Bobby Fischer solves a 15 puzzle in 17 seconds on Carson Tonight Show - 11/08/1972

It was mixed very well, I mean it wasn't mixed well, oh 17. no, well, they didn't mix it very well, it takes about 30

seconds

. you want to mix them up a little bit for me be nice mix it well bob could make it make it difficult i have to go one two three four five six seven eight right to 15 like you did there okay, i think it's pretty good, you want to do a commercial gift, get it out of the way, Don't let it upset you, Johnny, okay, let's see now. I have to clean this one up to here and there are two there, well, you put the only one, I didn't have mine, yours down there, you're ready, I'm ready, you have three

seconds

to nail them, okay, I have the. one up there was joking, I used to do this myself Bob, I'm just slowing you down there, you're okay, let's move on, now you have a photo of that Bob straight from our local audience and for our local viewers, all in order, right ?

He could be here until this time tomorrow and he wouldn't be able to get those things. That is incredible. I see you have to know how to do it. Yes, for about seven years. You should do it. That is incredible. That is incredible. What is your average day like? uh, what do you do when you're not playing chess? What do you like to do? I know you, at least the articles I read about you, one that they had in life, so you watch a lot of television, you read a lot, yes, listen. I like to study some chess and listen to rock and roll in the background very quietly.

I don't like it now, how can you study chess and listen to rock and roll in the background? Bob, I thought you couldn't have that distraction there, oh. That's when I play, you know, serious chess, but when I study it gets a little boring playing all these people's games and I'm actually not that good at their games most of the time, so the music that kept me going awake keeps me interested, yes, so you study chess mainly. During the day, yeah, have you considered? I don't want to ask you anything personal, but have you considered marriage or do you think that would interfere with being a good chess player?

No, well, I mean, you know it could break your concentration. I don't know what I'm talking about, I'm considering getting married now, I mean it'll hurt my game a little bit, but I feel a lot better and I'm on top now, yeah I can afford to let go a little bit just a little bit you're the best chess player in the world without a doubt, isn't he? Yeah, sure, that's great. I think it's great when you say yes, you have to have what drove you, what really drove you. Was it because you felt that the Russians were playing for a while and not letting the championship leave their country?

Well, at first just the love for the game, he is a boy who loves to win and everything but the ass that he had. all these problems with the Russians and they tried to stop me from playing against them in a title fight and all this and they kept writing that I wasn't that good, I wasn't even the type that wasn't even in the top 10, they said no, you know I was just a big talker, I did it, you know, I just got publicity because of my antics and all this really exaggerated stuff, there was no comparison between the Russians, so you had to go try it, huh, you know, this is really what kept me if they had just kept quiet and ignored me and, you know, I said, "He's a really good player." Maybe I wouldn't have gone for the title because I didn't care that much.

I knew it was. the best, but they kept saying this all the time, they are putting me down, they made me angry, they sure did. You are now at the top of your form. Can you get better as you get older? I think it's a question of physical endurance, really, if I stay in good physical shape, I think I could be a champion. That's what a lot of people don't understand. That's interesting. You'd think you wouldn't have to be in such good physical shape to sit on a board. Well. , you're sitting there for five hours and if your concentration is lost for a split second and you make your own move, that's the game, it's interesting, we'll take a break here from one of our sponsors and come back to dom. deluise jose feliciano you