Böhm/Jongkind, Bobby Fischer - The Wandering King

Is Bobby Fischer the all-time greatest chess genius No one can answer that question but his career is truly inspiring: the struggle of one man against the entire Eastern European chess elite. After a steady but spectacular triumphal march towards the World Title in 1972 he never played in public again, except for a controversial match in 1992 against his old rival Boris Spassky. Since then an increasingly alien Fischer has wandered the globe, only surfacing for occasional radio interviews, and his lowest point came when he was heard condoning the collapse of the Twin Towers in New York. Since then, the controversy surrounding Fischer has deepened, with his Japanese jail sentence and subsequent extradition battle.

Despite his idiosyncrasies, Fischer has become an intriguing living legend. This book traces his story through interviews with many former friends and rivals of Fischer, including Yasser Seirawan and Anatoly Karpov, and his former bodyguard and fitness trainer. The authors have dug through the archives, including recently opened FBI files, in order to place the more negative aspects of the man into context – his tough upbringing, his exceptional talent, his anti-social behaviour, his fight against the chess authorities and his growing eccentricity. This book is a must for anyone interested in this remarkable man and his fascinating life.