Bobby Fisher

[BrandoFan]

"America deserved 9/11? Death to America? Death to Jews"?

 

WTF? Both his parents are Jews and he was rabidly anti-communist during Cold War.....

 

The mofo retired before Garry Kasparov could kick his hateful wunderkind ass.

 

Thoughts on this dude?

[baggio202]

"America deserved 9/11? Death to America? Death to Jews"?

 

WTF?  Both his parents are Jews and he was rabidly anti-communist during Cold War.....

 

The mofo retired before Garry Kasparov could kick his hateful wunderkind ass.

 

Thoughts on this dude?

reminds me of cat stevens...remember him??...wrote "peacetrain"...big in the peace movement...then he converts to islam and when the ayatollah put a death threat out on salmon rusdie stevens was quoted as saying "he defaced the prophet...he must die"

[BrandoFan]

reminds me of cat stevens...remember him??...wrote "peacetrain"...big in the peace movement...then he converts to islam and when the ayatollah put a death threat out on salmon rusdie stevens was quoted as saying "he defaced the prophet...he must die"

Ah, the Khomeini-Satanic Verses mishap...

 

Bobby Fisher could certainly play chess, though. Such a waste of talent on this hateful weirdo.

[Mathew]

I thought he was recluse?

[southsider2k5]

If members of any religion or race should not be preaching hate, it should be the Jews/Israelis. First of all their religion expressly forbids it, and second of all being the victims of so much hate, you would think they would want the world to be a more peaceful place.

[BrandoFan]

If members of any religion or race should not be preaching hate, it should be the Jews/Israelis.  First of all their religion expressly forbids it, and second of all being the victims of so much hate, you would think they would want the world to be a more peaceful place.

This is not about Jews, 'sider.

 

This is about one Robert Fisher.

 

Apparently, he is insane.

[FlaSoxxJim]

reminds me of cat stevens...remember him??...wrote "peacetrain"...big in the peace movement...then he converts to islam and when the ayatollah put a death threat out on salmon rusdie stevens was quoted as saying "he defaced the prophet...he must die"

Baggio, Yusuf's (aka, the Muslim-Formerly-Known-as-Cat) comments during the Rushdie thing were reported way out of context by a now-defunct paper, and it is a shame that the myth still gets perpetuated 15 years later.

 

Cat/Yusuf was at a speaking engagement in London and a journalist essentially asked a hypothetical question about teh Islamic stance (Not Cat's personal view) on blasphemy. This excerpt is from the press release he was forced to put out right after the eventm and which was sadly ignored for the most part:

 

On 21st February, I was speaking to a group of students at the Kingston Polytechnic, and in response to a question, I simply stated the Islamic ruling on the Rushdie affair. Suddenly. my picture was splashed on the front page of newspapers all over the world next to the headline: 'Kill Rushdie says Cat Stevens (Bio)'. It is very sad to see such irresponsibility from the 'free press' and I am totally abhorred.

 

My only crime was, I suppose, in being honest. I stood up and expressed my belief and I am in no way apologizing for it. I expressed the Islamic view based on the Qur'an, the Prophet's sayings (peace and blessings be upon him) and the rulings of the Caliphs and renowned schools of Islamic jurisprudence.

 

However, that is not to say I am encouraging people to break the law or take it into their own hands: far from it. Under the Islamic Law, Muslims are bound to keep within the limits of the law of the country in which they live, providing that it does not restrict the freedom toworship and serve God and fulfil their basic religious duties (fard'ayn). One must not forget the ruling in Islam is also very clear about adultery, stealing and murder, but that doesn't mean that British Muslims will go about lynching and stoning adulterers, theives and murderers. If we can't get satisfaction within the present limits of the law, like a ban on this blasphemous book, 'Satanic Verses' which insults God and His prophets - including those prophets honoured by Christians, Jews as well as Muslims - this does not mean that we should step outside of the law to find redress. No. If Mrs. Thatcher and her Government are unwilling to listen to our pleas, if our demonstrations and peaceful lobbying don't work, then perhaps the only alternative is for Muslims to get more involved in the political process of this country. It seems to be the only way left for us.

 

And in the adding-insult-to-injury department, what rarely gets mentioned is that He immediately spoke out very visibly and vocally condemning the violence of radical Islamics immediately after 9/11, and donated 100% of his royalties from his 2001 US box set release to charity, with most of it going to the September 11th Fund. He also performed the song you mentioned, "Peace Train", live on VH1 in October 2001 in a show of support for the victim's families. It was tthe first time in more than 20 years he performed a cat Stevens song for the public, and he did it in response to 9-11.

[BrandoFan]

Baggio, Yusuf's (aka, the Muslim-Formerly-Known-as-Cat) comments during the Rushdie thing were reported way out of context by a now-defunct paper, and it is a shame that the myth still gets perpetuated 15 years later.

 

Cat/Yusuf was at a speaking engagement in London and a journalist essentially asked a hypothetical question about teh Islamic stance (Not Cat's personal view) on blasphemy.  This excerpt is from the press release he was forced to put out right after the eventm and which was sadly ignored for the most part:

 

 

 

And in the adding-insult-to-injury department, what rarely gets mentioned is that He immediately spoke out very visibly and vocally condemning the violence of radical Islamics immediately after 9/11, and donated 100% of his royalties from his 2001 US box set release to charity, with most of it going to the September 11th Fund.  He also performed the song you mentioned, "Peace Train", live on VH1 in October 2001 in a show of support for the victim's families.  It was tthe first time in more than 20 years he performed a cat Stevens song for the public, and he did it in response to 9-11.

FSJ, you think he coulda taken down Kasparov?

 

Whatcha think of the Little Grossmiester-Slaughtering Bobby or his recluse period.

[FlaSoxxJim]

FSJ, you think he coulda taken down Kasparov?

 

Whatcha think of the Little Grossmiester-Slaughtering Bobby or his recluse period.

Survey says Kasparov with a knockdown in 10 rounds. But, the smart money is on Deep Blue if there is ever a rematch.

[BrandoFan]

Survey says Kasparov with a knockdown in 10 rounds.  But, the smart money is on Deep Blue if there is ever a rematch. 

Yeah, probably.

 

Actually, it's FAR more real: In the 70's when then 24yo up-and-coming pretender A.Karpov was playing a huge National Title bout with a then-Champ gross-meister who was more than twice his age and much more respected. The latter, known for his huge temper, was LITERALLY spitting on the board and actually KICKING Karpov's shins under the table while muttering unbelievable profanities.....when he began to lose after taking a sizeable lead.

 

He was not disqualified, but people who were there in person was it was so f***in' sudden, surreal and funny, some people had to be carried out on stretchers literally.

 

[FlaSoxxJim]

Yeah, probably. 

 

Actually, it's FAR more real:    In the 70's when then 24yo up-and-coming pretender A.Karpov was playing a huge National Title bout with a then-Champ gross-meister who was more than twice his age and much more respected.  The latter, known for his huge temper, was LITERALLY spitting on the board and actually KICKING Karpov's shins under the table while muttering unbelievable profanities.....when he began to lose after taking a sizeable lead.

 

He was not disqualified, but people who were there in person was it was so f***in' sudden, surreal and funny, some people had to be carried out on stretchers literally.

 

   

That's why a lot of people get turned off by the violence in chess and instead something more peaceful, like hockey.

[BrandoFan]

That's why a lot of people get turned off by the violence in chess and instead something more peaceful, like hockey.

Man....I am still laughing just imagining the different ways the tantrums and physical abuse must've happened. You couldn't write that s***, I swear.

 

Do you have an opinion on Fisher the person/player?

[FlaSoxxJim]

Man....I am still laughing just imagining the different ways the tantrums and physical abuse must've happened.   You couldn't write that s***, I swear.

 

Do you have an opinion on Fisher the person/player?

No, because I haven't paid a lot of attention to him.

[BrandoFan]

No, because I haven't paid a lot of attention to him.

The great American champion/chess genius-recluse? You never found that fascinating?

[Texsox]

Fisher shows how close genius and insanity are linked. As a player it is nearly impossible to compare ratings from different eras. The USCF has seen an artificial creep in rating over the years. Kasparov is awesome and a match between him and Fisher in their primes would have been very entertaining. Regardless of outcome he is easily in the top 3 of all time.

 

It is unfortunate he is wacked in the head. As a person I have zero respect for him.

 

Back in the mid 1990s the US Open was played in I believe Morton Grove or Des Plaines. I have the program back home. I remember after my game ended early and in defeat an older gentleman was kibitizing and rolled back my game about 30 moves and was offering some advice. We got to talking and he mentioned he was part of Fisher team in Iceland for the World Championship win over Spasky. He said they thought Bobby was crazy thinking the Russians were bouncing radio waves off him and using other spy techniques to aid their guy. Later, a couple Russian players (Lev Albert?) immigrated and mentioned the KGB had officers there looking for ways to help their player.

 

Chess has been ruined IMHO by speed chess. I still prefer traditional play of 40 moves in 90 minutes. Now they are playing game 5 minute with electronic time keeping that will add seconds based on move speed. I guess I'm too old.

 

Brando, chess peaked in this country during the Fisher era and has dropped again. When I was last in Chicagi there was only about 2 or 3 decent clubs that met nightly and there were many weekends without any tournament action. I use to enjoy postal but that has gone away for the most part against the internet.

[BrandoFan]

Fisher shows how close genius and insanity are linked. As a player it is nearly impossible to compare ratings from different eras. The USCF has seen an artificial creep in rating over the years. Kasparov is awesome and a match between him and Fisher in their primes would have been very entertaining. Regardless of outcome he is easily in the top 3 of all time.

 

It is unfortunate he is wacked in the head.  As a person I have zero respect for him.

 

Back in the mid 1990s the US Open was played in I believe Morton Grove or Des Plaines. I have the program back home. I remember after my game ended early and in defeat an older gentleman was kibitizing and rolled back my game about 30 moves and was offering some advice. We got to talking and he mentioned he was part of Fisher team in Iceland for the World Championship win over Spasky. He said they thought Bobby was crazy thinking the Russians were bouncing radio waves off him and using other spy techniques to aid their guy. Later, a couple Russian players (Lev Albert?) immigrated and mentioned the KGB had officers there looking for ways to help their player.

 

Chess has been ruined IMHO by speed chess. I still prefer traditional play of 40 moves in 90 minutes. Now they are playing game 5 minute with electronic time keeping that will add seconds based on move speed. I guess I'm too old.

 

Brando, chess peaked in this country during the Fisher era and has dropped again. When I was last in Chicagi there was only about 2 or 3 decent clubs that met nightly and there were many weekends without any tournament action. I use to enjoy postal but that has gone away for the most part against the internet.

Good stuff there, Tex. Fisher and Kasparov are in top 3 20th century for sure. Who would nominate as the the third one?

 

Bouncing waves off him? How Bobby Fisher of him. I bet he doesn't like people to look him in the eyes.

 

Actually, "old man kitbitzing after a loss" is one of the biggest pleasures of chess. They almost always have no idea what they are talking about and invariably end up getting chased off by annoyed players/crowd.

 

Stilll not as funny as Karpov getting sworn, spat at at he National Championship and the chin/groin kicks are unbelievably HILARIOUS.

[Texsox]

Good stuff there, Tex.    Fisher and Kasparov are in top 3 20th century for sure. Who would nominate as the the third one?

 

Bouncing waves off him? How Bobby Fisher of him.  I bet he doesn't like people to look him in the eyes.   

 

Actually, "old man kitbitzing after a loss"  is one of the biggest pleasures of chess. They almost always have no idea what they are talking about and invariably end up getting chased off by annoyed players/crowd.

 

Stilll not as funny as Karpov getting sworn, spat at  at he National Championship and the chin/groin kicks are unbelievably HILARIOUS.

Ranking is becoming problematic now a days. With speed chess becoming popular how does one compare? Should only tournament play be included? I do not think Aron Nimzowitsch was all that strong a tournament player, but My System is The difinitive book on positional play. I doubt there is a player the past 40 years over an 1800 rating that hasn't dog eared a copy of that book.

 

Looking at traditional champions I would put Garry #1 and Fischer #2. I do not believe that Fischer ever reached his potential. His genious was like a gyroscope spinning at an unbelievable rotation. The slightest bump and he was crazy. Plus there was zero support for chess champions in the US so he basically beat a Russian team in 1972.

 

As for the third, I've enjoyed Capablanca's games, if Karpov had been born in a different time he may be more highly regarded, I am being told by friends who actually live where decent chess is played, that Anand is amazing. I no longer am a member of the USCF, and have not followed the current players. Petrosian, Spasky, and a few others are up there. I am almost forgetting Tal, a personal favorite when he just starts blasting away.

 

And as an American I should probably mention Morphy, but I have a hard time placing him near the top 5 or 10 for that matter.

[BrandoFan]

Ranking is becoming problematic now a days. With speed chess becoming popular how does one compare? Should only tournament play be included? I do not think Aron Nimzowitsch was all that strong a tournament player, but My System is The difinitive book on positional play. I doubt there is a player the past 40 years over an 1800 rating that hasn't dog eared a copy of that book.

 

Looking at traditional champions I would put Garry #1 and Fischer #2. I do not believe that Fischer ever reached his potential. His genious was like a gyroscope spinning at an unbelievable rotation. The slightest bump and he was crazy. Plus there was zero support for chess champions in the US so he basically beat a Russian team in 1972.

 

As for the third, I've enjoyed Capablanca's games, if Karpov had been born in a different time he may be more highly regarded, I am being told by friends who actually live where decent chess is played, that Anand is amazing. I no longer am a member of the USCF, and have not followed the current players. Petrosian, Spasky, and a few others are up there. I am almost forgetting Tal, a personal favorite when he just starts blasting away.

 

And as an American I should probably mention Morphy, but I have a hard time placing him near the top 5 or 10 for that matter.

No speed chess. Speed chess to traditional chess is what indoor football crap is to NFL. Tournament or not, beat the main contender with a healthy margin, that's all I care about. Titles, rankings-- they are all secondary. IMO.

 

I've seen B&W tape on Fisher as 14yo protege. He was showing his insanity, er, irritability back then. What a waste.

 

I can't include commie lackey Karpov (*thup* - that's the sound of Korchnoi landing another kick, lolol) because of how consistently he was beaten by Garry. Same for Spasky and Fisher. Capablanca works for me. Gotta include an old-old-timer, right?

 

Anand is an awesome talent evven if not a great player pe se. Kramnik is solid and their mid-late-90s rivalry was fun. Another thing I liked about those two is that they blocked that creepy expat Gata Kamsky and his domineering father from getting their slimey paws on the crown as they have plotted since the former was still a fetus.

 

Do you follow women's chess? There are tremendeous under-16 rivalries; the sport is dominated by Indian and Chinese phenom girls and I think it's great for the sport.

[FlaSoxxJim]

Do you follow women's chess?   There are tremendeous under-16 rivalries;  the sport is dominated by Indian and Chinese phenom girls and I think it's great for the sport.

Your chess knowledge, and Tex's, is impressive. But calling it a sport? Sure, the competitive element is a there, but I don't know about sport.

 

And about those Indian and Chinese female chess players... word on the street is they're using steroids.

[BrandoFan]

Your chess knowledge, and Tex's, is impressive. But calling it a sport? Sure, the competitive element is a there, but I don't know about sport.

 

Fine...game, it's good for the game....happy now?

 

I dunno about you, but I find it amazing that a 15-year-old girl from a poor Indian (redundant) province can walk in and BLOW a 35-yo male master pro off the table.

[FlaSoxxJim]

Fine...game, it's good for the game....happy now?   

 

I dunno about you, but I find it amazing that a 15-year-old girl from a poor Indian (redundant) province can walk in and BLOW a 35-yo male master pro off the table.   

In all seriousness, the women players sound impressive. I'm not an avid chess player although I do enjoy it when I get a chance to play, but it's neat to hear the game is growing in popularity with women and that they are competitive.

 

I think mastery of the game involves the sort of spatial cognitive aptitude that some anthropologists believe to have been more stronly selectd for in men versus women over human evolution. The gift for spatial abstractions that would have enabled a nomadic stone age tribe leader to find the same foraging grounds, watering holes, mountain passes etc. from year to year is the same gift that would allow someone to become a chess champion I think.

 

I lack that kind of spatial genius, so I'll never be more than an very average chess player. You and Tex should get some online games going.

[BrandoFan]

I lack that kind of spatial genius, so I'll never be more than an very average chess player. You and Tex should get some online games going

 

A child genius once remarked that when he looks at the board, the figures are connected by patterns of laser-like strings (hey, maybe the super-string nature of the universe is not BS afterall! lol) of various colors and thickness.

 

The more beautiful and intricate they are, the higher the chance that the move is an optimal one.

 

Make of it what you will.

[Texsox]

A child genius once remarked that when he looks at the board, the figures are connected by patterns of laser-like strings (hey, maybe the super-string nature of the universe is not BS afterall! lol) of various colors and thickness.

 

The more beautiful and intricate they are, the higher the chance that the move is  an optimal one.

 

Make of it what you will.

That is the most vivid description of a chess board and sadly I never got to that level. I bored in intricate positional battles and prefered a quick gambit, attack, simplify, and hope for a pawn and rook end game.

 

My tournament play was greatly enhanced when I was listening to a 13 year old kid say; that to simplify his play he decided to learn one opening really well and a defense for e4 and d4. From the mouth of babes

 

I decided in addition to limiting my opening study I would study rook and pawn end games. I was amazed how many times I could create the situation that benefited my style of play. My rating went from mid 1500 to 1800. Then my talent took over and I stagnated.

 

I really dislike on line play. I enjoy the heavy feel of a 3X wood piece. The sound of silence, the look, feel, and sound of an analog clock. When I see these electronic clocks and guys playing speed chess it just isn't the same. Same thing with on-line and what became of postal in the end. Too many people, to aid their fragile egos, resorted to using computers to play for them. I never understood how people could feel good about a victory gotten by cheating.

 

A friend of mine talks about how lines of play turn on and off like lights on a dance floor when he looks at the board.

[BrandoFan]

Like I said, Internet chess, speed chess = NO chess.

 

I perfectly understand what you mean by hitting a talent plateu. I hit mine when I was about 14. Played only a few sessions since. I don't love the game. But I respect it, the atmosphere around it, the history.

 

I don't remember who said it, but chess was said to be the model for conversion of static energy into kinetic one. Or some such. On the abstract and philosophical levels, chess is something I am totally mystified by. It's silly, but that's how I have alweays viewed it.

 

Do you play Go? What an invention, eh?

[BrandoFan]

Looks like Vishvanathan Anand and Kramink are still battling it out.