"Endgame "is acclaimed biographer Frank Brady's decades-in-the-making tracing of the meteoric ascent--and confounding "descent"--of enigmatic genius Bobby Fischer. Only Brady, who met Fischer when the prodigy was only 10 and shared with him some of his most dramatic triumphs, could have written this book, which has much to say about the nature of American celebrity and the distorting effects of fame. Drawing from Fischer family archives, recently released FBI files, and Bobby's own emails, this account is unique in that it limns Fischer's "entire" life--an odyssey that took the Brooklyn-raised chess champion from an impoverished childhood to the covers of "Time, Life "and "Newsweek "to recognition as "the most famous man in the world" to notorious recluse.
At first all one noticed was how gifted Fischer was. Possessing a 181 I.Q. and remarkable powers of concentration, Bobby memorized""hundreds of chess books in several languages, and he was only 13 when he became the youngest chess master in U.S. history. But his strange behavior started early. In 1972, at the historic Cold War showdown in Reykjavik, Iceland, where he faced Soviet champion Boris Spassky, Fischer made headlines with hundreds of petty demands that nearly ended the competition.
It was merely a prelude to what was to come.
Arriving back in the United States to a hero's welcome, Bobby was mobbed wherever he went--a figure as exotic and improbable as any American pop culture had yet produced. No player of a mere "board game" had ever ascended to such heights. Commercial sponsorship offers poured in, ultimately topping $10 million--but Bobby demurred. Instead, he began tithing his limited money to an apocalyptic religion and devouring anti-Semitic literature.
After years of poverty and a stint living on Los Angeles' Skid Row, Bobby remerged in 1992 to play Spassky in a multi-million dollar rematch--but the experience only "deepened "a paranoia that had formed years earlier when he came to believe that the Soviets wanted him dead for taking away "their" title. When the dust settled, Bobby was a wanted man--transformed into an international fugitive because of his decision to play in Montenegro despite U.S. sanctions. Fearing for his life, traveling with bodyguards, and wearing a long leather coat to ward off knife attacks, Bobby lived the life of a celebrity fugitive - one drawn increasingly to the bizarre. Mafiosi, Nazis, odd attempts to breed an heir who could perpetuate his chess-genius DNA--all are woven into his late-life tapestry.
And yet, as Brady shows, the most notable irony of Bobby Fischer's strange descent - which had reached full plummet by 2005 when he turned down yet "another "multi-million dollar payday--is that despite his incomprehensible behavior, there were many who remained fiercely loyal to him. Why that was so is at least partly the subject of this book--one that at last answers the question: "Who "was "Bobby Fischer?"
"Endgame "is acclaimed biographer Frank Brady's decades-in-the-making tracing of the meteoric ascent--and confounding "descent"--of enigmatic genius Bobby Fischer. Only Brady, who met Fischer when the prodigy was only 10 and shared with him some of his most dramatic triumphs, could have written this book, which has much to say about the nature of American celebrity and the distorting effects of fame. Drawing from Fischer family archives, recently released FBI files, and Bobby's own emails, this account is unique in that it limns Fischer's "entire" life--an odyssey that took the Brooklyn-raised chess champion from an impoverished childhood to the covers of "Time, Life "and "Newsweek "to recognition as "the most famous man in the world" to notorious recluse.
At first all one noticed was how gifted Fischer was. Possessing a 181 I.Q. and remarkable powers of concentration, Bobby memorized""hundreds of chess books in several languages, and he was only 13 when he became the youngest chess master in U.S. history. But his strange behavior started early. In 1972, at the historic Cold War showdown in Reykjavik, Iceland, where he faced Soviet champion Boris Spassky, Fischer made headlines with hundreds of petty demands that nearly ended the competition.
It was merely a prelude to what was to come.
Arriving back in the United States to a hero's welcome, Bobby was mobbed wherever he went--a figure as exotic and improbable as any American pop culture had yet produced. No player of a mere "board game" had ever ascended to such heights. Commercial sponsorship offers poured in, ultimately topping $10 million--but Bobby demurred. Instead, he began tithing his limited money to an apocalyptic religion and devouring anti-Semitic literature.
After years of poverty and a stint living on Los Angeles' Skid Row, Bobby remerged in 1992 to play Spassky in a multi-million dollar rematch--but the experience only "deepened "a paranoia that had formed years earlier when he came to believe that the Soviets wanted him dead for taking away "their" title. When the dust settled, Bobby was a wanted man--transformed into an international fugitive because of his decision to play in Montenegro despite U.S. sanctions. Fearing for his life, traveling with bodyguards, and wearing a long leather coat to ward off knife attacks, Bobby lived the life of a celebrity fugitive - one drawn increasingly to the bizarre. Mafiosi, Nazis, odd attempts to breed an heir who could perpetuate his chess-genius DNA--all are woven into his late-life tapestry.
And yet, as Brady shows, the most notable irony of Bobby Fischer's strange descent - which had reached full plummet by 2005 when he turned down yet "another "multi-million dollar payday--is that despite his incomprehensible behavior, there were many who remained fiercely loyal to him. Why that was so is at least partly the subject of this book--one that at last answers the question: "Who "was "Bobby Fischer?"
FRANK BRADY is internationally recognized as the person most knowledgeable about the life and career of Bobby Fischer. Brady is the author of numerous critically acclaimed biographies, including "Citizen Welles; Onassis: An Extravagant Life; "and "Bobby Fischer: Profile of a Prodigy "(the first edition of which appeared in the mid-1960's and focuses on the young Bobby). Until recently, Brady was the Chairman of the Communications Department at St. John's University, and he remains a full professor there. He is also the President of the Marshall Chess Club and was the founding editor of "Chess Life."
"One the year's best biographies." --"Washington Post"
"Mr. Brady's biography is well-written, studiously researched and
filled with fascinating details. It imparts the love of chess and
affection for 'Bobby' that the author clearly feels...Boris
Spassky, after the losing the world championship title to Fischer,
said: 'I think I understand him.' Perhaps one day the rest of us
will too. Until then, we have "Endgame "to fill the void." --"Wall
Street Journal"
"The freakishly talented, freakishly flawed Fischer played the game
as if it were a blood sport...In ENDGAME Frank Brady tells the
story of Fischer's life with a dramatic flair and a sense of
judiciousness."
--The Boston Globe
"Brady's book is an impressive balancing act and a great
accomplishment...What results is a chance for the reader to weigh
up the evidence and come to his own conclusions -- or skip
judgments completely and simply enjoy reading a rise-and-fall story
that has more than a few affinities with Greek tragedy." --"The New
York Review of Books"
"Presents Fischer's story with an almost Olympian evenhandedness
that ends up making it far more absorbing than any sensationalized
account."
--Laura Miller, Salon.com
"Brady is in a unique position to write about Fischer...he had
access to new materials, including files from the FBI and the
K.G.B. (which identified Fischer as a threat to Soviet chess
hegemony in the mid-1980s); the personal archives of Fischer's
mother, Regina, and his mentor and coach Jack Collins; and even an
autobiographical essay written by the teenage Fischer. The wealth
of material allows Brady to describe many rich moments and
details."
--New York Times Book Review
"Brady seems unusually well qualified to capture Fischer's many
facets and contradictions...ENDGAME is a rapt, intimate book,
greatly helped by Brady's acquaintance withFischer...he sees the
person behind the bluster...he also makes use of unusually good
source mate
"Rich in detail and insight. "Endgame" is sympathetic and human,
but not at all naive. I admire Brady's resolve, and I
consider this book essential reading in the effort to understand
Bobby Fischer and his place in our world."
--David Shenk, author of "The Immortal Game "and "The Genius in All
of Us "
“Fascinating…filled with hope, Cold War intrigue, the fulfillment
of genius, and an explosive fall from grace that is both deeply
moving and, ultimately, profoundly sad.”
“Jeremy Silman, International Chess Master and author of "How to
Reassess Your Chess "
"The definitive portrait of the greatest—and most disturbed—chess
genius of all time.”
--Paul Hoffman, author of "The Man Who Loved Only Numbers
"and "King’s Gambit "
" "
"A weird and fascinating biography…Bravo.”
--Robert Lipsyte, author of "An Accidental Sportswriter"
Chess legend Bobby Fischer, whose unprecedented affinity for the game captured public attention as much as did his difficult behavior and anti-Semitic and anti-American rants in later life, died in Iceland in 2008. Fischer friend Brady presents his second biography of the Grandmaster, following the best seller Profile of a Prodigy (1965), using new documentation and interviews to give listeners a clearer view of the champion's sad and controversial life. Actor/Audie Award nominee Ray Porter's well-paced performance adds dimension to this fascinating and enlightening account of a brilliant man with a very dark side. Recommended for chess devotees and anyone who appreciates a fine biography. ["Recommended not just for chess enthusiasts but for anyone interested in the compelling life of a complex, enigmatic American icon," read the review of the Crown hc, LJ 2/15/11; the Broadway pb will publish in January 2012.-Ed.]--Barbara Valle, El Paso P.L., TX (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
"One the year's best biographies." --"Washington Post"
"Mr. Brady's biography is well-written, studiously researched and
filled with fascinating details. It imparts the love of chess and
affection for 'Bobby' that the author clearly feels...Boris
Spassky, after the losing the world championship title to Fischer,
said: 'I think I understand him.' Perhaps one day the rest of us
will too. Until then, we have "Endgame "to fill the void." --"Wall
Street Journal"
"The freakishly talented, freakishly flawed Fischer played the game
as if it were a blood sport...In ENDGAME Frank Brady tells the
story of Fischer's life with a dramatic flair and a sense of
judiciousness."
--The Boston Globe
"Brady's book is an impressive balancing act and a great
accomplishment...What results is a chance for the reader to weigh
up the evidence and come to his own conclusions -- or skip
judgments completely and simply enjoy reading a rise-and-fall story
that has more than a few affinities with Greek tragedy." --"The New
York Review of Books"
"Presents Fischer's story with an almost Olympian evenhandedness
that ends up making it far more absorbing than any sensationalized
account."
--Laura Miller, Salon.com
"Brady is in a unique position to write about Fischer...he had
access to new materials, including files from the FBI and the
K.G.B. (which identified Fischer as a threat to Soviet chess
hegemony in the mid-1980s); the personal archives of Fischer's
mother, Regina, and his mentor and coach Jack Collins; and even an
autobiographical essay written by the teenage Fischer. The wealth
of material allows Brady to describe many rich moments and
details."
--New York Times Book Review
"Brady seems unusually well qualified to capture Fischer's many
facets and contradictions...ENDGAME is a rapt, intimate book,
greatly helped by Brady's acquaintance withFischer...he sees the
person behind the bluster...he also makes use of unusually good
source mate
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