In the days before the event, the whole world wondered if he would show up. Plane after plane waited on the runway, while he napped, took walks, and ate sandwiches. Henry Kissinger called and asked him to go for his country's honor. Soon after arriving, he offended he Icelanders by calling their country inadequate because it had no bowling alleys. He complained about the TV cameras, about the lighting, about the table and chairs, and the contrast of the squares on the board. You could tell them, he said, it's too nice of you. None of this has anything to do with chess of course. But maybe it did. If he won, he'd be the first American world champion in history. If he lost, he'd just be another patzer from Brooklyn. At the 40th move of the 21st game he countered Spassky's bishop to king 6 with the pawn to rook 4. And it was all over. He came home an American hero. He bragged to the world he'd beat the Russians, and he delivered. He could command the same money as heavyweight prizefughters. He was invited to dinner by statesmen and kings. Then Bobby Fischer made the most original, unexpected move of all. He disappeared. (Max Pomeranc as Josh Waitzkin in Searching for Bobby Fischer, dir. Steven Zaillian, 1993)