Speak of chess Grandmasters to someone unfamiliar with the game and Garry Kasparov's name is probably the first (and possibly only) to come to mind. Though another player, less remembered, is likely the most intriguingly enigmatic: Bobby Fischer. Even Kasparov called Fischer "perhaps the most mythologically shrouded figure in chess." Fischer was raised in poverty by a single mother in the US, and there are still doubts as to who his true father was. Fischer's elder sister bought him a chess set when he was 6, and he became obsessed. By 13 he had become an incredibly strong player, defeating professionals whose ages were multiples of his. Also at 13, one of Fischer's games was so remarkably clever that it became known as 'The Game of the Century'. At 15 he was made a Grandmaster. Yet in his 20s, Fischer abruptly stopped participating in public chess tournaments, and lived the rest of his life moving between countries, having become a fugitive for his incendiary remarks made towards the US. He lived his last few years in Iceland, and passed away in 2008. In the 80's Fischer was hosted by Grandmaster Peter Biyiasas for four months, during which the two played 17 games together, all won by Fischer. Biyiasas later recalled the defeats. "He was too good. There was no use in playing him. It wasn't interesting. I was getting beaten, and it wasn't clear to me why. It wasn't like I made this mistake or that mistake. It was like I was being gradually outplayed from the start. He wasn't taking time to think. [...] He honestly believes there is no one for him to play, no one worthy of him."
-E
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