Endgame

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Endgame is a comprehensive biography by Frank Brady that chronicles the extraordinary rise and perplexing fall of chess prodigy Bobby Fischer. Having met Fischer at age 10 and witnessed his dramatic triumphs, Brady uniquely captures the complexities of Fischer’s life. Utilizing family archives, FBI files, and Fischer's own emails, this account spans from his impoverished Brooklyn childhood to global fame, where he became "the most famous man in the world," before retreating into reclusiveness. Fischer's remarkable intellect, with an IQ of 181, allowed him to memorize hundreds of chess books, and he became the youngest U.S. chess master at 13. However, his eccentricities began early, notably during the 1972 Cold War match against Boris Spassky, where his demands nearly derailed the competition. After returning to the U.S. as a celebrated hero, he rejected lucrative sponsorship offers, instead embracing an apocalyptic religion and anti-Semitic literature. Following years of poverty, he resurfaced in 1992 for a rematch with Spassky, which intensified his paranoia about Soviet threats. Ultimately, Fischer became an international fugitive after defying U.S. sanctions. Despite his bizarre behavior and descent into obsession, many remained loyal to him, prompting an exploration of his enigmatic legacy and the question: "Who was Bobby Fischer?"