance by otis+wildflower · · Score: 1

    Are you kidding? Antisemitism is all the rage again in Europe.. Old fashions always come back into style..