Chess master Bobby Fischer dead at 64

January 18, 2008

Dubbed as one of the world's greatest chess players of all-time, Bobby Fischer has died at the age of 64 from, according to his spokesman Gardar Sverrisson. He died in Iceland at a hospital in.

Fischer is most known for beating his opponent from the then  in 1972, to become the first and so far only American world champion chess player. He became a in August of 1958 at the young age of 15.

Fischer was also a fugitive of the U.S. after violating the terms of sanctions by going to an island of the former country of  in 1992 to play Spassky in a rematch, and won. He was detained in Japan for nine months through 2004 and 2005, accused of trying to leave the country on a revoked U.S. passport. After his detainment he was granted Icelandic citizenship and moved to the country in 2005, instead of being deported to the U.S. by the Japanese government.

"[Fischer was] the pioneer, some would say the founder, of professional chess. [His death is] very sad news," said Garry Kasparov, a former world champion of chess.

Fisher was born on March 9, 1943 in Chicago, Illinois.