Bobby Fischer's winning streaks

[Hans Jung]

http://en.chessbase.com/post/bobby-f...s-1963-to-1965 Many players bring up Bobby's streak of wins from the interzonal to Taimanov to Larsen to Petrosian in 1970 - 1971. This article sets the record straight with an older, longer winning streak. Add to your Bobby Fischer trivia.

[Mathieu Cloutier]

Re: Bobby Fischer's winning streaks

As you said, that's mostly trivia. I'm sure we can go back to Steinitz and find longer streaks against weaker opponents.

What still amazes me from Fischer's 1970-1972 run is that he had a 20-0 streak... while fighting for the freaking world championship. Larsen and Taimanov were both top players at that time.

Just for fun, add to that the scores from his matches with Petrosian (+5 -1 =4) and Spassky (+7 -3 =11). And you have 31 wins, 4 losses and 15 draws. And two of his losses against Spassky were arguably dubious (the Bxh2 in the first game and the forfeit). All of that while facing the very best players of the time.

When people ask me who was the best player of all time, I always answer that Fischer, in his peak (1970-72) did things that no one will ever do. Since then, players had better careers overall (especially Kasparov). But going +31, -4, =11 at the highest level? We'll never see that again.

[Hans Jung]

Re: Bobby Fischer's winning streaks

I absolutely agree. Well said.

[David Ottosen]

Re: Bobby Fischer's winning streaks

What still amazes me from Fischer's 1970-1972 run is that he had a 20-0 streak... while fighting for the freaking world championship. Larsen and Taimanov were both top players at that time.

In that 20 game streak, only 2 games were against players rated outside the world top 40.

[Mathieu Cloutier]

Re: Bobby Fischer's winning streaks

In that 20 game streak, only 2 games were against players rated outside the world top 40.

Good point.

And Taimanov/Larsen/Petrossian/Spassky were fully dedicated professionals with assistants to help them with preparation, and analysis of adjourned games.

Fischer had Lombardy, who was probably just preparing the coffee.

You can't even compare that with pre-WWII chess, when a guy with a day job (Euwe) could become world champion.

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Bobby Fischer's winning streaks

Fischer had Lombardy, who was probably just preparing the coffee.

You can't even compare that with pre-WWII chess, when a guy with a day job (Euwe) could become world champion.

Alekhine wasn't a fish when Euwe defeated him. Probably Alekhine was ducking Capablanca and Euwe was though a safe choice. Euwe played the French Winawer 4 times early in the match and only scored half a point from the 4 games.

[Mathieu Cloutier]

Re: Bobby Fischer's winning streaks

Alekhine wasn't a fish when Euwe defeated him. Probably Alekhine was ducking Capablanca and Euwe was though a safe choice. Euwe played the French Winawer 4 times early in the match and only scored half a point from the 4 games.

Come on, Alekhine was drunk 24/7 during that match. It was not about the Winawer, but mostly the 'wine hour'... ba-dum-tsss!

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Bobby Fischer's winning streaks

Come on, Alekhine was drunk 24/7 during that match. It was not about the Winawer, but mostly the 'wine hour'... ba-dum-tsss!

He still only lost half point against the Winawer. Unless you want to argue he could have won all 4 of the games had he been sober I don't see your point.

[Erik Malmsten]

Re: Bobby Fischer's winning streaks

And Taimanov/Larsen/Petrossian/Spassky were fully dedicated professionals with assistants to help them with preparation, and analysis of adjourned games.

Fischer had Lombardy, who was probably just preparing the coffee.

Fischer had GM Evans as a second for his early matches, then GM Lombardy for his match with Spassky. Lombardy is quite proud of his work analyzing the adjournments in the Spassky match. Lombardy, a World Junior Champion, was a teacher and second early in Fischer's career, but once becoming a Priest didn't have much time for tournaments. I don't know if he drank coffee. Fischer also had several Americans to test his new openings with before heading to Iceland. Lombardy has written an excellent book on his own games, and is considering writing one on his memories with Fischer.

[Mathieu Cloutier]

Re: Bobby Fischer's winning streaks

He still only lost half point against the Winawer. Unless you want to argue he could have won all 4 of the games had he been sober I don't see your point.

There there. The Winawer is bad, I know.

My point still stand, a drunk Alekhine lost an important match to the last amateur champion chess has ever known. Safe to say that the result was overturned a couple of years later.

[Mathieu Cloutier]

Re: Bobby Fischer's winning streaks

Fischer had GM Evans as a second for his early matches, then GM Lombardy for his match with Spassky. Lombardy is quite proud of his work analyzing the adjournments in the Spassky match. Lombardy, a World Junior Champion, was a teacher and second early in Fischer's career, but once becoming a Priest didn't have much time for tournaments. I don't know if he drank coffee. Fischer also had several Americans to test his new openings with before heading to Iceland. Lombardy has written an excellent book on his own games, and is considering writing one on his memories with Fischer.

I agree to a certain extent. Fischer was not alone.

But you can't compare Evans and Lombardy with an army of GMs that were instructed to turn in reports and analysis in order to help Petrossian and Spassky.

All I'm saying is that an over-prepared and over-helped Russian winning 20 games in a row in 1970 against Western players would still have been a shock. The thing is, it happened the other way around.

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Bobby Fischer's winning streaks

There there. The Winawer is bad, I know.

My point still stand, a drunk Alekhine lost an important match to the last amateur champion chess has ever known. Safe to say that the result was overturned a couple of years later.

Are you saying he was sober the second time?

Winning back the title is no big deal. I remember in 1957 Smyslov won the championship title from Botvinnik. In 1958 Botvinnik won it back. In 1960 Tal won the championship from Botvinnik. In 1961 Botvinnik won the title back. We used to play over the games from the matches at the chess club. There were many players from Eastern Europe at the club in those days. Those people were my chess teachers.

Euwe won the championship from a strong player and he lost it back. That does not diminish the accomplishment.