Bobby Fischer dies

He sure does demonstrate that line between genius and insanity is razor thin.

 

I played like it was a battle for my life, after hearing him say that. http://bestsmileys.com/violent/15.gif
Playing that way helped me win games, that I would have probably lost.
Thanks, Bobby!

 

For some reason I thought he was a bit older then that.
Hit the nail on the head here BM (genius and insanity is razor thin)

 

Same here! As a matter of fact, during some quiet time at a friend's place when on holidays years ago, I picked up his "Beginner's" book on chess from their library and taught myself chess...been hooked on the game ever since

 

There is a pretty big list of people that are/were geniuses and crazy as a bat in a belfry. Robert Nash, Bobby Fischer, and more recently Grigory "Grisha" Perelman, just to name a few.

http://englishrussia.com/?p=998#more-998

 

I remember the Fischer-Spassky match well, even though I was only a teen-ager. He one of the inspirations for me getting into the game and becoming proficient.

High brain activity can produce high intelligence, but can also induce elevated emotional responses (instability), and sometimes mental health issues. Sometimes so-called 'crazy' is just being eccentric, or different.

 

And some times the so called 'crazy' is full on paranoid schizophrenia, but who am I to judge a brilliant mathematical mind that just happens to be a pedophile too?

 

That was a general statement about some eccentric geniuses - not mental patients and criminals.

Bobby crossed the line well and truly into the 'whaco' category, I'll admit.

 

Sorry, got the name wrong. John Nash is who I meant. The guy that revolutionized cryptography and mathematics in general. He was a paranoid schizophrenic and rumored to be a pedophile too, but that was covered up by the US Guvment since Nash was such a brilliant code breaker.

 

I was a member of the chess club at high school and really enjoyed playing in tournaments. I knew of Bobby Fischer, but didn't understand the illegal game he played in. I dunno why, but I didn't. Now I understand, but I didn't know how much over the deep end his mind went.