Reshevsky and Fischer had one of the fiercest rivalries in chess history, including Reshevsky’s 1961 defeat of the then-U.S. champion when Fischer defaulted in the final game of a tied 16-game match. Nonetheless, and pursuant to the Rebbe’s request, Reshevsky called Fischer in Los Angeles during a visit to the area for a tournament in early 1984 and, surprisingly, Fischer, then a paranoid recluse, agreed to see him. They discussed chess for several hours, but when Reshevsky brought up the subject of the Lubavitcher Rebbe and the Rebbe’s interest in encouraging Bobby’s interest in Judaism, Fischer threw Reshevsky out of the house.
Although Reshevsky had failed in moving Fischer, he was successful in adopting the Rebbe’s philosophy that every Jew counts and in living a public life that epitomized Kiddush Hashem. Emblematic of the fact that his fidelity to his God and his faith were broadly recognized and admired, his New York Times obituary noted: “For a generation, nothing in the world of chess was as certain as the knowledge that Reshevsky would not play on the Sabbath.”
