Endgame: The Spectacular Rise and Fall of Bobby Fischer

By:

Synopsis
Endgame is acclaimed biographer Frank Brady's decades-in-the-making tracing of the meteoric ascent--and confounding descent--of enigmatic genius Bobby Fischer. Only Brady, who met Fischer when the prodigy was only 10 and shared with him some of his most dramatic triumphs, could have written this book, which has much to say about the nature of American celebrity and the distorting effects of fame. Drawing from Fischer family archives, recently released FBI files, and Bobby's own emails, this account is unique in that it limns Fischer's entire life--an odyssey that took the Brooklyn-raised chess champion from an impoverished childhood to the covers of Time, Life and Newsweek to recognition as "the most famous man in the world" to notorious recluse. At first all one noticed was how gifted Fischer was. Possessing a 181 I.Q. and remarkable powers of concentration, Bobby memorized hundreds of chess books in several languages, and he was only 13 when he became the youngest chess master in U.S. history. But his strange behavior started early. In 1972, at the historic Cold War showdown in Reykjavik, Iceland, where he faced Soviet champion Boris Spassky, Fischer made headlines with hundreds of petty demands that nearly ended the competition. It was merely a prelude to what was to come. Arriving back in the United States to a hero's welcome, Bobby was mobbed wherever he went--a figure as exotic and improbable as any American pop culture had yet produced. No player of a mere "board game" had ever ascended to such heights. Commercial sponsorship offers poured in, ultimately topping $10 million--but Bobby demurred. Instead, he began tithing his limited money to an apocalyptic religion and devouring anti-Semitic literature. After years of poverty and a stint living on Los Angeles' Skid Row, Bobby remerged in 1992 to play Spassky in a multi-million dollar rematch--but the experience only deepened a paranoia that had formed years earlier when he came to believe that the Soviets wanted him dead for taking away "their" title. When the dust settled, Bobby was a wanted man--transformed into an international fugitive because of his decision to play in Montenegro despite U.S. sanctions. Fearing for his life, traveling with bodyguards, and wearing a long leather coat to ward off knife attacks, Bobby lived the life of a celebrity fugitive - one drawn increasingly to the bizarre. Mafiosi, Nazis, odd attempts to breed an heir who could perpetuate his chess-genius DNA--all are woven into his late-life tapestry. And yet, as Brady shows, the most notable irony of Bobby Fischer's strange descent - which had reached full plummet by 2005 when he turned down yet another multi-million dollar payday--is that despite his incomprehensible behavior, there were many who remained fiercely loyal to him. Why that was so is at least partly the subject of this book--one that at last answers the question: "Who was Bobby Fischer?"From the Hardcover edition.
Copyright:
2012

Book Details

Book Quality:
Publisher Quality
ISBN-13:
9780307463920
Related ISBNs:
9780307463913
Publisher:
Crown Publishing Group
Date of Addition:
Copyrighted By:
Frank Brady
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Has Image Descriptions:
No
Categories:
Nonfiction, Sports, Biographies and Memoirs
Submitted By:
Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:
This is a copyrighted book.

Reviews

4 out of 5

By on

Endgame: Bobby Fischer’s Remarkable Rise and Fall by Frank Brady In 1943 a genius was born. That genius had a gift for playing the game of chess, genius that showed itself at a very young age. He became obsessed with the game, studied it endlessly to the exclusion of everything else. By 16, he was a high school dropout, and a chess grandmaster. He was already well on his way to becoming the world chess champion. At 29, Bobby Fischer played the championship game against Russia’s Boris Spassky as the whole world watched. Even people the world over with no interest in chess followed the competition. The meeting of the two leading world powers (United States and Russia), then in the heat of the intense Cold War, came together over a chess board. It was Bobby Fischer’s greatest moment. Endgame by Frank Brady examines Bobby Fischer’s rise to greatness. His childhood is chronicled, his rise to worldwide fame explored, and ultimately his madness which escalated and intensified with each passing year was described and documented. As chess became less a part of his life, his attention focused instead on hate. He became a vicious and vile person. Venom poured from his lips, his hatred resounding across worldwide radio broadcasts targeting primarily Jews and America/Americans. His hate list also included Russia, Japan, the Union Bank of Switzerland, most chess grandmasters he had met and often befriended but eventually loathed, any and all medical treatments, noise, and so much more. Eventually he even added Iceland and all Icelanders to his hate list and felt no obligation for their courtesies and royal treatment of him. Yet somehow, inexplicably and contrary to my feelings about this loathsome madman, I was moved by his death. Readers do not have to know how to move a pawn or a knight, or even what pieces are played in the game of chess. This fascinating book is written for a broad audience, and is written well.