Muller has annotated every serious game played by Bobby Fischer for which records could be found -- over 735 in all. While a handful of games from his career are missing, the vast majority are here, from his beginnings as a relatively unremarkable 12-year-old player, to his meteoric rise into a world-class grandmaster, and his return match with Boris Spassky in 1992. Accompanying the games are crosstables from each tournament and match, along with many photos of Fischer throughout the book. Relevant information is also given to place the games in their proper context.
The annotations vary from game to game. Some only receive a few words, while others are rather thorough. For many of Fischer's games, deeper analysis can be found elsewhere, but that's to be expected; as an overview of Fischer's career this work covers an incredibly wide selection of games, and isn't meant to delve into the deepest depths of any one game. Muller's annotations provide insight into the important ideas and key moments of each game without becoming overbearing; if you play through the entire book, you'll rarely feel lost.
If Bobby Fischer were just a game collection, it would be worth a purchase, but there are a few other pieces of the book worth mentioning. Most notably, Andy Soltis has written an opening survey that looks at Fischer's important contributions to the openings. I found this to be a great read, as it delved both into what Fischer developed, as well as where he gained inspiration from earlier players. Larry Evans also provides a foreword that provides a review of Fischer's life, both on and off the board. A summary of his career results, highlights, and an opening index are also included.
For fans of the only official American World Chess Champion, Bobby Fischer is a must buy, and I highly recommend it for anyone who wants a great resource for learning about the career of perhaps the most famous chess player ever. Even if you never plan to play through the book or read it for enjoyment, it has great value as a reference work for all of Fischer's games. While this may not be the only Fischer book you'll ever need, it's certainly one that belongs in every fan's collection.
