AThe Morning Call Allentown, Pennsylvania Sunday, April 05, 1981 - Page 95
Unknown Expert From California
What makes a great chess player? We often hear of Bobby Fischer's “genius” for chess or Jose Capablanca's “intuition,” especially in the end game.
But Fischer, himself, has speculated that it was feverish work and an uncommon passion for the game, which separated him from other grand masters. And very few of even the most learned chess aficionados know that Capablanca meticulously studied hundreds, if not thousands, of endgames to develop his “natural” talent.
An intriguing case of natural talent is the interrupted career of Larry Remlinger, a Californian, who at age 12 and 13 was runner-up in the 1954 and 1955 junior championships (for players under 21.) During those years, Remlinger was already considered to be the 3rd best player in California, behind Herman Steiner and William Addison, both top U.S. masters.
Remlinger, at that early age, had a lucid positional style, and excelled in the end game (like his hero Capablanca).
But by late 1955, he had already dropped out of serious chess competition. In 1957, after two years of inactivity, he chanced to engage another young prodigy, an already ascendant Bobby Fischer, in hundreds of offhand “blitz” games, spread over three sessions.
At their first meeting, it was Remlinger, who was the victor, by a dozen or so games! Fischer also trailed at the end of the second session by four or five games. Finally in the third session, Fischer won by that same amount.
Several months later, Bobby Fischer became the youngest ever U.S. Champion at 14.
Remlinger returned to chess in the late 60s and has played sporadically, since then, with some good results. He is obviously still a player of considerable ability.
Here is a victory over International Master Jack Peters from a recent West Hollywood, Calif., tournament.
Asbury Park Press Asbury Park, New Jersey Thursday, July 09, 1981 - Page 32
Chess Grandmaster to Play 6 Boards At Once in Dover
Dover Township — Grandmaster Edmar Mednis of New York will challenge six opponents here tomorrow night in a simultaneous chess exhibition with clocks, sponsored by the Toms River Chess Club.
Mednis, the author of “How to Beat Bobby Fischer at Chess,” is a professional chess player and a columnist for Chess Life, official magazine of the United States Chess Federation. … Mednis was born in Riga, Latvia, and immigrated to the U.S. in 1950.
He showed early promise in chess at the 1955 World Junior Championship in which he placed second, behind Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union.
In the same year, Mednis won the New York state championship, and the U.S. intercollegiate championship.
Mednis has played in five world student team championships, and was a member of the winning U.S. team in 1960. He has played in the U.S. championship tournament 10 times, tying for third place in 1978.
He gained the title of international master in 1974, and was granted international grandmaster status at the Chess Olympiad last year.
Arizona Daily Star, Tucson, Arizona, Wednesday, August 19, 1981 - Page 9
Fischer plans chess return paper reports
Reykjavik, Iceland (AP)—Former world chess champion Bobby Fischer, who has not been seen in public for years, is planning a comeback, the Morgunbladid newspaper reported today.
The daily said the 38-year-old American told the International Chess Federation that he wants to play chess again.
Johann Thorir, editor of the Icelandic chess magazine Chess, told the newspaper he was contacted to arrange a match between Fischer an an Icelandic chess player.
“At first,” Thorir said, “Fischer was asked whether he wanted to play Viktor Korchnoi, the Soviet grandmaster who is currently living in exile in Switzerland, but Fischer didn't.”
Thorir said the match will be played in Iceland, but no date has been set and Fischer's opponent was not named.
Fischer became world champion in Iceland in 1972 when he defeated Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union.
Fischer refused to defend the title because of a disagreement over the rules of the International Chess Federation, and Soviet grandmaster Anatoly Karpov became world champion by default.
Hartford Courant Hartford, Connecticut Thursday, August 20, 1981 - Page 2
Paper in Iceland Reports Fischer Planning Comeback
A paper in Iceland reports that former world chess champion Bobby Fischer, who hasn't been seen in public for years, is planning a comeback. Johann Thorir, editor of the Icelandic chess magazine Chess, told the newspaper that he was contacted to organize a match between Fischer and an Icelandic chess player. Thorir said that Fischer was asked if he wanted to play Viktor Korchnoi, the Soviet grandmaster living in exile in Switzerland, but Fischer rejected the idea. Fischer became world champion in Iceland in 1972 when he defeated Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union. Fischer refused to defend the title because of a disagreement over the rules of the International Chess Federation, and Soviet grandmaster Anatoly Karpov became world champion without playing him.
The San Francisco Examiner San Francisco, California Saturday, October 03, 1981 - Page 4
Bobby Fischer Is Really Out Of It
South Pasadena, Los Angeles County (AP) — Former chess prodigy and world champion Bobby Fischer apparently still lives in seclusion in South Pasadena and has nothing to do with chess, says a chess expert who has kept in touch with him over the years.
Fischer, 38, who took the chess world by storm at age 13, last played championship chess in 1972 in Reykjavik, Iceland, unseating Boris Spassky as champion. He refused to defend his championship in 1975 after the International Chess Federation refused to modify its rules to meet his demands, and retired.
“Last I heard he was somewhere in South Pasadena … a couple of months ago,” said chess expert Isaac Kashdan, who writes a chess column for the Los Angeles Times. “There's just no way you can get in touch with him.”
“He's not playing chess any more. He's not involved in chess in any way.”
It wasn't immediately known what the former chess champion was doing for a living.
Fischer has lived in the Pasadena area for many years since his involvement with the Worldwide Church of God, but Kashdan said Fischer isn't involved with the church anymore.
Last August, Fischer reportedly told a magazine editor in Iceland that he wanted to play again. Johann Thorir, editor of Chess magazine, said the match would be played in Iceland against an unidentified Icelandic contender.
No date was set for the match, and Kashdan said he doesn't believe Fischer will play it. Fischer, who was unavailable for comment yesterday, could not be reached last August for comment on the report, either.
In 1977, Fischer was charged with battery and trespassing following a dispute with a magazine writer at her South Pasadena apartment. Fischer had wanted writer Holly Ruiz to sign a statement to the effect that she had not told Fischer his comments about the church would be published. The charges were later dismissed following an out of court settlement.
As a former cult member, I don't believe Holly Ruiz reported the whole truth about Fischer. In short, everybody involved was lying. By 1977, Bobby got pulled in the midst of a tug of war between the cult's administration and dissidents, and used as the rope. (I can give examples where dissidents have exaggerated and published deliberately misleading information regarding the cult's doctrines and the people), and Rader & company were just yanking Fischer's chain and manipulating him: WCG official and quoted to us by an inside source confirms that: “We can't touch them … but we'll get them through Fischer!”
Chess Champion Becomes Pawn (https://hwarmstrong.com/ar/Pawn.html) All of which was responsible for driving Bobby Fischer, further into seclusion from society.
The San Bernardino County Sun San Bernardino, California Saturday, October 03, 1981 - Page 2
Ex-Chess Whiz Fischer Lives in Seclusion
South Pasadena (AP) — Former chess prodigy and world champion Bobby Fischer is apparently still living in seclusion in South Pasadena and having nothing to do with chess, according to a chess expert who has kept in touch with Fischer over the years.
Fischer, 38, who took the chess world by storm at age 13, last played championship chess in 1972 in Reykjavik, Iceland, unseating Boris Spassky as champion. He refused to defend his championship in 1975 after the International Chess Federation declined to modify its rules to meet his demands, and so he retired.
“Last I heard he was somewhere in South Pasadena … a couple of months ago,” said chess expert Isaac Kashdan, who writes a chess column for the Los Angeles Times. “There's just no way you can get in touch with him.
“He's not playing chess any more,” Kashdan added. “He's not involved in chess in any way.”
Pensacola News Journal Pensacola, Florida Sunday, October 04, 1981 - Page 12
Chess Still No Money Game
Merano, Italy (AP) — Bobby Fischer upped the stakes in world championship chess, but unlike sports heroes and Soviet champions, most Western grand masters must keep on the move to earn a living from the game.
When not on the tournament circuit, many in the world chess elite of about 200 grand masters resort to selling insurance, teaching or writing chess columns for newspapers.
But for defending world titleholder Anatoly Karpov and other top Soviet players in a country where employment is regulated by the state, chess affords financial security and prestige.
Even so, the prize of 500,000 Swiss francs, the equivalent of $260,000, for the winner of the current World Championship Chess match between Karpov and Soviet exile Victor Korchnoi is dwarfed by the financial rewards offered in boxing, football and other spectator sports.
Fischer, the only U.S. World champion ever, created immense interest in chess and commanded high fees. In 1975, the Philippine organization offered a $5 million prize fund for the scheduled Fischer-Karpov world championship match that never took place.
To stage the match here, the organizers, relying on sponsorship by banks and local businesses, have put up $1.2 million and are picking up the hotel tabs for the two chess delegations.
The organizers also will absorb the income taxes the two players will owe the Italian government, according to one of the chief promoters.
The Daily Times Salisbury, Maryland Sunday, October 04, 1981 - Page 29
Names In The News
Bobby Fischer, former world chess champion, apparently is still in seclusion in South Pasadena, Calif., and no longer playing the game that made him famous. (An AP 1972 File Photo).
Santa Maria Times, Santa Maria, California, Saturday, October 10, 1981 - Page 15
Q: Although chess is not considered by many as a sport, we think it is; at least a game, and some game. We call it “El Juego Ciencia” (The Science Game) in Puerto Rico. Would you kindly let me know the whereabouts of Bobby Fischer, our great chess grandmaster and former world champion? — O. Porrata Doria, San Juan, P.R.
Fischer is living in seclusion in South Pasadena, Calif., no longer active in world chess after having become involved with a religious group. He hasn't competed on a championship level since 197_.
Fort Lauderdale News Fort Lauderdale, Florida Sunday, November 01, 1981 - Page 71
Master Maker?
He used to give chess lessons to a kid named Bobby Fischer. Now he gives them to local kids.
“A former chess master who gave a 9-year-old Bobby Fischer lessons. Nigro didn't ask for this job. A teacher found out Nigro had retired to Palm Springs and talked him into teaching a class. Before long, he was making the rounds of five elementary schools, in addition to giving family lessons at Palm Springs Recreation Department.
“Once while watching a grand master playing simultaneous games, Nigro saw 9-year-old Bobby Fischer at one of the tables. Fischer's mother asked him to give her son lessons and Nigro taught Fischer for two and a half years, he says. By 1969, he retired and moved to Florida on the doctor's orders.”
The Gazette Cedar Rapids, Iowa Sunday, November 29, 1981 - Page 45
Winning Player
Bobby Fischer won 20 consecutive chess games in grandmaster competition between December 1970 and September 1971.
