Friday, May 6, 2016

All the Stars in the Sky

In his article “A Breathtaking Model”, New In Chess, 2/2008, pp. 30-35, Grandmaster Jan Timman gives a totally different version of the last night’s fire of Bobby Fischer in Brussels from that told by Gennadi Borisevich Sosonko. According to Timman’s version, they, indeed, went into a night club, but there was no “Last Tango in Brussels”. “We stayed for a long time”, recalls Timman, “and around four in the morning, Kok, Fischer and I walked back to the hotel. Kok and I were pretty tired, but Fischer seemed as sprightly as ever. ‘Is Sheraton the tallest building in Brussels?’ he asked. These were the last words I heard him say. Kok replied in the negative”. No mention about the presence of Sosonko.
After all, it’s not so important to know with whom Bobby spent his last night in Brussels. Even if he had spent it alone, there is no reason to doubt what he told Sosonko the morning after: “It was a wonderful night”.
Counting stars until he’s fallen asleep.

Fischer in Reykjavík, 1972. Photo © Harry Benson.

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