Iceland offers chess legend Bobby Fischer residency

[allemand]

REYKJAVIK (AFP) - Iceland said it would give a residence permit to chess legend Bobby Fischer, who is being held by Japanese immigration authorities and the United States is seeking to extradite.
The Directory of Immigration has today confirmed that Mr Fischer's application has been approved. The Icelandic Embassy in Tokyo has been instructed to inform Mr Fischer about the decision," Iceland's foreign ministry said in a statement.

In an interview aired on Icelandic television station Channel 2 on Monday, Fischer said he had written to Icelandic Foreign Minister David Oddsson requesting asylum. <...> The Icelandic government however only agreed to give Fischer a residence permit, although it did instruct its embassy in Japan to "help him to get to Iceland if he so wishes".

<...>

It remains unclear whether Japanese authorities, who have rejected Fischer's request for political asylum, will release him or deport him to the United States, where he could face up to 10 years in prison.

More:
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20041215/en_afp/icelandusjapanchess_041215205955

[Gothmog]

1. Free Bobby Fischer

The US should just let Fischer go to Iceland and live out his life.

[Art_from_Ark]

13. They let Charles Jenkins go

Jenkins was the deserter who fled to North Korea in 1965 and married a Japanese woman there. He came to Japan for treatment of an illness, then turned himself in to US military authorities. Just a week or so ago, the decision was made to allow him to live with his family in Japan.

[tjdee]

2. Are they fucking kidding with this?

Neither the player he was playing against (Russian), nor the referee (German) was prosecuted for playing CHESS during an international embargo.

He earned that 3 mil, it's his.

Man, if Bobby Fischer goes to jail that is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of.

[one_true_leroy]

4. well, tommy chong went to jail, and i figured that'd never be.

we can't catch bin laden, but ol' bobby faces hard time for a board game. imagine having to play chess against inmates for 10 years.

[The Zanti Regent]

3. Nutso Fischer makes Ezra Pound look like a beacon of sanity!

Fischer went to seed a long time ago. I don't care what he does or where he goes.

[Bono71]

6. Why is he crazy?

[allemand]

7. Answer that question and you win the Nobel Prize in Medicine... n/t

[bhikkhu]

19. As a rule, if you don't care, leave him alone.

Granted he has said some crazy things, but the obvious does no harm. It is the nutcase who appears to be sane, enough perhaps even to win elections, who is a danger.

[allemand]

5. Nice coincidence: today Kasparov's new book on Fischer hits the shelves!

According to Kasparov, the Soviets diagnosed Fischer as schizophrenic in 1975.

http://www.chesscafe.com/misha/gkint04.htm

http://www.chesscafe.com/Reviews/books.htm

Now the US government has a great opportunity to simply let Fischer go.

[ozone_man]

8. Not easy to compare players from different eras.

What an egotistical late comer this Kasparov is. If you were around in the early seventies, Fischer sparked chess playing in this country almost to a fever level. Well, he may have a few chemical imbalances there, most geniuses do. Leave (the U.S. not you) the poor guy alone.

[Nothing Without Hope]

10. I agree. Give the guy some peace.

Did you ever see the movie "Searching for Bobby Fischer"? For me, the most interesting parts were the news clips and stories about Bobby Fischer. He is clearly both a genius and "unstable." Also perennially, desperately anxious and unhappy.

I hope he's allowed to live in peace. How ironic that the man who was once most eagerly claimed as a living icon of American genius in a game dominated by Russians is now in this position. As I recall from the movie, he said he didn't like Iceland, but then, he didn't like much of anything.

[ozone_man]

11. Great movie.

I watched it with my kids. Haven't really tried to turn them into chess players, but the holidays is always a good time for chess.

[Nothing Without Hope]

14. also putting big, complicated puzzles together

...on a card table, so that anybody can walk by and put in a piece or two. Learned this custom from my in-laws, very pleasant.

Yes, I loved the movie too. The fact that it was chess was interesting to this virtual non-chess player, but I especially valued the home message that too much of a solitary focus at the expense of everything else is damaging, most of all to a child. Remember how he showed his friend the picture of how he and his dad went fishing before the big final tournament? The great acting helped drive everything home and make it real.

[Tangledog]

12. Since Fischer hated the Soviets

(and just about everybody else), I kind of doubt whether those psychiatrists met the "seen once" criteria (i.e., before dishing out a DSM, you should meet the patient at least once). I'm not saying Fischer isn't bonkers, I'm just saying that my antennae go up when I hear long-distance authorities.

I don't think Fischer is worth spending much time on. He made the mistake basically of taunting the U.S. government, and being pretty loud about it, and getting (or wanting to get) caught. I'm not really sure why the Icelanders would want him around.

Tangledog (top USCF rating 1450, long retired from tournament chess)

[mmonk]

9. I stayed in the hotel

where he and Boris Spassky had their historic match in Rykjavik Iceland (during the 70's). Good luck Bobby.

[DemoTex]

15. Trap, dominate, and fuck.

Fischer's chess, and life, philosophy.

[2cents]

16. Pardon Bobby Fischer

He did what they said couldn't be done .... imo, he'll always be a "Great American Hero".

Good luck Bob - I'd like to see you get back in the game.

[faithfull]

17. LIVING WITH BJORK!!!

and jamming to Sigur Ros!

Iceland = best country ever

[bhikkhu]

18. Leave Bobby Fischer alone....

He is guilty of nothing other than free speech, and playing chess in Yugoslavia, both of which should be legal. Leave him alone, let him go where he wishes, let him be a free person, as we all wish to be.