Fischer vs Spassky II 
1992

For two decades after the sensational match in Reykjavik ( 1972 ), the chess world longed in vain to see Fischer play again.  The International Chess Federation ( FIDE ) repeatedly denied him the rules he demanded for title matches – only to adopt them later, for others.  Fischer wanted princely sums to make one appearance, prohibitive prices for just an interview.  This writer was involved in a project to teach chess by recording that would have brought the new champion half a million dollars.  He turned it down. Why?: “What if I make an oversight? Then years from now the Soviets could attack me for it”.

So much for the myth of Fischer’s greed.  Eschewing the riches set to fall into his lap, he retreated to a shadowy remote solitary existence.  He remained in touch with the family of a minister of a church-cult, before its break-up and his disillusionment.  Journalists opined that he spent his time reading conspiracy theories.  But he was also keeping up with chess development.  Just twenty years after being crowned, Bobby Fischer miraculously materialized in war-torn Yugoslavia, to play a second “world title” match with his friend Spassky.  He had his own rules: draws did not count, ten wins would decide, and they would use his patented chess clock, which eliminated blitz finishes and adjournments.  A record US$ 5 million purse was put up by a dubious Serbian quasi-banker to rescue the prestige of his nation.  Spitting on a U.S. government prohibition on “trading” with an outlaw nation, accusing Karpov and Kasparov of fixing all their games, giving vent to his trite ideas of persecution by “world Jewry”, Fischer earned the opprobrium of the press.  But, after all, we are interested in chess. He won easily, 10 wins, 5 losses and 15 draws. Spassky seemed programmed to repeat 1972 and offered meager resistance in several games, while Fischer mostly prevailed with old methods, though he slipped unusually often. 

The verdict: The messiah of chess had not returned, rust was showing, but who else could have lain off for two decades and then played like one of the world’s top ten?  Fischer received a laurel for “keeping” his world crown, while Kasparov offered insults for the quality of play.  Threatened with arrest if he returned home Bobby lost his protector, Vasiljevic, who fled the country after investors stormed the Jugoskandic Bank, whose collapse revealed a gigantic pyramid scheme.  Reported to have lost all or part of his fortune, Bobby remained calm at the eye of the storm – had not every chess master in Yugoslavia led a charmed life?  

Alas, Yugoslavia is no more. But Belgrade ’s Chess Informant survives, and boasts a very famous reader, born half a century ago in Chicago, one who gained this accolade from his friendly rival, Mikhail Tal: “Fischer is the greatest genius to descend from the chess heavens”.