What do You think about Searching For Bobby Fischer: The Father Of A Prodigy Observes The World Of Chess (1993)?
I picked up this book because I love the movie. I dare anyone to see it and not pick up a chess board. When I finished the book, I thought I could resist but within ten minutes I was playing on chess on yahoo. I am not a genius like Josh Waitzkin. They did a very good job with the movie but there are some major differences. Pandolfini (portrayed in the movie as a ruthless teacher) is actually supportive & idiosyncratic. Vinnie plays a much smaller role in the book. But the dynamic in Washington Square Park is much more interesting and in depth.Two things happen in the book that they cut out:Fred, Josh, & Bruce Pandolfini go to Russia in the midst of the Cold War to see a match between two grandmasters. Fred goes to Los Angeles to search for Bobby Fischer. Fischer was not as elusive as in the movie but was said to be much, much crazier. Enjoyable.
—Leonora
Chess has always been a particular passion of mine, which, much like other passions, rises and falls as the years go by. Most games and their inherent competitiveness are fun, but chess remains the most elegant. It has the physical beauty of the pieces, the simplest of rules, yet the potential for incredible complexity, and no dice. I hate dice. Chess requires pure intellect. During the 70's, following the famous Fischer-Spassky match, the virtual embodiment of Russo-American war, practically every American mother wanted nothing more for her child than to grow up a chess master. Chess even had its cadre of groupies who worked their way up the ranking ladder. Times have changed. Internationally ranked grand masters now must hustle games in New York's Washington Square Park, having no place to live or eat. Having devoted their lives to chess, they have no marketable skills. Meanwhile, the Russians coddle and nurture anyone showing the slightest hint of talent. Fred Waitzkin's son Josh was found to be exceptionally talented at age six. By 11, he had fought the current world champion Garry Kasparov to a draw in an exhibition match. Waitzkin writes of his own passion for the game and his relationship with his son, and the impact such intense dedication can have on a child and his family, in a marvelous book entitled Searching for Bobby Fischer: The World of Chess, Observed by the Father of a Child Prodigy . The book is a fascinating account of the chess world, populated with eccentric characters. As one reviewer has said, "chess lives, or windmills its arms, on the outer rims of sanity." The "search" for Fischer becomes an allegory for families and values and the way we determine what is important in our lives. Fischer, even yet a recluse, even though probably "insane" (whatever that means), continues to dominate the American game. The Fischer-Spassky rematch in Yugoslavia may become the non-event of the century. By the way, the movie was great, too
—Eric_W
Searching for Bobby Fischer provides insight into many facets of the Chess world of the 80s, but it is largely unlike the movie by the same name. As readers, we often know that movies do not match the expectations set by their books, but in this case, I actually enjoyed the movie more. The reason for that is the movie focused centrally on Josh, the child prodigy of the author of the book. With a compelling central person to follow, the film is about a boy vying for his father's love, learning compassion for others, and understanding life balance. While the book had some of these themes in a much more subtle manner, it was much more of a history of chess in the 80s, with Josh being the thread that the timeline follows.We see Chess in the 80s through Fred Waitzkin's eyes; a visit to Soviet Russia, and the oppressive climate for non-preferred players at that time. It's interesting insight into the politics of a world that I never knew of, but also only moderately germane to chess. The plight of the people there is an interesting one, just not the story I was looking for when I picked up this book.We also see the chess world through a father's eyes, but in this case, Waitzkin is the prototypical "sports parent" - overly involved, caring for wins more than fun, and generally loving, but intense. I had hoped for a more dynamic "character," or at least some deeper introspection on the part of Fred as to whether such a life was in the best interest of Josh. I didn't get that. I did come away with a better sense of how I *don't* want to be as a father to my own children, especially where it comes to competitive arenas.Overall, if you like the game of chess enough to pick up and read a book on it, you'll like this book, just don't expect prose, expect journalism.
—Eric
