um hi
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“thirteen-year-old Bobby Fischer announced his first [chess] move to his opponent, Jack Collins: “Pawn to king four.”
Collins, a diminutively proportioned man whose stunted legs had left him unable to walk, was propelled in a wheelchair along the crowded New York City street”
“Walking next to Collins was his slightly younger sister, Ethel, a plump but pretty registered nurse who was almost always by his side. She adored her brother and gave up everything –even marriage–to care for him.”
“In this case Fischer was not only visualizing a game without benefit of board, pieces, or printed score; he was creating it, composing it as a motion picture in his mind.”
“witnessing two players competing without sight of a board can evoke astonishment.”
“Collllins was the co-author of the then latest edition of, Modern Chess Openings, which contained thousands of variations, positions, analyses, and recommendations.”
“It was humid, threatening to drizzle. Fischer had just returned from the U.S. Open Championship in Oklahoma City, the youngest player at thirteen, ever to compete in the event. Collins was former New York State Champion, a veteran tournament player, and a renowned teacher of the game. He was forty-four years old.”
“Fischer grudgingly agreed to a draw, then his mind immediately shifted to what awaited: his favorite Chinese meal of Egg Drop Soup, Chicken Chop Suey, and pistachio ice cream.”
(from “Endgame” by Frank Brady)
Brie interjects:
The Wasteland Years in Los Angeles
Bobby Fischer moved to South Pasadena not long after becoming world champion by defeating the entire, mighty, Soviet chess system!
Lived in someone’s basement on Mockingbird Lane for awhile. Whereupon moved to Orange Street in Los Angeles near Wilshire and Fairfax.
Existed on the royalties from his two books, and his mother’s social security checks sent by his lovely sister Joan.
Without the big bucks from the Philippines for playing Karpov of the Soviet Union, circumstances got gradually worse.
Occasional trips to Palo alto to visit his sister, who was married to a Stanford scientist, and a trip to Berkeley to visit with the current US champion, which ended in a bad way from Fischer running up the phone bill of his host.
Amazing how such a genius could devolve into failure.
Always low on money, wearing shabby clothes, without a car, and no romantic love!
Residing in downtown Los Angeles skid-row flop houses, while searching book stores for questionable reading material, and who knows whatever else occurred downtown!?.
Going into coffee shops with a shopping bag containing oranges, and a hand-cranked juicer to make his own fresh-squeezed orange juice for his breakfast.
Time to go back to the 32 pieces and 64 squares!
“He [Fischer] connected all this with the rage he still felt for the loss of personal effects he’d kept for years in a store room
[Bekins–Pasadena] in California, which had been sold at auction when the storage rent wasn’t paid.”
[“Storage Wars!”]
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The winner of the Peggy Olson [MAD MEN] look-alike contest is Andrealea:
“Eclectic 29 year old life long crossdresser from Eire Pennsylvania, looking to befriend others. Love fashion,
coffee
and close friends with common interests.”
Brie as Peggy Olson
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Dee Delmar
& Tonya
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Brie as Shirley Temple
