fischer, king's down

Okay, enough emails about Bobby Fischer. Yes, I taught chess for a while. Truth is I was raised in a chess playing household and I knew just enough to get by, really—never was particularly mathematical. But true, Fischer has long been one of those anomalous figures that captivated me, yes. So I heard it from all angles when he died. I guess I've had lots of death in my life the last few years; I wonder if I'm finally inured.

Because aside from the spark it ignited in a particular scene for my novel, I haven't got much to say about it. A dear friend of mine from Reykjavik tells me he died of kidney failure because he refused medical care. Well then best to let him go without much fuss, isn't it? When a person makes it clear the game's over, I think we're obliged to take the word for it.