Bobby Fischer

14 6.2

An American chess player who was world champion from 1972 to 1975

proper noun
/ˈbɑbi ˈfɪʃər/

: Bobby Fischer

Bobby Fischer was a remarkable chess player who became the World Champion in 1972.

Examples

Bobby Fischer stunned the world when he won the World Chess Championship in 1972.
The rivalry between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky is legendary in the chess community.
Many consider Bobby Fischer one of the greatest chess players of all time.
Bobby Fischer was a genius.
Many consider Bobby Fischer the greatest chess player of all time.
Known for his eccentricity, Bobby Fischer transformed the game of chess during his career.
The match between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky in 1972 captured global attention.

Surface Forms

Bobby Fischer main

Morphology

Bobby + Fischer

This is a proper name: knowing the parts 'Bobby' (a given name) and 'Fischer' (a surname) does not allow a B1 learner to infer the person's identity or that he was a chess grandmaster. Proper names are referential labels whose biographical or occupational information is not compositional, so the meaning is opaque without prior knowledge.

Etymology

Bobby Fischer was an American chess player who became 'world champion' in 1972 after a famous match with Boris Spassky. His great skill and unusual behavior made him very famous, so his name now often means 'a brilliant but unusual chess player'.