What Are Bobby Fischer Chess Openings?

Among the large range of possible moves in chess, the opening, which is the first combination of moves made in the game, can only start with one of the pawns or one of the knights moving.

That gives players a total of 20 possible moves since the pawns can move one or two squares in their moves, and only the knights can jump over other pieces.

A strong opening can even mean an early end of the match, and because of that, most skilled players give their best to foresee their opponents’ first moves in an attempt to catch a possible gambit at an early stage and neutralize the threat.

Openings are also one of the first aspects of chess most players study and try to develop.

Who Was Bobby Fischer?

Considered one of the top three players of all time, Fischer had an astonishing 2895 peak rating, which set him only next to Kasparov and Carlsen. Winning his first US Championship at the age of 14, Bobby Fischer went on to win eight editions of the competition in a row.

Apart from the streak record, Fischer also set another record after winning the tournament with a perfect 11-0 score. It was the only time in history the feat was achieved.

Having died in 2008, this Grandmaster is speculated to have beaten the best players of all time due to his impressive and strange mix of perfection and practicality.

Playing in such a way, Fischer kept his opponents on their toes by constantly displaying intents of aggressiveness and intelligence.

Bobby Fischer’s Openings

Being one of the strongest proponents of the e4, or King pawn opening, Bobby Fischer abandoned his customary first move very few times. Fischer’s favorite opening already enables the movement to two of the strongest pieces on the table on its first move.

By moving the King pawn, the queen and the king’s bishop gain room to move out of the back and help players conquer a solid central position.

However, the most impressive win Fischer has ever had was partly credited to a change in the very first move he so strongly supported. In Game 6 of the 1972 World Chess Championship, Fischer was playing Spassky, and the dispute was tied at 2.5 points each.

It was then that Fischer changed his signature opening and confused his opponent with an English Opening, or Queen’s Gambit c4 first move.

That surprising move took Spassky entirely by surprise and led Fischer to win what is known as the “Game of the Century”. Not only did Fischer get Spassky stunned, but he also got the credits for beating his opponent in ‘his own style’.

This move, which later on came to inspire chess movies, created a trend of surprising variations of this, which is probably the most common opening. In the end, when it comes to geniuses such as Bobby Fischer, there is no telling where even a simple e4 first move will lead matches.