Bobby Fischer the chess legend recently died . He was aged 64.

At age 15 he became a chess grand master. In 1972 in a much publicised match he beat the then reigning champion Spassky in Iceland and won the title of World Chess Champion. He was the first American-born World Chess Champion. As this was during the time of the Cold War, the American victory was a great symbolic triumph for the US, especially since Russia had up to then been the pre-eminent power in the chess world.

Not only was he famous as a chess player, but his unusual antics gained him a reputation as an eccentric. In recent years he had lived the life of a recluse. He gave up his US citizenship and since 2005 he had lived in Iceland, where he had gained his title.

In 1992 a controversial rematch took place between him and Spassky. This was held in the former Yugoslavia, upon which international sanctions had been imposed, and the US branded Fischer a wanted man.

He often made anti-American remarks and one well-known remark he made after the events of 9-11, was to call the US an evil-doer and being one of the “allies of evil”, countenancing the slogan “axis of evil” used by Bush.