Endgame (60 page)

My literary agent, Jeff Schmidt, deserves special commendation for recognizing the potential of
Endgame
, and for steering the book to one of the best publishing houses in the world.

Finally, there is my wife, Maxine, to whom this book is dedicated. Like me, she also knew Bobby, spent time with him, and observed and interacted with him in our home, at parties, and at many tournaments, so her intelligence and memory—in addition to her writing and editing skills—were essential signposts for me in virtually everything that appears here. Without her contribution there would be no
Endgame
. My sincere gratitude for her constant consultation is simply not enough.

The sources for this book come from a variety of origins: interviews of and correspondence with chess players; friends and relatives of Bobby Fischer; chess periodicals and books; the general press; Bobby Fischer’s own writings; libraries and archives; and the author’s own memories, conversations, and observations of Bobby Fischer spread out over a lifetime.

Abbreviations

Bobby Fischer Autobiographical Essay—BFE

John W. Collins Archive—JWC

Marshall Chess Foundation Archive—MCF

New York Times—NYT

Chess Life—CL

Chess Review—CR

Chess Life & Review—CL&R

Frank Brady Archive—FB

New In Chess—NIC

Chess Base—CB

Profile of a Prodigy—PRO

KGB Reports—KGB

Author citations refer to books in the Bibliography
.

1
“A biography is considered complete”
Clare Colquitt, Susan Goodman, Candace Waid.
A Forward Glance: New Essays on Edith Wharton
, Associated University Presses, Inc., 1999, p. 23.

2
“a whole world of feelings”
Mack Frankfurter.
Options: A Three Dimensional Chess
, October 13, 2006. At
safehaven.com
. Accessed December 14, 2008.

The sources for this chapter came, in some part, from a statement written in the third person by Bobby Fischer while he was incarcerated; examination of the FBI files on Regina Fischer; Bobby’s autobiographical essay written when he was a teenager; talks of the author with Bobby’s teachers, Carmine Nigro and Jack Collins, as well as Regina Fischer; observations of the author; and previously published accounts in books and periodicals.

1
“I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe.”
Legal statement of facts written by Bobby Fischer, 6 pages, July 2004,
orwelltoday.com/fischerroom202.shtml
.

2
“as soon as he lands at JFK, we’ll nail him.”
Recollection of author, who talked with State Department official, circa late 1990s.

3
The group’s destination was the Silver Moon Chinese restaurant
. This incident occurred circa 1956. Discussion with Jack Collins, circa 1956; and reported in
Newsday
, September 28, 1992.

4
he’d just returned from the U.S. Open Championship in Oklahoma City CR
, August 1956, p. 227.

5
at the first Moscow Medical Institute
Discussion of Regina and Gerhardt Fischer in Moscow. Johnson, p. 125.

6
Regina Fischer had no long-term residence PRO
, pp. 1–4.

7
One of Bobby’s first memories
BFE, p. 1.

8
flung his pencil down in frustration and grabbed a brown crayon, but this time he paused
MCF

9
Later, he became enamored of Japanese interlocking puzzles NYT
, February 23, 1958, SMD 38.

10
In early 1949 Regina Fischer took the least expensive housing she could find
FBI report, 8-24-53 (SAC, New York, 100-102290).

11
on a rainy day when Bobby had just turned six Parade
, October 27, 1957, p. 22.

12
Neither Joan nor Bobby had ever seen a chess set before
BFE, p. 1.

13
“Nobody we knew ever played chess”
BFE, p. 1.

14
“At first it was just another game”
BFE, p. 1.

15
“She was too busy to take the game seriously.”
BFE, p. 2

16
“My mother has an anti-talent for chess” Life
, February 21, 1964.

17
Instead, he sought to discover any trap or pitfall lurking in his “opponent’s” position Life
, February 21, 1964.

18
Bobby, then seven years old, hated his new environs
BFE, p. 1.

19
The tenants downstairs complained of the banging noise
Letter from landlord to Regina Fischer, no date, MCF.

20
“Bobby could discuss concepts like infinity” Parade
, October 27, 1957, p. 21.

21
He then named Siegbert Tarrasch, a German player Chessworld
, Vol. 1, No. 1, 1964, p. 59.

22
“MOMMY I WANT TO COME HOME”
Postcard, no date, MCF.

23
In the winter of 1950, when he was seven years old
BFE, p. 1.

24
However, a distant relative of Bobby’s suggested
Interview of Russell Targ by author, December 2008.

25
“my little chess miracle,”
Letter from Regina Fischer to Herman Helms, Brooklyn, New York, Nov. 14, 1951.

26
“They did not interest me too much”
BFE, p. 1.

27
One spectator at the exhibition that evening was Carmine Nigro
BFE, p. 2.

Discussions with Carmine Nigro about Bobby Fischer supplied much of the material in this chapter, as well as correspondence with Dr. Harold Sussman and Dr. Ariel Mengarini. Several notes exchanged between Bobby Fischer and his mother were also helpful in outlining this period of his life; his autobiographical essay supplied information that filled in gaps of knowledge.

1
No one had the temerity to disagree
Author’s conversation with Carmine Nigro, May 1955, Brooklyn, NY.

2
Even Emanuel Lasker
Hannak, p. 17.

3
where Enrico Caruso and Geraldine Farrar had sung CR
, December 1944.

4
After coaxing from Nigro
Discussion with author, 1956.

5
“At first I used to lose all the time”
BFE, p. 2.

6
Nigro would greatly increase his son’s allowance PRO
, p. 7.

7
there are 72,084 positions after two moves each
AnswerBag.com
.

8
“Mr. Nigro was possibly not the best player in the world but he was a very good teacher.”
BFE, p. 2.

9
“My mother was often on duty on weekends”
BFE, p. 2.

10
Dr. Sussman was also an amateur photographer
Letter from Dr. Sussman to author, circa 1972, FB.

11
one could tell by the inflection in his voice that he was affected by the experience
Author’s conversation with Bobby Fischer, New York City, circa 1964.

12
Carmine Nigro was a professional musician, and taught music in a number of styles NYT
, September 2, 2001, p. 27.

13
Soon Bobby was playing “Beer Barrel Polka” and other tunes
Regina Fischer press release, circa 1956, MCF.

14
“I did fairly well on it for a while”
BFE, p. 2.

15
He played at the Brooklyn Chess Club every Friday night
BFE, p. 2.

16
Nigro would drive Bobby to Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village
BFE, p. 2.

17
Nigro felt they wouldn’t tolerate Bobby’s sometimes languorous tempo
Author’s conversation with Carmine Nigro, May 1955, Brooklyn, NY.

18
Bobby spent hours after school at the Grand Army Plaza library
BFE, p. 3.

19
a photograph showing him studying appeared
Brooklyn Public Library News Bulletin, July 1952.

20
Years later, when a chess collector finally took possession NIC
, 2008, Issue 4, p. 6.

21
He even maintained his involvement with the game while bathing
Conversation with Regina Fischer, circa 1958.

22
“Bobby virtually inhaled chess literature”
Author’s interview of Allen Kaufman, New York, March 16, 2009.

23
he was taught songs by rote for Hanukkah and Purim, in both English and Yiddish, a language he didn’t know
Undated papers from Brooklyn Jewish Children’s School, MCF.

24
And in the restroom he may have seen that his penis was different from the rest: He wasn’t circumcised
Fischer’s open letter to
Judaica Encyclopedia
, 1984.

25
and he later claimed that he’d received no training in Judaic customs or theology
Fischer’s open letter to
Judaica Encyclopedia
, 1984.

26
Bobby could concentrate on puzzles or chess for hours
Article in
Parade
, October 27, 1957, p. 21.

27
By the time he reached the fourth grade, he’d been in and out of six schools
Ibid.

28
In frustration, Regina registered Bobby in a school for gifted children
Ibid.

29
In the fall of 1952, when Bobby was nine, Regina secured scholarship enrollment for him in Brooklyn Community Woodward Architecture
101: 321, “Clinton Avenue, The Architecture of Brooklyn.”

30
The school’s philosophy of education was based on the principles of Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi
BFE, p. 9.

31
To learn early American history, for example Brooklyn Eagle
, January 31, 1943.

32
“If he’d been born next to a swimming pool he would have been a swimming champion”
Schonberg.
NYT
, February 23, 1958; P. SM 38.

33
“Dear Bobby—Finish off the soup and rice”
Regina Fischer notebook, MCF.

34
that potential friend would have had to not only know how to play chess but
Associated Press wire story, October 12, 1958.

35
He was happy when the glare of the winter light ceased
Letter from Regina Fischer to Bobby Fischer, circa September 1958, MCF.

36
A young math student replied—he even knew how to play chess
Postcard, September 24, 1951, MCF.

37
And off he’d go to his chessboard, without his mother’s permission
Author’s conversation with Regina Fischer, December 1960, New York.

38
One of Bobby’s few non-chess interests emerged unexpectedly during his eighth year in the summer of 1951
BFE, p. 1.

39
Bobby would train to take various Red Cross swimming tests
American Red Cross Swimming Cards, various dates, MCF.

40
Regina insisted that he have a psychological evaluation
Author’s conversation with Regina Fischer, December 1960, New York.

41
“I just go for it.”
Author’s conversation with Bobby Fischer, January 1964, New York.

42
“I told her that I could think of a lot worse things than chess that a person could devote himself to”
Letter from Dr. Ariel Mengarini to author, March 31, 1963, New York.

43
“I’d already gone through most of the books in the public library”
BFE, p. 3.

44
the money was spent on chocolate milk for lunch and a candy bar after school
Regina Fischer notebook, MCF.

45
he expected to be called in front of Senator McCarthy’s House Un-American Activities Committee hearings
Author’s conversation with Harold M. Phillips, New York City, June 1960.

46
When Mikhail Botvinnik, who became World Chess Champion, arrived at the Bolshoi Opera House
Alexander Kotov, “Why the Russians?”
Chessworld
, 1964, No. 2.

47
One Soviet tournament registered more than seven hundred thousand players
Ibid.

48
“They are out to win for the greater glory of the Soviet Union” NYT
, June 13, 1954, p. SM19.

49
He dutifully took his seat in the auditorium, as though he were at the Academy Awards of chess PRO
, p. 9.

50
David Bronstein asked for a glass of lemon juice NYT
, June 25, 1954, p. 23.

51
there was the Soviets’ recent routing of the Argentine team in Buenos Aires and the French team in Paris NYT
, June 13, 1954, p. S4.