Films/DVD Asylum

RE: 'Pawn Sacrifice':

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In Reply to: RE: 'Pawn Sacrifice': Something fischy about this whole business . . . posted by Billy Wonka on January 22, 2016 at 20:32:46

I saw Pawn Sacrifice about Fischer v. Spassky. I was a chess player in high school in the early to mid-1970s and younger people don't really know how important that chess match was to the US. The movie did a great job showing the climate. Clearly more a labor of love as a movie. I don't even remember it playing in the theaters as I saw it at a cheap show. Very worth while. Really hit Fischer's dementia though and that is a bit hard to watch.

I used to read books which Fischer's bizarre behavior was depicted more like sportsmanship but now it is obvious that he was paranoid and delusional even back then. Fischer was correct that the Soviets stacked the system by having players agree to short draws in order to save their energies to play non-Soviet players.

The movie did not really show (1) that several US players stepped aside in order for Fischer to qualify for the World Championship cycle (called at the time the Candidate mataches) and (2) the Candidate matches consisted of several one on one matches played to 6 points (1 pt for a win and 1/2 pt for a draw and 0 for a loss). Championship level play is marked by tons of draws and usually a 1 or 2 win advantage takes the day. Fischer won his first Candidate's match against Soviet Mark Taimanov 6 to 0 (almost unprecedented). His next match was against a very strong Danish player, Bent Larsen whom he beat 6 to 0. His last Candidates match was against a very defensive Soviet player name Tigran Petrosian. Petrosian fared a bit better but still lost 6 1/2 to 2 1/2 (5 wins, 1 loss and 3 draws for Fischer) which is a crushing defeat.

The movie concentrated on Fischer's match with Spassky which was also amazing since Fischer lost the first game and forfeited the second game and still soundly defeated Spassky 12 1/2 to 8 1/2.

While Spassky was depicted as the villain, he was kind of a nice friendly guy interested in life and other things besides chess. It was Fischer who was the chess machine and ultimately the nutcase.

America held Fischer as a hero and yet did little or nothing to support Fischer's rise whereas the Soviet Union was completely supporting their players leading to world dominance. Fischer has also been unfairly portrayed as an evil person given his spouting of nonsensical conspiracy theories, racism etc. The guy was clearly insane and should have been treated rather than taken anything as serious as he was taken. Too bad for his legacy which is amazing for the times.

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