Bobby Fischer and his mother

Chess genius Bobby Fischer had a very strained relationship with his mother Regina, a social activist who was herself an extremely bright and ambitious person. She was not married to Bobby’s father and her activities meant that he and his sister were left alone in their apartment long stretches of time. When home, she lacked nurturing skills to comfort her reclusive prodigy. Bobby was left to absorb himself in his passion–chess and when he became famous at an early age, chose mentors who did not have his best interest at heart. As an adult, he rarely saw his mom and when his sister died in the late 90’s lost his last contact with family. Parentless children regress into a world of pathologic narcissism to bolster their sense of self and real skills exaggerate this. (note the strutting halfbacks!) as he got older, he trusted no one and spiraled into a paranoid psychosis, likely a genetic illness, and did not seek treatment. Extraordinary skills, even genius, cannot overcome the lack of parenting and early unconditional love.