Review of Bobby Fischer Against the World (2011) by Subhadeep P — 27 Feb 2013

Bobby Fischer was not only a chess virtuoso but a symbol of being an alternative opponent to the Soviet superpower who virtually monopolized the game of chess till 1972. Amidst the nervous times of the Cold War, Bobby defeated Boris Spassky and showed the world the power of Individual Talent against Tradition.

This exceptional documentary follows the phenomenon called Fischer through those years right up to his nemesis. The film has some previously unseen footage from Fischer's interviews and insights from people who had been very close to him.

However like most geniuses, Bobby was cursed - dementia. His later years were marred by living in oblivion and his infamous ideas of anti-Semitism to the extent that when Vishwanathan Anand met his favorite player in Reykjavik, Fischer failed to create an impression on Anand, though Anand still thinks of him as the best player who ever lived.

The film is an effort to understand the lone genius who "penetrated the secrets of chess in his shabby Brooklyn apartment". A well-edited piece, Bobby Fischer against the World is one of those films which leave you with the lingering feeling of pity and regret for a genius gone awry.

The "Ballad of Bobby Fischer" at the end of the film is an added bonus and this film craftily etches the life of an individual who achieved one the greatest feats on his own - that of ending the monopoly of the Russians and showing the world that chess was not about Tradition but actually about individual talent and genius.