Endgame: Bobby Fischer's Remarkable Rise and Fall - From America's Brightest Prodigy to the Edge of Madness

"Endgame "is acclaimed biographer Frank Brady's decades-in-the-making tracing of the meteoric ascent--and confounding "descent"--of enigmatic genius Bobby Fischer. Only Brady, who met Fischer when the prodigy was only 10 and shared with him some of his most dramatic triumphs, could have written this book, which has much to say about the nature of American celebrity and the distorting effects of fame. Drawing from Fischer family archives, recently released FBI files, and Bobby's own emails, this account is unique in that it limns Fischer's "entire" life--an odyssey that took the Brooklyn-raised chess champion from an impoverished childhood to the covers of "Time, Life "and "Newsweek "to recognition as "the most famous man in the world" to notorious recluse. At first all one noticed was how gifted Fischer was. Possessing a 181 I.Q. and remarkable powers of concentration, Bobby memorized""hundreds of chess books in several languages, and he was only 13 when he became the youngest chess master in U.S. history. But his strange behavior started early. In 1972, at the historic Cold War showdown in Reykjavik, Iceland, where he faced Soviet champion Boris Spassky, Fischer made headlines with hundreds of petty demands that nearly ended the competition. It was merely a prelude to what was to come. Arriving back in the United States to a hero's welcome, Bobby was mobbed wherever he went--a figure as exotic and improbable as any American pop culture had yet produced. No player of a mere "board game" had ever ascended to such heights. Commercial sponsorship offers poured in, ultimately topping $10 million--but Bobby demurred. Instead, he began tithing his limited money to an apocalyptic religion and devouring anti-Semitic literature. After years of poverty and a stint living on Los Angeles' Skid Row, Bobby remerged in 1992 to play Spassky in a multi-million dollar rematch--but the experience only "deepened "a paranoia that had formed years earlier when he came to believe that the Soviets wanted him dead for taking away "their" title. When the dust settled, Bobby was a wanted man--transformed into an international fugitive because of his decision to play in Montenegro despite U.S. sanctions. Fearing for his life, traveling with bodyguards, and wearing a long leather coat to ward off knife attacks, Bobby lived the life of a celebrity fugitive - one drawn increasingly to the bizarre. Mafiosi, Nazis, odd attempts to breed an heir who could perpetuate his chess-genius DNA--all are woven into his late-life tapestry. And yet, as Brady shows, the most notable irony of Bobby Fischer's strange descent - which had reached full plummet by 2005 when he turned down yet "another "multi-million dollar payday--is that despite his incomprehensible behavior, there were many who remained fiercely loyal to him. Why that was so is at least partly the subject of this book--one that at last answers the question: "Who "was "Bobby Fischer?"

About the Author :
FRANK BRADY is internationally recognized as the person most knowledgeable about the life and career of Bobby Fischer. Brady is the author of numerous critically acclaimed biographies, including "Citizen Welles; Onassis: An Extravagant Life; "and "Bobby Fischer: Profile of a Prodigy "(the first edition of which appeared in the mid-1960's and focuses on the young Bobby). Until recently, Brady was the Chairman of the Communications Department at St. John's University, and he remains a full professor there. He is also the President of the Marshall Chess Club and was the founding editor of "Chess Life."

Review :
"One the year's best biographies." --"Washington Post" "Mr. Brady's biography is well-written, studiously researched and filled with fascinating details. It imparts the love of chess and affection for 'Bobby' that the author clearly feels...Boris Spassky, after the losing the world championship title to Fischer, said: 'I think I understand him.' Perhaps one day the rest of us will too. Until then, we have "Endgame "to fill the void." --"Wall Street Journal" "The freakishly talented, freakishly flawed Fischer played the game as if it were a blood sport...In ENDGAME Frank Brady tells the story of Fischer's life with a dramatic flair and a sense of judiciousness." --The Boston Globe "Brady's book is an impressive balancing act and a great accomplishment...What results is a chance for the reader to weigh up the evidence and come to his own conclusions -- or skip judgments completely and simply enjoy reading a rise-and-fall story that has more than a few affinities with Greek tragedy." --"The New York Review of Books" "Presents Fischer's story with an almost Olympian evenhandedness that ends up making it far more absorbing than any sensationalized account." --Laura Miller, Salon.com "Brady is in a unique position to write about Fischer...he had access to new materials, including files from the FBI and the K.G.B. (which identified Fischer as a threat to Soviet chess hegemony in the mid-1980s); the personal archives of Fischer's mother, Regina, and his mentor and coach Jack Collins; and even an autobiographical essay written by the teenage Fischer. The wealth of material allows Brady to describe many rich moments and details." --New York Times Book Review "Brady seems unusually well qualified to capture Fischer's many facets and contradictions...ENDGAME is a rapt, intimate book, greatly helped by Brady's acquaintance withFischer...he sees the person behind the bluster...he also makes use of unusually good source mate "Rich in detail and insight. "Endgame" is sympathetic and human, but not at all naive. I admire Brady's resolve, and I consider this book essential reading in the effort to understand Bobby Fischer and his place in our world." --David Shenk, author of "The Immortal Game "and "The Genius in All of Us "   “Fascinating…filled with hope, Cold War intrigue, the fulfillment of genius, and an explosive fall from grace that is both deeply moving and, ultimately, profoundly sad.” “Jeremy Silman, International Chess Master and author of "How to Reassess Your Chess "   "The definitive portrait of the greatest—and most disturbed—chess genius of all time.” --Paul Hoffman, author of  "The Man Who Loved Only Numbers "and "King’s Gambit " " " "A weird and fascinating biography…Bravo.” --Robert Lipsyte, author of "An Accidental Sportswriter"