Bobby Fischer against the world (movie review)

Bobby Fischer against the World (documentary) (2011) (1 hr 31 mins)

You may have heard of Bobby Fischer. You might know some of the basics of his life – his sudden emergence as a chess child prodigy, youngest every Grand Master, youngest ever US chess champion, world champion at 29 and then a recluse who spent the rest of his life in relative obscurity.

This fascinating documentary directed by Liz Garbus uses wonderful archive footage and interviews with people who knew Fischer well to flesh out the story of an extraordinary man who single-handedly brought chess to the public attention.  The film inspired me to read some of the many books written about Fischer. I particularly recommend Endgame by Frank Brady.

It seems hard to believe now but in 1972 when Fischer was at the height of his fame and challenging Russian Grand Master Boris Spassky for the world title, chess was the lead item on many news broadcasts in the US and Britain, there were chess shows on TV, chess sets were selling out in the shops and crowds were gathering in Times Square to watch live broadcasts of the games beamed from Iceland.

But the main captivation of this film is Fischer himself. He had a troubled family background, not knowing his father and having a difficult relationship with his mother. He spent most of his childhood alone and found solace in chess, which he started playing aged 6. At age 12, in his own words, ‘I just got good’ and started beating seasoned chess players. But as he grew older and became the outstanding chess player of all time, his demons started to appear.

The film captures his stubbornness, his intensity and eccentricity. It also captures the enormity of the world championship match in 1972, played at the height of the Cold War. Fischer at first refused to attend and only turned up for the match when a donor came forward to double the prize money.

It was to be the last official tournament Fischer ever played. After beating Spassky in an unofficial rematch in 1992 in defiance of a US embargo, he lived in exile, finally settling in Iceland, scene of his greatest triumph.  His descent into paranoia and obscurity is well portrayed in the film – a sad end for a chess genius and a remarkable man.

Rating: 9/10