The Battle of the Brains

(11 of 11)

electronic "white sound," sleep-inducing device he keeps near his bed. Also near his bed is the Bible he has carried with him constantly since he joined the Worldwide Church of God, a California-based fundamentalist sect.

Of late, Bobby has taken to musing about "Once I have the title..." "If" has never entered his mind. When pressed, he modestly rates himself as the "20-to-1 favorite." The prospect of earning more than $100,000 in Reykjavik has him talking about buying houses round the world. "You know, like what's-his-name—Onassis, who has his table set for him in places like London, Buenos Aires, New York." When he first started his all-out quest for the title in Belgrade two years ago, a reporter asked him what chess meant to him. He pondered for nearly a minute and then said it all: "Everything."

*The lifetime title of International Grand Master is achieved by winning a requisite number of points in tournaments approved by the F.l.D.E.