The greatest?

“At his best he was the greatest the world has ever seen. He was certainly the greatest chess player up to that point in history. He would have dominated chess until Garry Kasparov.”

Tenacious

“He wouldn’t give his opponents any mercy. He would seize on any small opportunity and push and push it until there was nothing left. He wouldn’t just beat his opponents he would crush them.”

Best game

“The sixth game against Spassky, during the 1972 match, is widely considered his greatest ever. He created a superb, elegant generation of forces. It was like a Mozart symphony.”

Nothing but chess

“He achieved his success because of a burning, incandescent desire to win. Most other champions had other intellectual pretensions or pursuits and interests such as art or photography but for Fischer there was nothing but chess, chess, chess. Nothing distracted him - he had no relationships with women or other people - it was just chess.”

Desperate

“His return in 1992 came only once no-one was very interested anymore and he was desperate for money.”

After perfection

“It was this strange contrast between a man who could achieve such greatness but never dared to follow it. It’s like someone who creates a work of art so perfect that he couldn’t ever paint again.”

Madness

“He was the pride and sorrow of chess. It’s tragic that such a great man descended into madness and anti-Semitism.”

Times Recommends

• Obama: the world can expect better of America
• Gulp! Mystery killer threatens French oyster
• Secret of Northn Lights key to space safety