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remember the moves of that game with Pavey. A friend’s offhand mention that Bobby probably had every expectation of winning his first game against a chess master elicited a strident rebuke: “Of course not!” He did say that Pavey probably had “gone easy” on him and that he was amazed that he’d even lasted a quarter of an hour against him. That he was passionate enough to cry demonstrated his growing intensity concerning the game. Even at seven he didn’t consider himself an amateur. He later admitted that the game had a great effect in motivating him.
    One spectator at the exhibition that evening was Carmine Nigro, a short, bald man in his early forties; Bobby described him as “cheery.”
    Nigro studied the Pavey-Fischer game intently. He liked the moves that Bobby was making. They weren’t scintillating, but they were sensible ones, especially for a beginner. With the utmost concentration, Bobby seemed to block out everything and everyone around him. When the game concluded, Nigro approached Regina and Bobby and introduced himself as the newly elected president of the Brooklyn Chess Club. He invited Bobby to come to the club on any Tuesday or Friday night. No, there would be no membership dues for the boy, Nigro assured Regina. She took him to the club, which was located in the old Brooklyn Academy of Music, the very next evening.

2
Childhood Obsession

    W HEN SEVEN-YEAR-OLD B OBBY , accompanied by his mother, walked into the Brooklyn Chess Club for the first time on a Friday night in January 1951, he was an anomaly. He was, in fact, the first child permitted to enter. Even the appearance of Regina Fischer was unusual: There were no other women present, and at that time there were no female members on the club’s roster, as was the case at many other clubs in the United States.
    As the new president of the club, Carmine Nigro announced that Bobby was his guest and would be accepted as a member.No one had the temerity to disagree. It was a tradition in many chess clubs, not only in the United States but throughout the world, that children were not to be heard, and certainly not seen.Even Emanuel Lasker, who ultimately became World Chess Champion, was as a child denied membership in his local club in Germany, despite his evident talent.
    The Brooklyn Chess Club, established just after the Civil War, was one of the most prestigious in the nation. It was housed in the impressive and stately Brooklyn Academy of Music,where Enrico Caruso and Geraldine Farrar had sung. The club had distinguished itself by competing every year in the Metropolitan Chess League, often defeating dozens of clubs throughout the New York area. Nevertheless, Bobby seemed unafraid of the cigar-smoking adepts hunched over their boards.
    The room was quiet except for the occasional rap of a chess piece slammed to the board in anger. At the conclusion of a game, a player might ask, “If I’d played the rook instead of the bishop, what would you have done?” ormutter indignantly, “I overlooked a mating net: You’re lucky to get a draw.” Invariably, the tones were hushed, even when the speaker was annoyed. Bobby looked on in wonderment, understanding some of the jargon and trying to comprehend the rest.
    The problem that developed for Bobby almost instantly that night was more in the minds of his potential opponents. None of the club’s veterans wanted to play a boy, especially since Bobby looked to be about five. A chorus of nervous, fretful snickers ran through the high-ceilinged room when it was suggested they “give Bobby a chance.” The predominant feeling was:
It’s bad enough to lose to a peer, but what if I lose to a seven-year-old? The embarrassment! The loss of reputation!
After coaxing from Nigro, a few of the older players relented and gave Bobby a game or two.
    Most were experienced tournament competitors, some even approaching the strength of Max Pavey. As it developed, they had nothing to fear though: Bobby lost every