When
this match was held I couldn’t believe it
was really happening. It all had a rather dreamy
feel to it and I followed every bit of news very
closely. One thing that bothered me was the huge
public reaction against Fischer, whose anti-Semitic
statements (strange language from a man who is
Jewish, whose friends are largely Jewish, and
whose favorite foods come from a Jewish deli!)
turned many fans into Bobby haters. Chess
Life magazine (desperately
trying to be politically correct) went ballistic
against Fischer while several friends of mine
(Jews and non-Jews alike) also spewed anti-Fischer
venom in all directions. Being Jewish myself,
I somehow didn’t see the problem: who cares
what a mentally ill (but strangely likable) individual
says? If he didn’t make some money at chess,
I could see him becoming a street person, shaking
his fists at cars as they passed by his corner
of the block. Isn’t it preferable to have
him in a self-sufficient position rather than
as a liability of the state?
Yasser, thank goodness, looked
at all sides of this issue and didn’t descend
into the same madness that gripped many other
players. Yes, we were all affected by hero worship,
but genius can be forgiven many things; ultimately
it is Fischer’s art that we were interested
in, not his endless ravings and warped, pathetic
logic.
This book, then, takes a long,
hard look at many people’s opinions about
Fischer, Spassky, politics and, of course, the
moves of the games. It is, quite honestly, one
of the finest match books I have ever read. Lots
of history and color, copious notes that often
prove instructive to weaker players, many interviews
and comments by many of the world’s top players;
all these things (and much more!) combine to create
a book that is interesting, lots of fun, and informative.
If you are looking for one match
book to buy for your collection (aside from the
incredible Tal-Botvinnik, 1960 book by Tal, which
is absolutely phenomenal), this should be your
choice. Not cheap, but well worth every penny!
YOU
CAN FIND THIS BOOK AT
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