The geek world is mourning the loss of one of their own. Bobby Fischer, the first U.S.-born World Chess Champion, who later became a magnet for controversy with his defection from the US, died Thursday at the age of 64.

Fisher died of kidney failure Thursday in a Reykjavik hospital after a long illness, his spokesman, Gardar Sverrisson, said Friday.

Born Robert James Fischer on March 9, 1943, Bobby began playing chess on a competitive level when he was only 8. He would go on to win the United States Junior Champion at age 13 (the youngest to do so), as well as become the youngest International Grand Master in 1958 at age 15.

His prowess in the game, however, was soon overshadowed by his eccentric behavior and penchant for making unusual demands.

He turned up late for tournaments, walked out of matches, refused to play unless the lighting suited him and was intolerant of photographers and cartoonists. He was convinced of his own superiority and called the Soviets "Commie cheats."

His behavior often unsettled opponents _ to Fischer's advantage.

While Fischer became an American hero in the midst of the Cold War with his victory over Soviet champion Boris Strassky in 1972, he was stripped of his championship in 1975 when he refused to defend it. He then dropped from the chess scene and went into seclusion.

This is where the weirdness starts...

In 1992, Fischer first becomes at odds with the United States.

Fischer played _ and won _ an exhibition rematch against Spassky on the Yugoslav resort island of Sveti Stefan, but the game was in violation of U.S. sanctions imposed to punish then-President Slobodan Milosevic.

Later, weirdness would become crackpot douchebaggery. Hours after the September 11 attacks, Fischer granted a radio interview in the Philippines (which can be heard here) applauding the attacks and denouncing the US. As a result, his United States Chess Foundation membership was revoked by unanimous decision (though that decision was later vacated).

Three years later, he was involved in more legal issues after renouncing his U.S. citizenship and seeking political asylum in Europe.

In July 2004, Fischer was arrested at Japan's Narita airport for traveling on a revoked U.S. passport and was threatened with extradition to the United States to face charges of violating sanctions.

He spent nine months in custody before the dispute was resolved when Iceland granted him citizenship and he moved there with his longtime companion, the Japanese chess player Miyoko Watai.

Fellow legend Garry Kasparov, who called Fischer's presence in the chess world "a revolutionary breakthrough," had this to say about his death:

"The tragedy is that he left this world too early, and his extravagant life and scandalous statements did not contribute to the popularity of chess," Kasparov told The Associated Press

To the end, Fischer was still convinced of his superiority in the game.

"I don't play the old chess," he told reporters when he arrived in Iceland in 2005. "But obviously if I did, I would be the best."

thefreak was in the Chess Club. He was not an insane douchebag, though.

FearTheReaper

NEWSWIRE

I'm lost

JAN 18, 2008 10:31 PM

Now, that is a God damn headline.

yurei

Japan

June 2006

JAN 18, 2008 10:40 PM

You didn't mention "Fisherandom."

Nessuno

Washington, DC

May 2006

JAN 18, 2008 10:40 PM

Holy Shiznit! I remember being in a counselor at Chess camp and being so happy he resurfaced, only to hear him go on an anti-semitic rant and hear about him trying to piss on reporters. His amazing talent and tragic loss of sanity is the stuff Greek tragedies were made of.

Sad indeed.

You didn't mention "Fisherandom."

Which rocks. I think it will be remembered as his legacy a hundred years down the line. Along with the many classic matches he left us.