Frank Brady - Endgame

1 “I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe.” Legal statement of facts written by Bobby Fischer, 6 pages, July 2004, orwelltoday.com/fischerroom202.shtml.

2 “as soon as he lands at JFK, we’ll nail him.” Recollection of author, who talked with State Department official, circa late 1990s.

3 The group’s destination was the Silver Moon Chinese restaurant . This incident occurred circa 1956. Discussion with Jack Collins, circa 1956; and reported in Newsday , September 28, 1992.

4 he’d just returned from the U.S. Open Championship in Oklahoma City CR , August 1956, p. 227.

5 at the first Moscow Medical Institute Discussion of Regina and Gerhardt Fischer in Moscow. Johnson, p. 125.

6 Regina Fischer had no long-term residence PRO , pp. 1–4.

7 One of Bobby’s first memories BFE, p. 1.

8 flung his pencil down in frustration and grabbed a brown crayon, but this time he paused MCF

9 Later, he became enamored of Japanese interlocking puzzles NYT , February 23, 1958, SMD 38.

10 In early 1949 Regina Fischer took the least expensive housing she could find FBI report, 8-24-53 (SAC, New York, 100-102290).

11 on a rainy day when Bobby had just turned six Parade , October 27, 1957, p. 22.

12 Neither Joan nor Bobby had ever seen a chess set before BFE, p. 1.

13 “Nobody we knew ever played chess” BFE, p. 1.

14 “At first it was just another game” BFE, p. 1.

15 “She was too busy to take the game seriously.” BFE, p. 2

16 “My mother has an anti-talent for chess” Life , February 21, 1964.

17 Instead, he sought to discover any trap or pitfall lurking in his “opponent’s” position Life , February 21, 1964.

18 Bobby, then seven years old, hated his new environs BFE, p. 1.

19 The tenants downstairs complained of the banging noise Letter from landlord to Regina Fischer, no date, MCF.

20 “Bobby could discuss concepts like infinity” Parade , October 27, 1957, p. 21.

21 He then named Siegbert Tarrasch, a German player Chessworld , Vol. 1, No. 1, 1964, p. 59.

22 “MOMMY I WANT TO COME HOME” Postcard, no date, MCF.

23 In the winter of 1950, when he was seven years old BFE, p. 1.

24 However, a distant relative of Bobby’s suggested Interview of Russell Targ by author, December 2008.

25 “my little chess miracle,” Letter from Regina Fischer to Herman Helms, Brooklyn, New York, Nov. 14, 1951.

26 “They did not interest me too much” BFE, p. 1.

27 One spectator at the exhibition that evening was Carmine Nigro BFE, p. 2.

Chapter 2: Childhood Obsession

Discussions with Carmine Nigro about Bobby Fischer supplied much of the material in this chapter, as well as correspondence with Dr. Harold Sussman and Dr. Ariel Mengarini. Several notes exchanged between Bobby Fischer and his mother were also helpful in outlining this period of his life; his autobiographical essay supplied information that filled in gaps of knowledge.

1 No one had the temerity to disagree Author’s conversation with Carmine Nigro, May 1955, Brooklyn, NY.

2 Even Emanuel Lasker Hannak, p. 17.

3 where Enrico Caruso and Geraldine Farrar had sung CR , December 1944.

4 After coaxing from Nigro Discussion with author, 1956.

5 “At first I used to lose all the time” BFE, p. 2.

6 Nigro would greatly increase his son’s allowance PRO , p. 7.

7 there are 72,084 positions after two moves each AnswerBag.com.

8 “Mr. Nigro was possibly not the best player in the world but he was a very good teacher.” BFE, p. 2.

9 “My mother was often on duty on weekends” BFE, p. 2.

10 Dr. Sussman was also an amateur photographer Letter from Dr. Sussman to author, circa 1972, FB.

11 one could tell by the inflection in his voice that he was affected by the experience Author’s conversation with Bobby Fischer, New York City, circa 1964.

12 Carmine Nigro was a professional musician, and taught music in a number of styles NYT , September 2, 2001, p. 27.

13 Soon Bobby was playing “Beer Barrel Polka” and other tunes Regina Fischer press release, circa 1956, MCF.

14 “I did fairly well on it for a while” BFE, p. 2.

15 He played at the Brooklyn Chess Club every Friday night BFE, p. 2.

16 Nigro would drive Bobby to Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village BFE, p. 2.

17 Nigro felt they wouldn’t tolerate Bobby’s sometimes languorous tempo Author’s conversation with Carmine Nigro, May 1955, Brooklyn, NY.

18 Bobby spent hours after school at the Grand Army Plaza library BFE, p. 3.

19 a photograph showing him studying appeared Brooklyn Public Library News Bulletin, July 1952.

20 Years later, when a chess collector finally took possession NIC , 2008, Issue 4, p. 6.

21 He even maintained his involvement with the game while bathing Conversation with Regina Fischer, circa 1958.

22 “Bobby virtually inhaled chess literature” Author’s interview of Allen Kaufman, New York, March 16, 2009.

23 he was taught songs by rote for Hanukkah and Purim, in both English and Yiddish, a language he didn’t know Undated papers from Brooklyn Jewish Children’s School, MCF.

24 And in the restroom he may have seen that his penis was different from the rest: He wasn’t circumcised Fischer’s open letter to Judaica Encyclopedia , 1984.

25 and he later claimed that he’d received no training in Judaic customs or theology Fischer’s open letter to Judaica Encyclopedia , 1984.

26 Bobby could concentrate on puzzles or chess for hours Article in Parade , October 27, 1957, p. 21.

27 By the time he reached the fourth grade, he’d been in and out of six schools Ibid.

28 In frustration, Regina registered Bobby in a school for gifted children Ibid.

29 In the fall of 1952, when Bobby was nine, Regina secured scholarship enrollment for him in Brooklyn Community Woodward Architecture 101: 321, “Clinton Avenue, The Architecture of Brooklyn.”

30 The school’s philosophy of education was based on the principles of Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi BFE, p. 9.

31 To learn early American history, for example Brooklyn Eagle , January 31, 1943.

32 “If he’d been born next to a swimming pool he would have been a swimming champion” Schonberg. NYT , February 23, 1958; P. SM 38.

33 “Dear Bobby—Finish off the soup and rice” Regina Fischer notebook, MCF.

34 that potential friend would have had to not only know how to play chess but Associated Press wire story, October 12, 1958.

35 He was happy when the glare of the winter light ceased Letter from Regina Fischer to Bobby Fischer, circa September 1958, MCF.

36 A young math student replied—he even knew how to play chess Postcard, September 24, 1951, MCF.

37 And off he’d go to his chessboard, without his mother’s permission Author’s conversation with Regina Fischer, December 1960, New York.

38 One of Bobby’s few non-chess interests emerged unexpectedly during his eighth year in the summer of 1951 BFE, p. 1.

39 Bobby would train to take various Red Cross swimming tests American Red Cross Swimming Cards, various dates, MCF.