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[[Image:Fischer wideweb 430x408.jpg|right|thumb|Bobby Fischer playing chess against Boris Spasky in 1974.]]

[[Image:Fischer wideweb 430x408.jpg|right|thumb|Bobby Fischer playing chess against Boris Spasky in 1974.]]

'''Robert James Fischer''' (1943-2008), popularly known as Bobby Fischer, was the only [[United States of America|American]] to become [[World Chess Champion]] when he defeated [[USSR|Soviet]] grandmaster [[Boris Spassky]] in a 1972 match in Iceland. He forfeited his title to Soviet Grandmaster Anatoly Karpov in 1975 when he refused to defend his title, unable to agree on any proposed conditions for a match with Karpov. He did not publicly play [[chess]] again until 1992, when he played a return match in Yugoslavia in violation of American sanctions on Yugoslavia. Fischer became known for making anti-Semitic and anti-American remarks in the media over the next ten years, most notoriously his praise of the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]], when he stated "well, this is all wonderful news. It's time for the [expletive] US to get their heads kicked in. It's time to finish off the US once and for all."<ref>''Bobby Fischer on September 11, 2001'' Transcript [http://everything2.org/index.pl?node_id=1214006 everything2org]. Accessed 18 January 2008. The interview can also be heard on YouTube, but does contain the uncensored expletives.</ref> This cost him his membership in the United States Chess Federation (USCF), which has since been restored. This was generally viewed as symbolic, since Fischer not only did not play chess anymore, but was also not welcome in the United States. In 2004, Fischer was arrested in [[Japan]], and afterward took asylum in [[Iceland]]. He died of kidney failure in January 2008.

'''Robert James Fischer''' (1943-2008<ref>http://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 [[World Chess Champion]] when he defeated [[USSR|Soviet]] grandmaster [[Boris Spassky]] in a 1972 match in Iceland. He forfeited his title to Soviet Grandmaster Anatoly Karpov in 1975 when he refused to defend his title, unable to agree on any proposed conditions for a match with Karpov. He did not publicly play [[chess]] again until 1992, when he played a return match in Yugoslavia in violation of American sanctions on Yugoslavia. Fischer became known for making anti-Semitic and anti-American remarks in the media over the next ten years, most notoriously his praise of the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]], when he stated "well, this is all wonderful news. It's time for the [expletive] US to get their heads kicked in. It's time to finish off the US once and for all."<ref>''Bobby Fischer on September 11, 2001'' Transcript [http://everything2.org/index.pl?node_id=1214006 everything2org]. Accessed 18 January 2008. The interview can also be heard on YouTube, but does contain the uncensored expletives.</ref> This cost him his membership in the United States Chess Federation (USCF), which has since been restored. This was generally viewed as symbolic, since Fischer not only did not play chess anymore, but was also not welcome in the United States. In 2004, Fischer was arrested in [[Japan]], and afterward took asylum in [[Iceland]]. He died of kidney failure in January 2008.

Fischer has claimed that "chess is dead" and never played traditional chess again. Before his death, he was promoting a form of "shuffle chess" called ''[[Fischerandom]]'' (or ''Chess960''), in which the opening position is randomized.

Fischer has claimed that "chess is dead" and never played traditional chess again. Before his death, he was promoting a form of "shuffle chess" called ''[[Fischerandom]]'' (or ''Chess960''), in which the opening position is randomized.