Bobby Fischer and His World

Like many who have or are considering purchasing this book, I have a deep respect for the games of Robert James (Bobby) Fischer; this is the best "Fischer book" that I have read since Frank Brady's 'Endgame' came out.I own a number of books about Fischer and the 1972 match but I found Donaldson's latest to be unique in that it provides information concerning players, opponents, and acquaintances of Fischer. Many of the specifics that were, of necessity left out in games collections or retrospectives on Fischer are contained in this book.Who were these people he played in the tournaments as he went from unknown to world champion? What was he like in private settings with friends? What was the chess scene like in California as compared to New York? You'll find that here... I actually left off playing through the games in this book, they are scattered through the narrative, so that I could spend more time on the stories.Well, researched and footnoted, I absolutely encourage you to buy a copy of your own, read it through, play the games, and do some side research of your own.

You can't go wrong with this book if you're a Fischer fan. Enjoyable and informative, with just the right amount of annotations per game to help understanding without bogging you down. I must say that when I ordered this book, I noted it was printed at Stiles press. I was hoping it would be a similar size to the later works of Jeremy Silman's - the dimensions of his books on Benko, and his 'Reassess Your Chess - 4th edition.' I was not disappointed. The writing is superb, interspersed with pictures and games; in short, you can't go wrong if you like chess and are a Fischer fam.

I have read almost every book about Bobby Fischer, and this well-researched and informative book is the best thus far. One can disagree with Bobby's outlandish opinions, and still respect his genius. We all must wonder what great chess he might have given us had he received the psychological care he required to deal with his demons.Not only does this book provide a new perspective on Bobby and his life away from the chess board, it includes 99 games, most of which had not been published before.Thank you, John, for this wonderful piece of work.

It's difficult to write an objective bio on Fischer. Donaldson does an admirable job, threading the needle knowingly. There are two issues any biographer faces: His subject's immense prejudices, and his subject's immense, almost unfathomable genius. To be "correct" in our difficult cultural moment, one wants to write off Fischer for the former. But the latter is overwhelming...Nicely written, cunning and knowledgable. Games never before seen... many personal memories and remembrances from GMs and friends. If you're fascinated by Robert Fischer, this gem covers ground that's been missed in previous works.

This book is a must for the Fischer aficionado. If you like to play over Fischer games, many of which have not published before, this book's got them. The book focused mostly on the period before the 1972 World Champion, although later events have also been covered. Another book that is excellent is Endgame. It is quoted several times in the reviewed book.

This is a book about most of whom are dead people. It can not see it being of much value to anyone born in this Century. Us oldsters who can remember the 50's and 60's may find some enjoyment thinking of the glory days of our youth. As famous as Fischer was he really was not at all a well known public figure compared to Mickey Mantle, Doris Day, Johnny Unitas or Marilyn Monroe. Fischer came from an era when mental achievements did not matter much to most people. What he accomplished on his own to overcome the USSR's Chess system stands right there with any achievement as any other American such as Thomas Edison,Henry Ford or FDR. Fischer just never got the publicity as others. I think he resented that, even more so after he went to the USSR to play Chess when still a teen and was amazed to see the huge value people put on top Chess players. This feeling of resentment against America was life long and clearly was shown in his later years. Just about anything written about Fischer is of historical and Chess value so give the book a try.

I.M. John Donaldson's book Bobby Fischer is the best researched book on Fischer anywhere. Previously unseen scoresheets and photos are just part of this fine book. John takes the high road; and focus' on Fischer's impressive contributions to chess, rather than dwelling on Fischer's mental demons. This is a must read for all Fischer fan's.

45 years of buying chess books, this may be the best book on the subject that I have ever purchased. Annotated games, archival photographs, and excellent narrative. This is what a chess book should be, not just 10,000 variations of move number four.