| | [[File:Bobby Fischer 1972.jpg|right|thumb|Bobby Fischer in Amsterdam in 1972, around the time he won the world [[chess]] championship.]] | | [[File:Bobby Fischer 1972.jpg|right|thumb|Bobby Fischer in Amsterdam in 1972, around the time he won the world [[chess]] championship.]] |
| − | '''Robert James Fischer''' (1943-2008<ref>https://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/18/obituaries/18cnd-fischer.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin</ref>), popularly known as Bobby Fischer, was the only [[United States of America|American]] to become the official world [[chess]] champion<ref>[[Paul Morphy]] of [[Louisiana]] was widely regarded as the #1 player in the world in the 1850s, but this was in an era before an official world champion was determined.</ref> when he defeated [[USSR|Soviet]] grandmaster Boris Spassky in a 1972 match in [[Iceland]]. Fischer's championship was the culmination of a record-setting 20 consecutive victories in qualifying tournaments, which included two 6-0 records in the "Candidates Tournaments" in 1971. He was by far the highest rated player in the first official FIDE ratings, as published in July 1971, and Fischer is the only person to win the U.S. championship with a perfect score (11 wins in 11 games, at age 20 in 1963-64). | + | '''Robert James Fischer''' (1943-2008<ref>https://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/18/obituaries/18cnd-fischer.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin</ref>), popularly known as Bobby Fischer, was the only [[United States of America|American]] to become the official world [[chess]] champion<ref>[[Paul Morphy]] of [[Louisiana]] was widely regarded as the #1 player in the world in the 1850s, but this was in an era before an official world champion was determined.</ref> when he defeated [[USSR|Soviet]] grandmaster Boris Spassky in a 1972 match in [[Iceland]]. Fischer's championship was the culmination of a record-setting 20 consecutive victories in qualifying tournaments, which included two 6-0 records in the "[[Candidates Tournament]]s" in 1971. He was by far the highest rated player in the first official FIDE ratings, as published in July 1971, and Fischer is the only person to win the U.S. championship with a perfect score (11 wins in 11 games, at age 20 in 1963-64). |
| | Fischer was also superb at [[speed chess]], and won the first unofficial world [[blitz chess]] title in 1970.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/nov/06/chess-magnus-carlsen-showboats-his-bullet-skills-with-11-straight-wins</ref> While growing up, he learned [[Russia]]n on his own, in order to study Russian chess literature. | | Fischer was also superb at [[speed chess]], and won the first unofficial world [[blitz chess]] title in 1970.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/nov/06/chess-magnus-carlsen-showboats-his-bullet-skills-with-11-straight-wins</ref> While growing up, he learned [[Russia]]n on his own, in order to study Russian chess literature. |