Comments on: Bobby Fischer has died

By: Thomas

Thomas — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 19:15:26 +0000

Fischer was great in his time. Unfortunately, when he played Spassky in 1992, it was clear his genius was no longer there. Kasparov commented during the matches that he figured that Fischer was playing around 2600 or so. By comparison most of the top grandmasters are well over 2700 and Kasparov hit over 2800 at one point. He had flashes but overall he just wasn’t the same man. Spending your life on the run will do that.

By: Smith

Smith — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 13:53:49 +0000

Several years before his famous match with Spasksy, he did a monthly chess column in Boy’s Life (Boy Scouts) magazine.

Hmm, given two data points, what can we infer about the mental state of all columnists?

By: DonTWC

DonTWC — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 13:21:40 +0000

Omar: Chess, like art, is studied by those who appreciate it. If watching grasss grow lights your candle, who am I to criticize?

I hitchhiked to St. Petersburg, FL just to play at their well known chess club that meets at the downtown shuffleboard club. When I first got there a lot of people were just crowded around two players having a really good game. Most of them were homeless, but they were all enjoying it. When it was over, one derelict trned to me with a beatific smile and said, “Chess is such a beautiful game.” It’s probably the only time he and I could be on the same channel.

By: pedro

pedro — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 06:11:07 +0000

#22 if this is not the best example of irony, I don’t know what is

By: OmarTheAlien

OmarTheAlien — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 05:42:08 +0000

Watch a chess game? I’d rather watch grass grow. Or maybe even golf, but the grass is more exciting.

By: Mister Catshit

Mister Catshit — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 04:22:01 +0000

From that era were a few things that made the Soviet Union realize they were only human.

The US landing on the moon in 1969.
The Fischer-Spassky Chess match, 1972.
The Canada’s best beating USSR’s best hockey match. 1972
The US Olympic Hockey team beating the Soviets. 1980.

All of these events grabbed our attention. Three of these events took teams. Only Fischer did it by himself.

By: Mister Catshit

Mister Catshit — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 04:08:41 +0000

Cripes,

pedro the insignificant vs the Three Headed Moran.

Hiisss, scratch, scratch, hisss, hisss,

I wonder if anything better is on TV.

By: Greg Allen

Greg Allen — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 03:11:39 +0000

What the connection between chess and political dissent?

Or is it just coincidence that Garry Kasparov is also a political rebel in his own country Russia.

By: Mister Apeshit

Mister Apeshit — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 01:42:23 +0000

He was probably bored to death waiting for the other guy to move.

By: sam

sam — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 00:57:45 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TLF2d4_uRM

Remember Borat? Same thing with Bobby Fischer or Alex Linder!

Get the Truth from Dr. David Duke and Dr. William Pierce! Don’t Listen to the double Agents!

By way of deception!

By: DonTWC

DonTWC — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 23:32:27 +0000

Shelby Lymman! I remember it well! I was an eighth grader, watching the games at my friend’s house on our local PBS affiliate. Lyman stood in front of a huge felt chess board and pieces, talking with another chess master named Bruce Pandolfini. They would discuss the position as it was at that moment, and then the phone would ring. It would be Edmar Mednis, phoning in the latest move! When the phone rang, my geeky friend and I would both say, along with Shelby Lyman: “Hello! Edmar!”

I always tell my kids I was a nerd before people had computers…

By: pedro

pedro — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 23:25:59 +0000

#14 yes, I put them right besides you. If you can’t find them, just go to sleep, you’ll feel better tomorrow, hopefully

By: moss

moss — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 22:08:44 +0000

Don’t know about other coverage during the match; but, Shelby Lyman was covering it on Ch.13 in NYC. And, several times, he lost the feed from Iceland and simply switched over to Radio Moscow to give him the info.

All we ever got to see through most of the match was Shelby in a room with a bunch of chess players while he duplicated the moves. Outside of the first couple of matches, there was no live TV. Though, most of the matches were taped.

By: eddietours

eddietours — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 22:00:17 +0000

the great soviet union was control by cuba lol

By: Olo Baggins of Bywater

Olo Baggins of Bywater — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 21:53:28 +0000

Chill guys! They’re still Russians (Soviets at a time) and they were still the greatest. At ballet, for whatever that’s worth. We had Evel, they had dancers. I’m good with that.