Letters

Crazy Like a Fox

"The Trouble With Genius," Lev Grossman's review of David Edmond and John Eidinow's book Bobby Fischer Goes to War [March 15], suggested that Fischer's irrational behavior detracted from his chess-playing prowess. But in the game of chess, it is important to predict the moves of one's opponent. When a player does not behave rationally, such predictions are hard to make. Viewed in this light, Fischer's antisocial, egomaniacal antics were ingenious psychological ploys that made his opponents second-guess their ideas about the grand master's chess strategies. Fischer's aberrant behavior was a crucial aspect of his chess-playing genius.
TIM JOHNSON
Eugene, Ore.