Bobby Fischer and His World

IM Donaldson examines Fischer’s life and career from his days as a child prodigy through the height of his World Championship triumph and into his tumultuous final years. Donaldson’s meticulous research has uncovered previously lost games and a wealth of unknown material about Fischer—ranging from his close friendships with players and supporters to his acrimonious relationships with organizers, journalists, lawyers, and publishers.

Bobby Fischer and His World is brought to life through a potpourri of first-hand accounts, interviews, letters, and articles by and about the colorful characters that inhabited Fischer’s world. Unifying this wide-ranging tale are over 100 photos and illustrations and 99 newly annotated games.

This is the story of Fischer the man and the player, shedding new light on the riddle of the most famous chessplayer in history.

International Master John Donaldson is a player, a chess journalist and historian, and a thirteen-time United States World Chess Olympiad coach (his 2016 team won gold).

“The best and most comprehensive work that I have seen about the chess legend Bobby Fischer. While I read numerous other books about the American chess genius, as well as I knew him personally, reading this book I still learned new things about his life. This work is a perfect balance between historical research, rare photos, instructive chess games and much more, in an easy to read style.” -- Grandmaster Susan Polgar

“Historian and researcher par excellence, John Donaldson, brings us the final word on the enigmatic American genius …” -- Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan

“An elaborate and exhaustive portrait of Bobby Fischer, unique in chess literature. John Donaldson, a brilliant researcher, painstakingly traces Fischer’s steps and includes stories, games and interviews previously unpublished. A must read! A masterpiece.” -- Grandmaster Lubos Kavalek

“I recognize style. But you see, when I played a game with Bobby, there was no style. Bobby played perfectly. And perfection has no style.” -- Grandmaster Miguel Najdorf

“John Donaldson is a triple threat in chess—at least. There are lots of books on “enigmatic” Fischer’s famous games, with little else, other than his birth data. Genius was born and hardly grew up before smashing upon the world and challenging an empire, then developing paranoia. But how and why? Donaldson gives us fresh info and insight into a life that took place in a context of relationships worth exploring. Like his fellow top historians from Russia, the Linders, he shines a light on his subject’s associates too. And several of the games you may see for the first time. An indispensable addition to Fischeriana.” -- International Master Anthony Saidy

“In the early 1970’s, Fischer reached the apex of his power, crushing aside all rivals to become America’s first world champion. The media and even the non-chess-playing public took to him the way fans at the Apollo Theater loved James Brown. In this book, acclaimed author IM John Donaldson breaks completely new ground, focusing on the mercurial relationships between Fischer and his contemporaries, as well as a fresh look at Fischer’s immense contributions to our game. Filled with numerous photos and previously undisclosed biographical information, it also covers his games in great depth. This may be the most important book on Bobby’s life, ever written.” -- International Master Cyrus Lakdawala