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Bobby James Fischer, USA 1972-75

Most people agree that Bobby Fischer was probably the greatest chess player of all time. They also agree that he was undoubtedly the most controversial world chess champion. He was born in Chicago, but his family moved several times before they finally settled in Brooklyn, New York. At age 6 both he and his sister learned how the chess pieces moved. His parents separated early, and when he was 17, his mother left the US to live elsewhere.

After a simultaneous exhibition match that his mother took him to, he began playing chess all day, usually at the Manhattan Chess Club. His games were influenced most by Capablanca. He focused on the opening and became deadly with the king's Indian Defense and the Najdorf Variation of the Sicilian Defense.

By age 15 Fischer had become US chess champion, and the youngest grandmaster in FIDE history. He dropped out of school and became a professional chess player.

Fischer was notorious for dropping out of matches and for withdrawing from chess competition. But when he did play, he overwhelmed his opponents by amazing margins. For instance, he won the 1963-64 US championship by the incredible score of 11-0! He went on to win that title another six times.

When Fischer met Spassky for the title match, the event was roiled in dispute. But the match went on, and Fischer won by a four-point margin, becoming the first American to win the FIDE world championship.

But, believe it or not, Fischer did not play a single game during the three years that he was champion. Refusing to play the new FIDE challenger, Karpov, he forfeited his world title.

Fischer now lives in Europe. He does not compete, and as far as anyone knows, he no longer plays chess, though for awhile there were rumors that he played on the Internet under false names.