Endgame (65 page)

20
Marshall investigated a possible injunction to stop publication of the work since according to Bobby, Darrach had allegedly violated his contract
Summons issued by Bobby Fischer as Plaintiff against Brad Darrach, Time Inc., U.S. Chess Federation, et al., December 22, 1975, JWC.

21
“Steinitz, Tchigorin, Lasker (too), Gunsberg, Zukertort … all played under the ten-win system” CL&R
, November 1974; pp. 714-15.

22
“I will
punish
them and not play”
Conversations conveyed to author, circa March 1975.

23
“Your professionalism, competitive spirit, and outstanding skill have thrilled all” CL&R
, November 1974, p. 716.

24
“At the moment we are in a complete stalemate” Evening Standard
(London), November 11, 1974, p. 6.

25
“FIDE HAS DECIDED AGAINST MY PARTICIPATION”
http://www.chessgames.com
.

26
The New York Times
ran a story by international grandmaster Robert Byrne, NYT
, April 13, 1975, p. 119.

27
“Bobby fears the unknown, whatever lies beyond his control”
from the film
The Auld Enemy—Fischer vs. the Soviets
, September 11, 1998.

28
“I had no idea why Fischer refused to defend his title” Moscow News
, April 28, 1975, p. 15.

29
“cultural purity”
Letter from Bobby Fischer to Ethel Collins, December 21, 1976, JWC.

30
His friends from the Church, Arthur and Claudia Mokarow, owned the house
Petra Dautov,
Ein Jahr mit dem Schachgenie
, Amazon.de, p. 41.

31
Every day, he’d drink one or two pint glasses of carrot juice
, Böhm and Jongkind, chapter called “Harry Sneider,” p. 48–52.

32
Bobby’s outbursts would startle the infrequent passersby
Interview with Jackie Beers, circa 1975.

33
Gradually, his savings were evaporating
Unidentified newspaper clipping, “A King Eyes His Own Crown,” circa 1982, JWC.

34
He was solicitous toward
Letter from Bobby Fischer to Ethel Collins, December 21, 1976, JWC.

35
Years later in Iceland
Interview of Gardar Sverrisson by author, October 2009, Reykjavik, Iceland.

36
Bobby would just wipe him off the board in short order every time
.
www.BobbyFischer.net
, November 23, 2009.

37
Finally Browne said, “You know, Bobby, you’ll really have to get off the phone.”
Telephone interview with Walter Browne by author, April 11, 2009.

38
At the end of the letter he included instructions
Letter from Bobby Fischer to Regina Fischer, October 27, 1974, MCF.

39
He simply did not want contact
Letter from Bobby Fischer to Jack Collins, April 30, 1979, JWC.

40
Chess colleagues of Bobby’s—including grandmaster Robert Byrne—have said
Kelly Atkins, collected anthology of Bobby Fischer quotes,
Chessville.com
.

41
“There is nothing in the [KGB] documents that there ever were any plans to kill him”
Ree, p. 39.

42
A sportswriter once wrote that Fischer was the fastest walker he ever saw outside of an Olympian
Dick Schaap, “Bobby Fischer Can Lick Muhammad Ali Any Day,”
Sport
, February 1973.

43
Another journalist, Brad Darrach
Life
, November 12, 1971, p. 52.

44
Just so the world would know what he’d gone through
Complete copy at
www.anusha.com/pasadena/htm
.

45
“Yes, I wrote it, but I had a terrible time in that jail”
Interview of Pal Benko by author, summer 2008, New York City.

46
Stories were told, unconfirmed by this writer, that when he was flat broke
Böhm and Jongkind, p. 58, states that Fischer gave chess lessons for “5,000 a shot.”

47
“go back to your publisher and ask for a million dollars” Los Angeles Times
, September 19, 1993.

48
His request was refused “on principle”
DeLucia and DeLucia, p. 194.

49
Freelance photographers were willing to pay $5,000
Ivan S. Lagaroff, “Bobby Fischer’s Endgame,”
Esquire
, December 1992.

50
“Every now and then there would be a ‘sighting’ of a forlorn, bearded figure.” Independent
, August 29, 1992.

1
Bobby wanted to get back to the game … desperately
Letter from Regina Fischer to Joan Fischer Targ, March 8, 1984, MCF.

2
Spassky provided a way back to the board Independent
, June 25, 1990, p. 12.

3
To avoid journalists, Bobby checked in under the name of Brown Sports Illustrated
, May 14, 1990.

4
He forbade her to take a photograph of him Sports Illustrated
, May 14, 1990.

5
“When I broke through internationally, he had just stopped [playing].”
Böhm and Jongkind, p. 91.

6
He found Fischer’s neo-Nazi remarks about Jews to be “beyond the abhorrent” CL
, March 1993, p. 28. (Kok is reported to have condemned Fischer’s “Neo-Nazism.”)

7
The press had learned that Gerhardt was somewhere in Germany
Interview of author by German broadcaster Stefan Loffler, spring 1991.

8
He felt paternal toward her and thought Bobby might be interested in meeting her
www.dmv.demon.nl
.

9
“I think so”
www.darkdemon.nl
.

10
Now that he was in Europe in 1990, courtesy of Bessel Kok, Bobby visited Petra
www.darkdemon.nl
.

11
Petra married Russian grandmaster Rustem Dautov in 1992, and in 1995 she wrote a book
www.darkdemon.nl
.

12
“be careful”
DeLucia and DeLucia, pp. 210–11.

13
The inn was known to be friendly to those who played the game Chess
, July 2006, pp. 8–9.

14
It was, in fact, a letter from a seventeen-year-old girl, Zita Rajcsanyi Los Angeles Times
, September 19, 1993, p. 36.

15
“Now that I have your interest” Kurir
(Budapest daily), September 14, 1993, p. 20.

16
he believed that Kasparov and Karpov were actually agents of the Russian regime Kurir
, September 14, 1993.

17
“Everyone who is a Soviet, and everyone who is Jewish, cannot be trusted,” he affirmed
Farkasházy, p. 29 ff.

18
“You can hardly turn around”
Letter from Regina Fischer to Bobby Fischer, December 15, 1990, MCF.

19
Zita remained in Los Angeles for six weeks and stayed at the home of Robert Ellsworth
“Has the Bad Boy of Chess Grown Up?”
Los Angeles Times
, September 19, 1993, pp. 13–15.

20
the real reason Bobby was interested in her was “because I didn’t want anything from him” Kurir
, September 13, 1993, p. 20.

21
“He was ashamed of his poverty”
Seirawan and Stefanovic, p. 276.

22
He was also furious that although President Nixon had said he’d be invited to the White House El Pais
, April 3, 2001.

23
In the interview Zita later gave to Tivadar Farkasházy, she claimed that Bobby was still waiting Los Angeles Times
, September 23, 1993.

24
Besides offering Regina support, Bobby wanted to introduce her to Zita
Farkasházy, p. 29 ff.

25
“I wasn’t thinking of that” Kurir
, September 14, 1993, p. 20.

26
He referred to Zita as his girlfriend
http:www.chessgames.com
, May 3, 2008.

27
It took almost a year, but she finally located someone
“Zita’s Story” and “A Short Story” in Seirawan and Stefanovic, pp. 275–76.

28
About a month later, in July 1992, Kubat, Zita, and two officials of Jugoskandic Bank were in Los Angeles Independent
, August 29, 1992.

29
He’d later learn that the banker was one of the most powerful men in Serbia NYT
, September 1, 1992, p. D1.

30
Kubat was afraid that Vasiljevic wouldn’t release the advance payment
Contract between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky, Vladimir Miljavic for the Jugoskandik Company, signed July 11, 1992, FB.

31
Spassky agreed to everything in the contract
“Banker Lures Fischer to Play for Cheque,”
London Times
, August 1992, p. 1.

32
Heavy fighting between forces
Associated Press, August 19, 1992.

33
The forty-nine-year-old Bobby Fischer was described by a reporter NYT
, August 30, 1992, p. A1.

34
After Bobby signed the contract to play
Farkasházy, p. 119 ff.

35
“At one pole, there is elation over Mr. Fischer’s return from two decades of obscurity.” NYT
, September 2, 1992, p. C14.

36
Bobby asked Gligoric (“Gliga”) to play a secret training match
Chess in Translation, June 23, 2010,
chessintranslation.com
.

37
When asked at the time whether he’d like to engage Fischer in a match for the official championship, Kasparov snapped NYT
, September 2, 1992, p. C14.

38
Order to Provide Information and Cease and Desist Activities
Official Document from the Department of the Treasury to Bobby Fischer, August 21, 1992, FB.

39
He’d insisted that all questions be submitted to him in advance
Wire service reports of transcripts of chess conference, September 1, 1992.

40
“Let’s start with some impudent questions from
The New York Times”
NYT
, September 2, 1992, p. A1.

41
Although a large number of reporters had been interested in attending Bobby Fischer’s controversial press conference CL
, March 1993, p. 27.

42
He then spat on the letter, and applause broke out. NYT
, September 2, 1992, p. A1.

43
His anti-Americanism was lambasted NYT
, September 2, 1992, p. A18.

44
“I am bored and disgusted with him” Ottawa Citizen
, August 28, 1992.

45
“Yes, Fischer betrayed chess and everybody.” NYT
, September 2, 1992, p. C14.

46
Denying that he was an anti-Semite
Wire service reports of first press conference, September 1, 1992.

47
“They have absolutely destroyed chess”
First press conference, September 1, 1992, reported in
The New York Times
, September 2, 1992.

48
“I like geniuses or crazy people” Chronicle-Telegram
, “The Man Behind the Chesspiece,” September 23, 1992, p. A–7.

49
Twenty years of rust aside, Bobby played as masterfully as he had in 1972 NYT
, September 3, 1992, p. C22.

50
Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan wrote
Seirawan and Stefanovic, p. 32.

51
“Playing forcefully, the American chess genius seems to be in top form.” NYT
, September 3, 1992, p. 622.

52
“This was maybe an off-day for me.”
Second press conference, September 3, 1992.

53
Lilienthal had never met Fischer, and at the conclusion of the fourth game, they were introduced at the hotel’s restaurant
http://eidard.wordpress.com
. (Fischer was also to have said: “Pawn e5 takes __6!” giving the precise moves.)

54
“My general approach was not to think about the result of the match”
Letter from Boris Spassky to the author, May 31, 2010.

55
“I think I am doing quite well, considering that I’ve been blacklisted for the last twenty years by world Jewry.” New York Daily News
, September 2, 1992, p. 1.

56
“No, I have no regrets about spitting at that letter.” New York Daily News
, September 2, 1992, p. 1.

57
“That man [Kasparov] is a pathological liar, so I wouldn’t pay much attention to whatever he says.” New York Daily News
, September 2, 1992, p. 2.

58
“So I consider that the United States government and Time Incorporated went into a criminal conspiracy”
Wire service reports for second press conference, September 2, 1992.

59
the greatest comeback since Napoleon Bonaparte sailed a single-masted fleet from the island of Elba in 1815 Time
, September 28, 1992, p. 78.

60
“somewhere in the top ten in the world”
Seirawan and Stefanovic, p. 283.

61
“True, the match with Spassky was not all that great”
Interview of Arnold Denker by the author, December 2000, Boca Raton, Florida.

62
At this time Vasiljevic was making an arrangement for another match for Bobby
Letter from Isodoro Cherem to Bobby Fischer, August 5, 1992, FB.

63
Bobby had met Ljubojevic. Vecerne Novosti
(Yugoslavia newspaper), November 6, 1992.

64
Five hundred thousand depositors had funneled $2 billion into his sixteen bank
www.attacktheking.com
.

65
Years later he was extradited to Serbia
March 29, 2010,
NYT
, p. A11.

66
On December 15, 1992, a single-count indictment in federal court in Washington, D.C., was handed down by a grand jury against Bobby Fischer
Copy of indictment from the U.S. District Court against Bobby Fischer, December 15, 1992.