What an intriguing character (as long as you don't really have to listen to his rants) with an interesting life story. At first I was afraid this documentary will be an interactive Wikipedia article, but Garbus did try to answer 'whys' I was most interested in. There are still things I want to know about Fischer, but this is a good starting point.

It's hard to believe this could happen, but I like the theories I read about the subject of Fischer just being a total pawn of the US in the Cold War that drove him to his political and social stances. Interesting and believable in my opinion.

An entertaining but shallow look at an intriguing man. There is some excellent file footage and artistic renderings of the Fischer-Spassky match as well. Also, Sam Sloan appears in this film. Sloan is legendary in the chess world for his creepiness, exhaustively autobiographical website, and his status as the only person to successfully argue a case before the US Supreme Court without a lawyer. google him on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

MORE CHESS REQUIRED.

Sahsina munhasir Bobby Fischer - izelemesi keyifli, guzel bi belgesel.

Two very different movies, first we get chess competition stuff set to rock music then we get the joys of watching an elderly Bobby Fischer be a crazy racist (not set to rock music).

Chess can make you insane.

Bishop to D5, Queen to C5, checkmate! And oh yeah: Everyone is out to get me.

A fascinating insight into a powerful mind!

The paranoid genius Bobby Fischer was a great chess player, no doubt about that. Even though he didn't play that many "big" games... This documentary's main focus is on his championship game against Spassky and him going insane, the first being the most interesting. Even if you're not into chess, the huge amount of archive film edited together keeps you on the edge of your seat, as Fischer (USA) beats Spassky (USSR) in a symbolic win. Thumbs up to Iceland for hosting and citizenship!

A thorough portrait of a sick man who happened to be an amazing chess player. Luckily there is a long segment on the famous Spassky match. But the main part of the movie shows the growing madness of Fischer. I missed an explanation for why Fischer is considered one of the greatest and not just a weapon of the cold war.

You get two things in this documentary: a good look into Chess, firstly. Then you get a documentary about a dude who started saying, er, anti-social things and became a conspiracy theorist. Both are interesting -- I like the attention given to the fundamentalist beliefs and chess making someone crazy -- but I actually think the part about the game is the best. An artist doing art, breaking his old habits and presenting a new challenge, re-inventing himself... proving why he was so good.

"This is strong and effective documentary filmmaking, but it's only a lengthy prologue to the story on which Liz Garbus clearly wants to focus." - Arthur Ryel-Lindsey

Fischer's unpredictability transpired not only during the 1972 WCC yet also during the latter parts of his life. The irreversible effect left on his psyche by his absentee parents and pursuit of becoming world champion, robbing him of his youth in many ways, did little to prevent his infamous revolt and increasing paranoia. Garbus doesn't shy away from this dichotomy, and pulled me in with an abundance of well presented and documented material. Worth a watch.

For those that know much about the Cold War, it's hard to determine whether this series of events, and the life of Bobby Fischer, was actually a life, or if he was an unfortunate tool of the Cold War. I believe his true breakdown came entirely at the fault of his all-in belief in the Worldwide Church of God fundamentalists, not chess. The last half-hour of this flick is definitely the most engaging. The match with Spassky is interesting an all, but the man Bobby Fischer is clearly more engaging.