Robert James (Bobby) Fischer
March 9th, 1943 – January 17th, 2008
Chess Genius, Anti-Semitic, and Enemy of the United States
by Rit Nosotro First Published:: 2003( )
"... Bobby is a wholly enjoyable conversationalist. A fine wit, he is a very funny man." [1] However, Bobby showed hatred for his Jewish linage and the country of his birth. He said, "the White House and Pentagon have been attacked … This is all wonderful news."
These are two personas portrayed by Robert Fischer. One gentle and warm, the other cold and demoralizing. Bobby Fischer was a revered chess genius and a cold hearted cynic, all at the same time. Sadly, Bobby increasingly slandered Americans and Jews up to his death, as his life famous life deteriorated into oblivion.
Born in March 9th, 1943, Chicago Illinois, [3] to Hans-Gerhardt Fischer and Regina Wender, an American of Polish-Jewish descent, Bobby grew up in home with his mother and his older sister. Bobby learned to play chess at the age of six and started to seriously delve into the game at seven. Needless to say, he got a very early start. Bobby soon developed into a child prodigy. He was quoted as saying, "All I want to do, ever, is play chess." [4] He became the youngest ever United States Chess Champion at the age of thirteen, a record which stands to this day. At the same age, he was awarded the title of National Master, another record. Even more amazing is that at the age of fourteen, he became the youngest ever United States Chess Champion, and to this day, nobody has ever broken that record. [5] He later went on to become the youngest Grandmaster in the history of chess at the age of 15. [6]
Bobby Fischer also competed at the Chess Olympiad in 1960, 1962, 1966, and 1970, the US team placing silver, fourth, silver, fourth respectively. Later on in life, at the age of 29, Bobby Fischer won the World Chess Championship from Boris Spassky in Reykjavik, Iceland in 1972. Bobby Fischer won the match after a few discrepancies, by a score of 12.5/21, which equates to a score of 57%. However, three years later, Bobby forfeited the title of World Chess Champion to Anatoly Karpov after certain demands of his were rejected and the fact that Bobby did not respond to the proposal. During this time, Bobby’s official ELO FIDE rating peaked at 2785, [7] bested only by Garry Kasparov. Bobby remained secluded and did not play in public again for 20 years.
Here ends the positive persona.
Throughout his life, Robert constantly rejected God. He reportedly had said, “I read a book lately by Nietzsche and he says religion is just to dull the senses of the people. I agree.” [8] However, in the 1960’s he supposedly started having problems in his life and turned to a radio-program called, “The World Tomorrow” by Herbert Armstrong and his son Garner Ted Armstrong. They were part of a denomination called the “Radio Church of God” which later changed its name to the Worldwide Church of God.” Fischer apparently paid tithes to the church and was an enthusiastic member. However, Bobby fell out with the church in 1972 after prophecies made by Herbert Armstrong were unfulfilled and a series of sex scandals involving Garner Ted Armstrong were revealed. Bobby said that he felt like he had been conned and betrayed. [9]
After 20 years of isolation, Bobby returned to the public spotlight as he played in the rematch against Boris Spassky in 1992 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. It was called “The Revenge Match of the 20th Century.” Fischer won the match with 10 wins 5 losses and 15 draws. He pocketed over US$3.3 million from the expenditure. The problem with this is that Fischer played these games during the Cold War between the United Sates and the USSR, when Bobby was a citizen of the United States and he played in a state controlled by the USSR, this already had the potential to escalate into a massive quarrel. In addition to this, they were played in spite of a United Nations embargo that included sanctions on sporting events and also the Executive Order 12810 of President George H.W. Bush that implemented United Nations sanctions against engaging in economic activities in Yugoslavia. Following the match, the U.S. Department of the Treasury obtained an arrest warrant for him. Fischer remained wanted by the United States government for the rest of his life and never returned to the United States.[10] From there on in, Bobby lived in various countries including Japan and the Philipines. He also revoked his United States citizenship and instead, opted for an Icelandic one offered to him by the Althing, the Icelandic government.
Dating from 1961, Bobby Fischer had repeatedly made attacks on Judaism. In 1984, he sent a letter to the encyclopedia Judaica and vehemently denied being a Jew and denounced Judaism. [11] In 2002, Atlantic magazine reported that during a Manila radio broadcast he described his enemies as "Jews, secret Jews, or CIA rats who work for the Jews." [12]. He also denied the existence of the Holocaust, and stated that the United States was a, “a farce controlled by dirty, hook-nosed, circumcised Jew bastards.” [13]
However, this was not the fullest extent of his anti-Semitism. Following the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, Bobby Fischer was interviewed by Pablo Mercado of the Bombo Radyo network. He supposedly called for the death of President George W. Bush. He also hoped that the United States military would then, “hundreds of thousands of American Jewish ring-leaders", "arrest all the Jews", and "close all synagogues". He also stated that if the United States would not change its foreign policy then, “it has to be destroyed.”[14]
On January 17th, 2008, Robert James Fischer died in Reykjavik, Iceland. Although no cause of death was given, Bobby’s death was probably the result of a battle with degenerative renal failure, which ultimately led to his death in his apartment.
Bobby Fischer was an anti-Semitic, anti-American cynic, who was also a master chess player. Bobby certainly rejected the instruction of the Jewish Rabbi Yeshua who said, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.” ( Matthew 7:13) He followed his own path of anger and eventually brought ruin upon himself. “But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.” (Romans 2:8)
Endnotes
[1] Bobby Fischer, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Fischer
[2] Ibid.
[3] Bobby Fischer Biography, Bobby Fischer.net, http://www.bobby-fischer.net/Bobby_Fischer_Biography.html
[4] World Chess Champions, Robert (Bobby Fischer), Chess Corner, http://www.chesscorner.com/worldchamps/fischer/fischer.htm
[5] Bobby Fischer, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Fischer
[6] World Chess Champions, Robert (Bobby Fischer), Chess Corner, http://www.chesscorner.com/worldchamps/fischer/fischer.htm
[7] Ibid.
[8] Portrait of a Genius As a Young Chess Master, Bobby Fischer.net, http://www.bobby-fischer.net/Bobby_Fischer_Articles4.html
[9] Bobby Fischer, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Fischer
[10] Ibid.
[11] An Open Letter to the Encyclopedia Judaica, http://www.geocities.jp/bobbby_a/list/p_42/42_0.htm
[12] Brilliant chess master, world-class eccentric Bobby Fischer dies, CNN, http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/01/18/fischer.obit/index.html
[13] Parr, Larry: "Is Bobby Fischer Anti-Semitic?", Chess News, (May 2001)
[14] Bobby Fischer, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Fischer
Bibliography
An Open Letter to the Encyclopedia Judaica, http://www.geocities.jp/bobbby_a/list/p_42/42_0.htm
Bobby Fischer, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Fischer
Bobby Fischer Biography, Bobby Fischer.net, http://www.bobby-fischer.net/Bobby_Fischer_Biography.html
Brilliant chess master, world-class eccentric Bobby Fischer dies, CNN, http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/01/18/fischer.obit/index.html
Life is not a Board Game, Philadelphia Inquirer, http://www.philly.com/inquirer/news/13891951.html
Portrait of a Genius As a Young Chess Master, Bobby Fischer.net, http://www.bobby-fischer.net/Bobby_Fischer_Articles4.html
World Chess Champions, Robert (Bobby Fischer), Chess Corner, http://www.chesscorner.com/worldchamps/fischer/fischer.htm
