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I think it's a generational thing, in part. I was born the year of the first Spassky/Fischer duel, and so my memories of him are from his hermit years. His games are brilliant, but they don't make my jaw drop the way that say, Tal's do. His "How to Play Chess" book is brilliant on a pedantic level, but I never wanted to buy it and give the jerk royalties (and used copies are inevitably all marked up, spoiling the fun).There have been chess champions who've been anti-Semitic (Alekhine). There have been champions who were probably mentally ill or autistic (Morphy). There have been champions who have been complete egomaniacs (Capablanca). There have been champions who were totally self-destructive (Tal). It seems, almost, like Fischer got the worst characteristics of all of his chess champion predecessors along with a lot of their brilliancies.Plus, he was just an exceptional asshole. The Bobby Fischer who can be admired died, for the most part, in 1972.