Bobby Fischer Goes to War: How the Soviets Lost the Most Extraordinary Chess Match of All Time

By the authors of the national bestseller Wittgenstein’s Poker, a riveting account of the legendary 1972 chess match between Boris Spassky, the world champion from the Soviet Union, and the American challenger Bobby Fischer

In the summer of 1972, with a presidential crisis stirring in the United States and the cold war at a pivotal point, the Soviet world chess champion Boris Spassky and his American challenger Bobby Fischer met in Reykjavik, Iceland for a chess match that held the world spellbound for two months with reports of psychological warfare, political intrigue, and cliffhangers. Thirty years later, David Edmonds and John Eidinow have set out to reexamine the story we recollect as the quintessential cold war clash between a lone American star and the Soviet chess machine. A mesmerizing narrative of hubris and despair, Bobby Fischer Goes to War is a biting deconstruction of the Bobby Fischer myth, a nuanced study on the art of brinkmanship, and a revelatory cold war tragicomedy.

In the summer of 1972, with a presidential crisis stirring in the United States and the cold war at a pivotal point, two men -- the Soviet world chess champion Boris Spassky and his American challenger Bobby Fischer -- met in the most notorious chess match of all time. Their showdown in Reykjavik, Iceland, held the world spellbound for two months with reports of psychological warfare, ultimatums, political intrigue, cliffhangers, and farce to rival a Marx Brothers film.

Thirty years later, David Edmonds and John Eidinow, authors of the national bestseller Wittgenstein's Poker, have set out to reexamine the story we recollect as the quintessential cold war clash between a lone American star and the Soviet chess machine -- a machine that had delivered the world title to the Kremlin for decades. Drawing upon unpublished Soviet and U.S. records, the authors reconstruct the full and incredible saga, one far more poignant and layered than hitherto believed.

Against the backdrop of superpower politics, the authors recount the careers and personalities of Boris Spassky, the product of Stalin's imperium, and Bobby Fischer, a child of post-World War II America, an era of economic boom at home and communist containment abroad. The two men had nothing in common but their gift for chess, and the disparity of their outlook and values conditioned the struggle over the board.

Then there was the match itself, which produced both creative masterpieces and some of the most improbable gaffes in chess history. And finally, there was the dramatic and protracted off-the-board battle -- in corridors and foyers, in back rooms and hotel suites, in Moscow offices and in the White House.

The authors chronicle how Fischer, a manipulative, dysfunctional genius, risked all to seize control of the contest as the organizers maneuvered frantically to save it -- under the eyes of the world's press. They can now tell the inside story of Moscow's response, and the bitter tensions within the Soviet camp as the anxious and frustrated apparatchiks strove to prop up Boris Spassky, the most un-Soviet of their champions -- fun-loving, sensitive, and a free spirit. Edmonds and Eidinow follow this careering, behind-the-scenes confrontation to its climax: a clash that displayed the cultural differences between the dynamic, media-savvy representatives of the West and the baffled, impotent Soviets. Try as they might, even the KGB couldn't help.

A mesmerizing narrative of brilliance and triumph, hubris and despair, Bobby Fischer Goes to War is a biting deconstruction of the Bobby Fischer myth, a nuanced study on the art of brinkmanship, and a revelatory cold war tragicomedy.

“[Edmonds and Eidinow] show themselves once again to be grandmasters of nonfiction narrative.” - Christian Science Monitor

“Bobby Fischer Goes to War tells the story in fine, brisk style…conveying the richness of the world beyond the chessboard.” - Time magazine

“A fascinating story well told.” - Nashville Tennessean

“Superbly researched…. Bobby Fischer Goes to War fills an important gab in the literature on this showdown.” - Florida Sun-Sentinel

“[A] praiseworthy, terrific book… marvelous.” - Chess Life

“This is the definitive history of Fischer vs. Spassky.” - Washington Post Book World

“Note to Hollywood: It’s Miracle meets A Beautiful Mind. Get on it.” - Entertainment Weekly

“The finest addendum ever to the 1972 chess world championship.’” - Los Angeles Times

“Bobby Fischer Goes to War tells the story in fine, brisk style.” - Time Magazine

A superbly researched reminder of a 20th century culture clash.” - Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Perhaps the finest addendum ever to the 1972 chess world championship contest.’” - Los Angeles Times

“David Edmonds and John Eidinow have penned a delightful book about the politics of that legendary match.” - Washington Times

“Engagingly written... a real page-turner!” - Library Journal

“Enthralling…. Edmonds and Eidinow are ideal guides through the history and psychology of chess.” - San Francisco Chronicle

“[An] intriguing look at the world of competitive chess, circa 1972.... Good reading, especially for chess buffs.” - Booklist

“The book will be one of the major sources of history for new generations of chess players.” - Boston Globe

“Readers will savor a marvelous portrait of East against West, with perceived societal superiority as the real prize.” - Kirkus Reviews