Fischersetur | |
Established | March 9, 2013 |
---|---|
Location | Austurvegur 21, 800 Selfoss, Iceland |
Coordinates | 63°56′15″N20°59′47″W / 63.93748°N 20.99649°W |
Type | Biographical Chess Museum |
Collection size | Small |
Director | Gunnar Finnlaugsson |
Website | Bobby Fischer Center |
The Bobby Fischer Center (Icelandic: Fischersetur) is a small non-profit biographical museum housing memorabilia of the 1972 World Chess Champion, Bobby Fischer located in Selfoss, Iceland. [1] [2]
The Bobby Fischer Center has on display photos, the scoresheets, a printout for the radiation measurements demanded by Boris Spassky´s delegation after the 17th game and a replica of the chessboard used during the World Chess Championship 1972. [3] [4] The museum includes interesting artifacts related to Fischer's stay in Iceland from 2005 to 2008, including Fischer's chair from the antiquarian bookshop Bókin in Reykjavík. [3]
The building facilitates the Chess Club of Selfoss and Vicinity to play and learn about chess. In addition, the building is a venue for chess exhibitions and presentations. [5]
Fischer's grave site is at Laugardælir cemetery ( 63°57′0″N20°58′0″W / 63.95000°N 20.96667°W ), about two kilometres (25 minute walk) away from the Bobby Fischer Center. [3] [6]
Fischer random chess, also known as Chess960 and freestyle chess, is a variation of the game of chess invented by the former world chess champion Bobby Fischer. Fischer announced this variation on June 19, 1996, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Fischer random chess employs the same board and pieces as classical chess, but the starting position of the pieces on the players' home ranks is randomized, following certain rules. The random setup makes gaining an advantage through the memorization of openings impracticable; players instead must rely more on their skill and creativity over the board.
Searching for Bobby Fischer, released in the United Kingdom as Innocent Moves, is a 1993 American drama film written and directed by Steven Zaillian in his directorial debut. Starring Max Pomeranc in his film debut, Joe Mantegna, Joan Allen, Ben Kingsley, and Laurence Fishburne, it is based on the life of prodigy chess player Joshua Waitzkin, played by Pomeranc, and adapted from the book of the same name by Joshua's father, Fred Waitzkin. The film was nominated for Best Cinematography in the 66th Academy Awards.
The World Chess Championship 1972 was a match for the World Chess Championship between challenger Bobby Fischer of the United States and defending champion Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union. The match took place in the Laugardalshöll arena in Reykjavík, Iceland, and has been dubbed the Match of the Century. Fischer became the first American born in the United States to win the world title, and the second American overall. Fischer's win also ended, for a short time, 24 years of Soviet domination of the World Championship.
Hella is a small town in southern Iceland on the shores of the river Ytri-Rangá and has, as of 2021, 942 inhabitants.
William James Joseph Lombardy was an American chess grandmaster, chess writer, teacher, and former Catholic priest. He was one of the leading American chess players during the 1950s and 1960s, and a contemporary of Bobby Fischer, whom he seconded during the World Chess Championship 1972. He won the World Junior Championship in 1957, the only person to win that tournament with a perfect score. Lombardy led the U.S. Student Team to Gold in the 1960 World Student Team Championship in Leningrad.
Robert James Fischer was an American chess grandmaster and the eleventh World Chess Champion. A chess prodigy, he won his first of a record eight US Championships at the age of 14. In 1964, he won with an 11–0 score, the only perfect score in the history of the tournament. Qualifying for the 1972 World Championship, Fischer swept matches with Mark Taimanov and Bent Larsen by 6–0 scores. After winning another qualifying match against Tigran Petrosian, Fischer won the title match against Boris Spassky of the USSR, in Reykjavík, Iceland. Publicized as a Cold War confrontation between the US and USSR, the match attracted more worldwide interest than any chess championship before or since.
Helgi Ólafsson is an Icelandic chess grandmaster. He is a six-time Icelandic Chess Champion.
Selfoss is a town in southern Iceland on the banks of the Ölfusá river. It is the seat of the municipality of Árborg. The Icelandic Route 1 runs through the town on its way between Hveragerði and Hella. The town is a centre of commerce and small industries with a population of around 10,000 (2023), making it the largest residential area in South Iceland.
Laugardalshöll is a multi-purpose sports and exhibition venue located in the Laugardalur district of Iceland's capital Reykjavík. The complex consists of two main venues, a sports hall and indoor arena for track and field athletics events.
The Collins Kids were a group of young chess players invited by John W. Collins to play chess against teams from other countries. The international link began at the 1972 World Chess Championship in Reykjavík, Iceland between Bobby Fischer (USA) and Boris Spassky (USSR). The first international competition was held in Reykjavik over New Year's Day 1978. The second competition with the Icelandic kids was held in New York over New Year's Day 1979. Grandmaster Maxim Dlugy was a member of the Collins' team during the second event. The third competition was held in Iceland August 8–13, 1980. John Collins was a lifelong mentor and friend of Fischer. The Collins Kids would often field teams of young players at the United States Annual Team Championship in Parsippany, NJ.
Laugardælir is a small settlement in southwest Iceland, near the town of Selfoss. The town gained international attention when former 1972 World Chess Champion Bobby Fischer was buried at the Laugardælir Church in 2008.
2. deild karla is a football league in Iceland. It is the third division in the Icelandic football league system. The current champions are Afturelding from Mosfellsbær, who won their 1st title in 2018.
Events in chess in 1972;
Me & Bobby Fischer is a documentary about Bobby Fischer's last years as his old friend Saemundur Palsson gets him out of jail in Japan and helps him settle in Iceland.
The World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF) is a nonprofit, collecting institution situated in the Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri, United States. It features chess exhibits, engages in educational outreach, and maintains a list of inductees to the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame and World Chess Hall of Fame, the latter category being nominated by FIDE. Founded in 1984, it is run by the United States Chess Trust. Formerly located in New Windsor, New York, Washington, D.C., and Miami, Florida, it moved to St. Louis on September 9, 2011.
The Landspítali – The National University Hospital of Iceland offers a wide range of clinical services in outpatient clinics, day patient units, inpatient wards, clinical laboratories and other divisions. Landspítalinn also operates the psychiatric hospital Kleppur.
Pawn Sacrifice is a 2014 American biographical drama film about chess grandmaster and 11th world champion Bobby Fischer. It follows Fischer's challenge against top Soviet chess grandmasters during the Cold War and culminating in the World Chess Championship 1972 match versus Boris Spassky in Reykjavík, Iceland. It was directed by Edward Zwick and written by Steven Knight, and stars Tobey Maguire as Fischer, Liev Schreiber as Spassky, Lily Rabe as Joan Fischer, and Peter Sarsgaard as William Lombardy. It was released in the United States on September 16, 2015.
Several books, films and other works about Bobby Fischer have been created. Bobby Fischer was an American chess prodigy who rose to prominence during the 1950s and 1960s. In 1972, Fischer defeated the Soviet player Boris Spassky to become world champion. Soviet players had dominated chess for several years before Fischer's championship, a trend which continued after 1975 when Fischer refused to defend his title. Fischer's participation in the 1972 championship match increased American interest in chess, in the context of the Cold War.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Iceland refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Iceland. Missionary efforts of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began in 1851 with the baptisms of two native Icelanders visiting Denmark. They returned to Iceland to share the gospel. Missionary work has continued since then, although there were no permanent missionaries in Iceland from 1914 to 1974. As of December 31, 2022, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had 382 members in Iceland, divided into three congregations. There is also one Family History Center. On January 22, 2023, a Spanish language branch was created in Reykjavik bringing the number of congregation to four.
Arinbjörn Guðmundsson was an Icelandic and Australian chess player, Chess Olympiad individual medalist (1960).