Issue #12 — Robert Fischer

About This Issue

American Chess Magazine #12, “Legend Lives On,” pays due tribute to the legacy of Bobby Fischer on the 50th anniversary of the publication of My 60 Memorable Games. The cover carries the iconic image of Fischer created by photographer David Attie.

Readers’ Voices asks how readers see Fischer’s legacy today, and Dr. Frank Brady explains what we can learn from Bobby Fischer. Lou Hays recounts his extraordinary adventure with the World Champion and why Bobby Fischer came back in 1992, while Vladan Dinic revisits that revenge match in “In the Twilight Zone.” Dusan Krunic interviews the legendary Serbian GM Borislav Ivkov, who shares his memories of Fischer.

Fischer’s chess is examined from every angle: GM John Burke on his principled approach to the openings (“Not So Wide, Yet Quite Deep”), IM Boroljub Zlatanovic on his strategic decisions (“A Fierce Attacker with Supreme Positional Understanding”) and GM Alex Fishbein on his endgame mastery (“The Teacher of America”). GM Joel Benjamin writes on Bobby Fischer and the Fischer generation, FM Carsten Hansen picks his favorite books about Fischer, Pete Tamburro presents Fischer’s gems in Fabulous Finishes, GM Susan Polgar urges readers to “Calculate Deeper!”, and a chess riddle invites readers to play chess detectives.

Beyond Fischer, Dusan Krunic and Josip Asik put 25 questions to Matthias Wullenweber, mastermind of ChessBase. GM Jacob Aagaard presents his All-Round Training, Vjekoslav Nemec gives an overview of 2019 summer chess camps in the U.S., Jon Edwards asks whether it is really cheaper to play chess rather than golf, and GM Michael Rohde celebrates spring at a traditional tournament in Sterling, Virginia. Book reviews by FM Carsten Hansen, the Tournament Review and GM Andrew Soltis in “Where Grandmasters Advise Young Players” complete the issue.

What’s Inside

• p.16 — Why Bobby Fischer Came Back in 1992 — Lou Hays
• p.34 — Not So Wide, Yet Quite Deep — Fischer's Principled Approach to the Openings — GM John Burke
• p.40 — A Fierce Attacker with Supreme Positional Understanding — IM Boroljub Zlatanovic
• p.49 — The Teacher of America — Fischer's Endgame Mastery — GM Alex Fishbein
• p.54 — Fanaticism and Hard Work — Interview with GM Borislav Ivkov — Dusan Krunic
• p.81 — 25 Questions for Matthias Wullenweber, Mastermind of ChessBase — Dusan Krunic & Josip Asik
• p.98 — Where Grandmasters Advise Young Players — GM Andrew Soltis

Inside the Issue