Bobby Fischer

Bobby Fischer has passed away. Growing up during the Cold War era, I regarded him as one of my heroes. His epic chess battles against Soviet Boris Spassky was an integral part of that experience. But his amazing success at such an early age was also one my first experiences seeing a superlative mind in action.

That said, he did not remain one of my heroes.

It's not that I "grew up", which is a rationalization too many use to give up on their values. It's the fact that Fischer turned about to be as nutty as he was brilliant at chess. Check out the Globe article referenced above.

In effect, he was my first exposure to a common phenomenon—a compartmentalized mind, one which applies reason to a very narrow range of human activity but not nearly enough to practical matters, including and especially simple justice to other human beings.

Speaking of justice, that's why I took some time to write about his passing here—to take a moment to remember the best within him. His best was simply amazing and a pleasure to behold.