Shelby Lyman on Chess: Unconquerable A chess game can be a brutal, relentless struggle, But the possibility of a draw has always offered hope for relief. That is unless the opponent happened to be Bobby Fischer, who would rarely make peace while a shred of fight was left in the position before him. Resistance often […]
Gain an advantage, simplify and press for the win

Shelby Lyman on Chess: Simple, Powerful and ElegantSunday, June 15, 2014 (Published in print: Sunday, June 15, 2014) It has often been said that Bobby Fischer’s play was similar to that of the great Cuban chess genius Jose Capablanca. Their styles were alike enough: Gain a material or positional advantage, simplify and press for the […]
Can you have any other life and be a great chess player?

Bobby Fischer vs. The Rebbe The chess genius denied he was a Jew, but the Lubavitcher Rebbe disagreed. Who was right? By Jonathan ZalmanJanuary 17, 2013 7:00 AM In the summer of 1971, a year before he won the World Chess Championship in Reykjavik, Bobby Fischer—who died five years ago today—appeared on The Dick Cavett […]
His powerful play crushed them, game after game

Chess / By Shelby Lymanon June 7, 2014 – 12:01 AM It has often been said that Bobby Fischer’s play was similar to that of the great Cuban chess genius Jose Capablanca. Their styles were alike enough: Gain a material or positional advantage, simplify and press for the win. The process was sometimes described as […]
Respect and affection for the American rival

Shelby Lyman on Chess: Friends ForeverSunday, May 11, 2014 (Published in print: Sunday, May 11, 2014) Friendships among competitors in sports are not unusual. The most notable in modern chess is the relationship between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky. Their seven-week match in Reykjavik, Iceland, in 1972 is a landmark in chess history. A major […]
Forever friendship between two chess legends

Friendships among competitors in sports are not unusualChess by Shelby Lymanon May 3, 2014 – 12:01 AM The most notable in modern chess is the relationship between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky. Their seven-week match in Reykjavik, Iceland, in 1972 is a landmark in chess history. A major factor in their friendship was Spassky’s respect […]
Intensity and Passion

Chess / By Shelby Lymanon April 12, 2014 – 12:01 AM For Bobby Fischer, chess was transcendent. It animated his consciousness. It was a voyage of discovery. Each past and pending adventure on the chessboard was a moment to be savored and remembered. Even when not consciously thinking of the game, it pervaded his being. […]
Demoralize and crush the spirit of opponents

Shelby Lyman on Chess: Crushing an Opponent’s EgoBy Shelby Lyman April 6, 2014 Bobby Fischer once said he did not believe in psychology, he preferred instead good moves. What he meant was, he did not believe in psychological ploys or tricks. He was, in fact, highly esteemed by his colleagues for his respectful behavior at […]
Hook on chess

Chess on the Factory Floorby Shelby Lyman Chess appeals to something deep in the human psyche, explained the novelist and philosopher Ayn Rand. A character in a play by the German polymath Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is no less extravagant. The game, we are told, is the “touchstone of the intellect.” As if to validate […]
Chess Prodigies – A Look At The Phenomenon

By Chess Coach William Stewart (FIDE 2234, USCF 2256)Will’s original article on chess prodigies available here. Why are some kids so good at chess? How do some chess prodigies that are barely 8,7 or even 6 years old manage to play chess at a master level with little formal chess coaching? How have they managed […]