Endgame by Frank Brady tells the story of Bobby Fischer’s “…remarkable rise and fall – from America’s Brightest [chess] prodigy to the edge of madness.”
An accurate summary.
I first became aware of the then 13 year-old Fisher when I was a first year student at Augustana College in 1957. My de facto mentor Bob Heinrikson was teaching me chess while introducing me to the published literature and lore of the game. Young Bobby was a developing legend. When he died in January of 2008 I had to contact “Heiny”. We had been out of touch for years, but quickly got updated, saw each other at his (& Jane’s) place near Kalamazoo, and then travelled together with our wives and some other friends to Costa Rica the next year.
While Bobby Fischer’s chess accomplishments are arguably without peer, his personal behavior and attitude embody sickness. He led a tragic life in the final analysis. I have reason to believe that Brady’s book is the definitive story about Bobby Fisher.
