Bobby Fischer

[IronParrot]

Has anyone else been following the case of legendary chess player Bobby Fischer? After over a decade on the run from U.S. authorities for breaking U.S. sanctions (he played a rematch of his famous 1972 match against Boris Spassky, but he did it in Yugoslavia where those sanctions were levied) and occasionally surfacing with an anti-American, anti-Semitic radio diatribe, he was stopped in Japan last year and has been awaiting deportation since.

In the meantime he renounced his U.S. citizenship and was offered asylum by Iceland, though last week Japan ruled that he was not a special case and could not circumvent deportation on those grounds.

Now it seems that the government of Iceland has officially granted Fischer citizenship, thus allowing him to end up there as one of their own. Incredibly, it was done with unanimous consent in the Icelandic parliament; he's somewhat of a celebrity there given how the 1972 match was held in Reykjavik.

This thread comes a bit late considering that the saga is now winding down, but have you any thoughts on Iceland's position? The States' position?

[jerseydevil]

Haven't heard of it. It doesn't seem to be that important here so I'd have to do some research and actually find out.

[IronParrot]

That's surprising. I would have thought it was a bigger deal in the U.S. given how Fischer is the country's one real claim to fame in the face of the "Russian juggernaut" that dominates the chess-playing world, not to mention how Fischer is one of the higher-profile "Americans denouncing America."

[Rían]

I heard about the Japan part. I didn't know about the Iceland part.

International law is very complex! A lot depends upon which nation wants to make which nation happy, IMO. Japan's in a tough spot!

[jerseydevil]

Originally Posted by RÃ*an

I heard about the Japan part. I didn't know about the Iceland part.

International law is very complex! A lot depends upon which nation wants to make which nation happy, IMO. Japan's in a tough spot!

Well I think now Iceland will be in a rough spot too. If the government wants Fischer deported and Iceland is helping him NOT to be - then the US government is going to be rather upset with Iceland over the whole thing.

[The Gaffer]

I doubt it. They'd far rather keep their strategic installations there. IIRC, there's a bit of anti-American feeling in Iceland, particularly around the military presence, so this sounds like an ideal way for the politicians to pretend that they're flipping the bird to Uncle Sam while carrying on with business as usual.

Sounds like Fischer has gone a bit doo-lally. Shame, the man was an undoubted genius. But genius and political loose-cannonry seems to go hand in glove with chess: Kasparov has recently announced his intention to establish a political opposition to Putin.

It brings to mind those classic 70s East-West sporting encounters: Olympic basketball final, ice hockey etc.

[Valandil]

I have felt a bit bad for Fischer ever since the story came out of his initial arrest in Japan some time back. It doesn't seem that big a deal to me that he played a chess match in Yugoslavia - that he should have to be on the run for it all these years later. And he says anti-American stuff, but so what? I'm not crazy about that, but lots of folks do it - and it's what 'free speech' is all about.

I was a kid when he took the world by storm with his chess - and my older brother and I were just novices at the game - my brother a bit more into it and even got Fischer's book.

I wish we could just leave the old fellow alone.

(EDIT: and I see a news headline that Japan has released him)

[The Wizard from Milan]

Originally Posted by jerseydevil

Well I think now Iceland will be in a rough spot too. If the government wants Fischer deported and Iceland is helping him NOT to be - then the US government is going to be rather upset with Iceland over the whole thing.

I imagine all this happened with the secret consent of the US government. It seems to me that the US government wants to keep on harrasing Bobby Fisher, but does not really have an interest in putting him into jail: he is famous, and his punishment would probabily be considered unjust by many both in the US and abroad (with the right media spin)

[Insidious Rex]

Originally Posted by Valandil

I have felt a bit bad for Fischer ever since the story came out of his initial arrest in Japan some time back. It doesn't seem that big a deal to me that he played a chess match in Yugoslavia - that he should have to be on the run for it all these years later. And he says anti-American stuff, but so what? I'm not crazy about that, but lots of folks do it - and it's what 'free speech' is all about.

I was a kid when he took the world by storm with his chess - and my older brother and I were just novices at the game - my brother a bit more into it and even got Fischer's book.

I wish we could just leave the old fellow alone.

(EDIT: and I see a news headline that Japan has released him)

I have no sympathy for him. Its not just that hes anti american. Hes a virulant anti semite. He likes to rail against "Jews, secret Jews, or CIA rats who work for the Jews." And hes made TONS of enemies with the things hes done and said in the past 40 years or so. He also has a history of blind defiance and anti social behavior. Of course much of this stems to the fact that hes a paranoid schizophrenic. But what can you do.

[Spock]

IMO, the punishment was way over the top. We're talking playing chess and nothing more. I think he did what he did because he was so angry that the US would punish him so severely, when it lets US citizens sneak to Cuba and doesn't punish them for violating the travel ban.
I admired Bobby Fisher and played chess until the US did this to him. He is in Iceland now and I hope happy. Iceland has nothing to fear from the US, one of the closest NATO bases to Russia is there and we aren't that stupid to bug them about it.....or are we? Oh, well.