A Psychobiography of Bobby Fischer Understanding the Genius, Mystery, and Psychological Decline of a World Chess Champion

Robert (Bobby) James Fischer was one of the world's most mysterious and exciting personalities of the middle 20th century. He single handedly ended a 35 year span of Russian domination of elite chess when he defeated Boris Spassky for the World Chess Championship in 1972 in Reykjavik, Iceland. Fischer's dynamic victory ignited in Americans a passion for the game of chess and a deep pride in being American during the height of the Cold War. The world knows the story of Fischer's ascent to the pinnacle of chess genius and brilliance, and it knows of his psychological decline into social isolation, paranoia, and likely mental illness. Now, for the first time, through "A Psychobiography of Bobby Fischer: Understanding the Genius, Mystery, and Psychological Decline of a World Chess Champion," we come to understand the inner workings of Fischer's mind - the genetic, personal, family, cultural, and political factors that collectively provide a penetrating window into the "why" of Bobby Fischer's genius and bizarre behavior. Renowned counseling psychologist and author Dr. Joseph G. Ponterotto deconstructs almost every aspect of Fischer's personal and career life to sculpt an integrative psychological profile of this enigmatic world personality. Though there have been many articles, books, and films on Bobby Fischer, this text represents the first scholarly psychological assessment of the world's most famous chess champion. Among the topics addressed in the current volume are Bobby's early family environment and his natural intellectual gifts that predisposed him to genius in chess. Critical to understanding Bobby's personality development is his relationship with his mother Regina Fischer and his sister Joan Fischer, as well as his relationship to his likely biological father, Paul Felix Nemenyi. These topics are explored in-depth and the impact of these relationships on Bobby's psychological development is highlighted. Bobby's later-life inter