From chess genius and national hero to enemy of the state and genuine madman

Bobby Fischer's (1943–2008) life was filled with amazing events. Born in Brooklyn and raised by a single mother, Bobby was always different – ​​he kept to himself, dropped out of school, but found his true calling in chess.

At the age of fourteen, he became the youngest US Champion, and a year later, the youngest Grandmaster. The highlight of his professional achievements was his victory over Soviet chess player Boris Spassky in the so-called Match of the Century in 1972, at the height of the Cold War.

Fischer reached the top of the chess Olympus at the age of twenty-nine, and then disappeared from sight. Suffering from mental illness, the exalted genius quickly turned into a paranoid person obsessed with conspiracy theories. He evaded justice for many years and died in Iceland in 2008.

This graphic novel sheds light on the story of the formation of the great Bobby Fischer, tells the story of his incredible rise and transformation into an American cultural icon, as well as his unexpected and equally unprecedented fall. A captivating tale of ambition and glory, seclusion and madness.

Reflecting on the controversial figure of Fischer, the author and illustrator took a curious step by dividing the novel into chapters, each dedicated to one of the pieces in a chess game. Readers are invited to consider alternative scenarios—just like in the famous game. The only difference is that a person's fate is at stake, and any wrong move on the board is fraught with defeat in real life.