American Grandmaster. World Champion (1972-75). The story of Bobby Fischer also reminds me of another world champion, A. Alekhine. Despite their personal flaws both are inseparable from the history and development of the game. Fischer became the first American world champion when he defeated Spassky in their famous 1972 encounter. Such was the impact of this match that years later non-chessplayers could speak with confidence about the participants. Fischer like Alekhine was separated from his mother country. They knew the triumphs that chess could bring but they also knew about the "Agony". 

  

In a number of games in his career and especially leading up to his world championship match Fischer showed superb technique in the handling of Rook and Bishop versus Rook and Knight endgames. So much so that these games began to be looked upon as the ideal way to play this type of ending. Fischer showed the superiority of the Bishop over the Knight (with the Rooks) in the presence of certain positional features. As this was a new addition to chess knowledge at that time this type of ending became known as Fischer's Endgame in honour of the player who was it's greatest exponent. At the heart of Fischer's Ending is the activation of one's own pieces and the restriction of the opponent's. As in most endings the King infiltrates into the enemy position and the defender's chance of counterplay is kept to a minimum.

Tal was soon to be hospitalized and had to withdraw from the tournament. It is said that the only player to visit him in hospital was Bobby Fischer. Photographs exist recording the meeting and show them playing each other at the bedside.

This ending is also famous for an indirect reason. It was one of the last games ever to be commented by Fred Reinfeld, the famous American writer who analysed Fischer's early games in his: Great Games by Chess Prodigies.(1967)

(a) Basic Endings. These are theoretical positions in which we know the correct result with optimum play by both sides. They may consist of three pawns or less and also include all the non-pawn and five piece endings which have now been extensively analysed by computer and of which we have tablebases. In the days when we had adjournments some of these endings could be looked up in text books to give us some idea how to play the position. As we no longer can do this, knowledge and memory of these endings has become important in practical play. Fundamental Chess Endings (2001) by Muller and Lamprecht and Basic Endings (1992) by Balashov and Prandstetter and the earlier A Pocket Guide to Chess Endgames (1970) by David Hooper are good introductions to these endings.

(b) Practical Endings. These occur in over-the-board play where usually more pawns are present. The above ending is an example of this type. Some of these endings are in the process of being transformed to basic endings but often they finish before this stage is reached. Endgame strategy is very different from the middlegame and has its own set of rules and exceptions. Fine's book Basic Chess Endings (1941,2003) recently revised by Pal Benko and Batsford Chess Endings (1993) by Speelman, Tisdall and Wade are about basic and practical endings and both can be recommended.

(c) Endgame Studies. These are positions which have been composed and will contain elements of one or both of the above types of endings. But there are important differences between these types and the study, such as artistic form and economy of construction. An endgame study has to follow strict rules of composition, especially if it is entered into a composing competition. One of these rules states there should only be one solution. If there is an unintended second solution then the study is unsound and said to be "cooked".