Bobby Fischer Goes to War

This gripping work of narrative history recounts the 1972 World Chess Championship in Reykjavik, where American grandmaster Bobby Fischer challenged Soviet champion Boris Spassky in a match that became a symbolic battle of the Cold War. More than a story about chess, it explores the political tensions, psychological drama, and cultural stakes that turned a board game into a global spectacle. David Edmonds, a philosopher and journalist known for making complex ideas accessible to general readers, brings clarity and momentum to the story, drawing on interviews and historical research to illuminate the personalities involved and the wider geopolitical context. The book examines genius and obsession, ideology and propaganda, and the strange pressures placed on two men asked to embody rival superpowers. Accessible to chess enthusiasts and general readers alike, it offers a compelling portrait of a singular historical moment when sport, politics, and personality collided. EX-LIBRARY COPY