Bobby Fischer

Robert James "Bobby" Fischer (born March 9, 1943) is a former world chess champion, who on September 1, 1972 became the only American to win the FIDE World Chess Championship. He lost the title when he refused to defend it on April 3, 1975. Garry Kasparov wrote that of all world champions of chess, the skill gap between Fischer and his contemporaries was the largest in history {{ref|Kasparov}}. Fischer is also well known for his eccentricity, unconventional behavior, and outspoken, anti-Semitic political views. Despite his prolonged absence from competitive play, or perhaps because of it, Fischer is still among the best known of all chess players.

Disappearance and aftermath

In 1982, Fischer's pamphlet (published under the name Robert D. James) I Was Tortured in the Pasadena Jailhouse! was published, detailing Fischer's experiences following his arrest in 1981 after being mistaken for a wanted bank robber. It alleges (at some length) that he was treated "brutally" at the hands of the police. He was eventually charged with damaging prison property (specifically, one mattress). In 1984, Fischer wrote to the editors of the Encyclopedia Judaica asking for his name to be removed from the publication because he claimed he is not Jewish http://home.att.ne.jp/moon/fischer/list/p_42/42_0.htm. However, by Jewish Law standards he would be considered Jewish since his mother was Jewish.

Related Topics:
1982 - 1981 - 1984 - Encyclopedia Judaica - Considered Jewish

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After 20 years of not competing publicly, Fischer emerged from isolation to challenge Spassky (then placed 96-102 on the rating list) to a "Revenge Match of the 20th Century" in 1992. This match ? which was played with his new clock (see "Chess innovations", below) ? took place in Sveti Stefan, FR Yugoslavia, in spite of a severe UN embargo which included sanctions on sports events. Fischer, who insists to this day that he is still the World Champion because he never lost a title match, demanded that the organizers bill the match as "The World Chess Championship," although at this time Garry Kasparov was the recognized FIDE champion. The purse for this match was reported to be $5 million, with two-thirds to go to the winner. The United States Treasury department informed Fischer, before the match, that his participation was against the law, and, following the match, obtained an arrest warrant for him. Fischer won the match, 10 wins to 5, with 15 draws. Many grandmasters observing the match said that Fischer was past his prime. In the book Mortal Games, Garry Kasparov wrote: "He is playing ok. Around 2600 or 2650. It wouldn't be close between us." Fischer has not played any competitive chess after the 1992 match.

Related Topics:
1992 - Below - Sveti Stefan - FR Yugoslavia - UN - Embargo - Garry Kasparov

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Since 1972, Fischer has occasionally given interviews, but only if they are broadcast live. In 1999 Fischer gave a call-in interview to a radio station in Budapest, Hungary during which he described himself as the "victim of an international Jewish conspiracy." The Budapest station eventually cut him off, but a similar episode occurred after the September 11, 2001 terrorism attacks. Here, Fischer gave a broadcast interview to Pablo Mercado and Grandmaster Eugenio Torre on the Philippine radio station Radio Bombo in which he has confirmed his strong anti-Semitism ? among other things, he spoke of a worldwide Jewish conspiracy, and denied the Holocaust happened.

Related Topics:
Budapest - Hungary - Conspiracy - September 11, 2001 terrorism attacks - Grandmaster - Eugenio Torre - Anti-Semitism - Denied the Holocaust happened

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In another Philippine broadcast, he applauded the September 11 attacks. "This is all wonderful news," Fischer said. "I applaud the act. The U.S. and Israel have been slaughtering the Palestinians, just slaughtering them for years. Robbing them and slaughtering them... Now it's coming back to the U.S." In 2003, Fischer's United States Chess Federation membership was revoked following these comments.

Related Topics:
2003 - United States Chess Federation

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Similar broadcasts were made through a station in Iceland. Fischer made disparaging remarks about the political situation in chess, alleging that chess is dominated by Jewish control and that every World Championship match since he had left the scene in 1975 had been pre-arranged. The sudden re-emergence was apparently triggered when some of Fischer's belongings, which had been stored in a Pasadena, California storage unit, were sold by the landlord in response to nonpayment of rent. He claimed this was further evidence of a worldwide Jewish conspiracy perpetrated by "the Jew-controlled U.S. Government" to defame and destroy him http://home.att.ne.jp/moon/fischer/.

Related Topics:
Iceland - 1975 - Pasadena, California

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For some years Fischer was reportedly living in Budapest, where he became acquainted with the Polgár family, and later on in Japan.

Related Topics:
Polgár - Japan

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Detention in 2004 and 2005

On July 13 2004, Fischer was detained at Narita International Airport in Narita, Japan near Tokyo for allegedly using a revoked U.S. passport while trying to board a Japan Airlines flight to Ninoy Aquino International Airport near Manila, Philippines. Fischer used a genuine passport that the U.S. Embassy in Bern, Switzerland issued to him in 1997, but which was revoked in 2003. It has been reported that Fischer traveled frequently between Tokyo and Manila using his U.S. passport.

Related Topics:
July 13 - 2004 - Narita International Airport - Narita - Japan - Tokyo - Passport - Japan Airlines - Ninoy Aquino International Airport - Manila - Philippines - Bern, Switzerland - 1997 - 2003

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He has been wanted by the United States government since 1992 when his match with Spassky in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia violated the presidential executive order #12810 of George H. W. Bush based on UN sanctions against engaging in economic activities in Yugoslavia. Japan and the United States have a mutually binding extradition treaty.

Related Topics:
1992 - Federal Republic of Yugoslavia - Executive order - George H. W. Bush - Yugoslavia - Extradition - Treaty

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Bobby Fischer renounced his U.S. citizenship, according to the AFP. The following month, it was reported that Fischer would be marrying Miyoko Watai, the President of the Japanese Chess Association, with whom he has been living since 2000. There has been speculation that the move occurred in order to aid Fischer's chances of being allowed to stay in Japan. He also appealed to United States Secretary of State Colin Powell to help him renounce his citizenship.

Related Topics:
AFP - Miyoko Watai - Japanese Chess Association - Japan - United States Secretary of State - Colin Powell

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Nevertheless, Japan's Justice Minister rejected Fischer's appeal that he be allowed to remain in the country and ordered him deported.

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Icelandic citizenship

Seeking ways to evade deportation to the United States, Fischer wrote a letter to the government of Iceland in early January 2005, asking for Icelandic citizenship. Sympathetic to Fischer's plight ? but reluctant to grant him the full benefits of citizenship ? Icelandic authorities granted him an alien's passport. When this proved insufficient for the Japanese authorities, the Althing agreed unanimously to grant Fischer full citizenship in late March http://chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=2275. Meanwhile, the U.S. government filed charges of tax evasion against Fischer in an effort to prevent him from traveling to Iceland.

Related Topics:
Iceland - Passport - Althing

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As confirmation of Fischer's new citizenship reached Japanese authorities, they agreed to let him out of custody to fly to his new home country. Although Iceland has an extradition treaty with the United States, according to Icelandic law, Icelandic citizens may not be extradited from Iceland.

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Shortly before his departure to Iceland on March 23, 2005, Bobby Fischer and his spokesperson-associate appeared briefly on the BBC World Service, via a telephone link to the Tokyo airport from where he departed for Iceland. His associate stated that Fischer would never play chess again and Fischer began by denouncing President Bush as a criminal. He then stated that he would appeal his case to the U.S. Supreme Court but that he would not return to the United States while the current administration is in power. He denounced Japan as a puppet of the United States. His associate added that Fischer now considered his home to be in Iceland. With that his associate shouted "Bon voyage!" to Bobby Fischer as he left to board the aircraft for his new home.

Related Topics:
March 23 - 2005 - BBC World Service - President Bush - U.S. Supreme Court - Puppet

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Bobby Fischer landed safely in Reykjavík, thereby avoiding Iceland's main international airport at Keflavík, as it is near a U.S. naval air station. Many people were there to welcome this new Icelander.

Related Topics:
Reykjavík - Keflavík

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In May, a delegation including Boris Spassky visited Iceland with the intent of "drawing Fischer back to the chessboard". Fischer appeared interested in playing a Fischer Random Chess match against a "worthy opponent". Spassky said that he was not planning to play Fischer. http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=2414

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