Chess Genius, American Traitor and now cadaver.
NY1: Failover
Reclusive Chess Legend Bobby Fischer Dies
Former World Chess Champion Bobby Fischer died of kidney failure yesterday at a hospital in Iceland at the age of 64.
Raised in Brooklyn, the reclusive chess master became a Cold War icon in 1972, after dethroning the Soviet Union's Boris Spassky as world champion.
Fischer became the first American world champion in more than a century, but he later forfeited the title when he refused to defend it against Anatoly Karpov. Fischer dropped out of competitive chess and out of the public eye. He soon became known more for his bizarre behavior, in one case praising the September 11th terrorist attacks.
He became a wanted man in 1992 for playing an exhibition match on a Yugoslav resort island, in violation of U.S. sanctions.
Former world champion Garry Kasparov said Fischer's role in the chess world was a "revolutionary breakthrough" for the game.
Fischer moved to Iceland two years ago after renouncing his U.S. citizenship.
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