Finding Bobby Fischer

The above photo is of Bobby Fischer perplexed over Charles's Knight Gambit in the eleventh move of the fourth match of their largely unknown 1972 showdown. Fischer won the match by winning seven games, drawing two, and losing none.

Though, Charles did defeat Fischer once in Washington Square Park, but only once. It was after a raucous night out together at Cafe Wha?, only two blocks away, where Fisher sung "Istanbul" ("where having fun is the only rule!") onstage, and then challenged Charles to a 3am bout of speedchess in WSP. Bobby might have passed out, but Charles prevailed, nonetheless. And as it was Charles's crowning achievement, for Bobby, the residual intellectual embarrassment is speculated to have driven him into exile.

RIP Bobby, and sorry.