Black and White

Meer over het boek

Bobby Fischer (1943–2008) is considered a legend in the chess world and a symbol of the Cold War era. A chess prodigy, he became the youngest American grandmaster at the age of fifteen. In 1972, he competed for the World Championship title against Russian grandmaster Boris Spassky, and their match during the peak of the USA-USSR rivalry became legendary. Never before had chess received such attention, and at twenty-nine, Fischer reached the pinnacle of success. However, he then experienced an unstoppable decline: he developed mental illness, became highly paranoid, and immersed himself in various fantastical conspiracy and anti-Semitic theories, which was particularly bizarre given his own Jewish heritage. His disputes with American authorities escalated to the point where he publicly endorsed the attacks on New York on September 11, 2001. Facing arrest in the USA, he spent the remainder of his life as a fugitive in various countries around the world. He died in obscurity in Iceland. Bobby Fischer, an exceptional chess player, transformed from the first global chess celebrity and an American cultural icon into an outlaw and eccentric. The comic adaptation of his life thus transcends the world of chess and serves as a testament to the tumultuous period of the Cold War.