I'll play a lot, stake matches. Not like the Russians. They win the championship and then hide for three years. Every few months, anyway twice a year, I'd like to get up a purse and meet a challenger. It's good for the game, keeps up interest in chess, and it's good for the bank account. I want to get some money together. Like take professional football. All these athletes making hundreds of thousands of dollars. Contracts, endorsements. If there's room for all of them, there ought to be room for one of me. I mean, after all, I'm a great goodwill ambassador for the United States!
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The speaker argues chess needs frequent high-stakes matches to maintain interest and income.
- In plain terms
- Chess needs more matches to stay popular.
- What can you take from it?
- Competition drives interest.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do you grow a sport?
- What sustains a career?
Another view
Frequent matches may cause burnout.
More from Bobby Fischer
I have a minus score (against Spassky). I lost 3 and drew 2. I was better than him when I lost those games. I pressed for the win. My overall tournament record…
Permalink to quote #10 Americans like a winner. If you lose, you're nothing. I'm going to win, though. It's good for the match that Spassky has a plus score against me. We've met fiv…
Permalink to quote #8 I'm not afraid of Spassky. The world knows I'm the best. You don't need a match to prove it.
Permalink to quote #11
Related quotes
'I'm out there to play football. Regardless of what numbers I put up, people talk about not throwing touchdowns, or not getting 300 yards passing. You have to …
Steve McNairSteve McNair quote #1 Arsenal winning the Champions League would be a nightmare. It would be horrific if we finished fourth and weren't in it, watching some team from one of those t…
Martin JolMartin Jol quote #1 Remember, just because Microsoft can do something, doesn't mean you can. Microsoft makes their own gravity. Normal rules don't apply to them.
Joel SpolskyJoel Spolsky quote #1