"Bobby Fischer Against the World" takes the viewer into the bizarre world of Bobby Fischer and chess in general. After watching this documentary I didn't know who I felt more sorry for. Bobby Fischer or all chess players who compete in tournaments?
While the documentary spends a good chunk of time talking about Fischer's match against Boris Spassky. The doc also looks at the deteriorating world that was inside Fischer's head and why his mind deteriorated.
Fischer was born to a single mother who lied about who is real father was. Fischer's mother was also never around during his childhood because she was protesting one thing or the other. Fischer's mom also had a huge FBI profile because it was believed she was a communist spy. Bobby Fischer surrounded himself with chess to get away from the craziness that was his mother.
We also learn in the film that the majority of these chess prodigy's grow up to be very paranoid after they leave the chess world behind. So Fischer isn't the only chess player to loose his mind, he's just the most famous one.
After Fischer left the chess world he started attending the Worldwide Church of God and when one of their Rapture moments never came true it sent Fischer's mind even further into paranoia. Fischer was always anti-Semitic, but that event further pushed him to the edge.
Fischer and Spassky would have a rematch in 1992 but the match was in Yugoslavia during their civil war and when the United Nations placed an embargo on even sporting events on that country. Because Fischer broke the law, he could never return to the United States. And from there he's arrested in Japan, moves to Iceland where he has his famous press conference confrontation with ESPN reporter Jeremy Schaap, and then eventually dies from Kidney failure.
After watching "Bobby Fischer Against the World" it made me thankful I was never smart enough to play chess because maybe then I would have also turned into a tortured soul as well.
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