Bobby Fischer Goes To War is, as the British Grandmaster Nigel Short has put it, an outstanding piece of investigative journalism. Rather than focus on the chess, it examines the colorful human drama away from the board. In the past it has traditionally been presented as a Cold War battle - the individualistic American genius versus the product of the Soviet machine. In fact, as the authors show, with fascinating new documentary evidence, it was far more nuanced than that. Indeed, both the volatile and eccentric American and the free-spirited Russian were considerable irritants to their respective nations. You don't need to know anything about the game to enjoy this gripping account of this most notorious of all chess matches. |
