Authors: Frank Brady
67
“I have no friends here; only Gliga and the bodyguards”
Letter from Bobby Fischer to Zita Rajcsanyi, June 14, 1993, in DeLucia and DeLucia, p. 191.
68
“He was rough,” she said. Kurir
(Budapest daily), September 13, 1993, p. 20.
69
She left a good-bye note indicating that her affair had nothing to do with why she didn’t want to marry him
. Undated letter from Zita to Bobby Fischer, circa summer 1993, in DeLucia and DeLucia, p. 191.
70
“I was surprised to see how tall and big he was”
Interview of Zsuzsa Polgar by the author, May 23, 2009, Princeton, NJ.
71
She added that there he could socialize with some of the great Hungarian players he knew
Interview of Zsuza Polgar by author, May 23, 2009, Princeton, NJ.
72
The Polgars, thinking of everything, had taken a chance on their way across the border Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
, January 18, 2009.
73
“I think the Hungarians may arrest me as soon as I cross the border.”
Faxed letter to Miyoko Watai from Bobby Fischer, June 19, 1993, in DeLucia and DeLucia, p. 192.
74
Entering the sparkling city of Budapest
Undated postcard from the Hotel Gellért, from Bobby Fischer to Regina Fischer, circa summer 1993, MCF.
Interviews of Pal Benko, Olga Lilienthal (by Dimitry Komarov), Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, and Zsuzsa Polgar, in addition to others that appear in Tivadar Farkasházy’s book
Bobby Vizzatér
, were invaluable sources for this chapter.
1
“You don’t need bodyguards in Budapest”
Interview of Pal Benko by author, summer 2008, New York.
2
To protect himself, he bought a heavy coat made of horse leather
Interview of Pal Benko by author, summer 2008, New York.
3
As soon as he was settled at the Hotel Gellért, Bobby was invited to spend part of the summer with the Polgars
Interview of Zsuzsa Polgar by author, May 2009, Princeton, NJ.
4
about thirty-five miles north of Budapest, in the verdant Danube Bend section of the Slavic Hills of Hungary
“Seeking the Fischer King,”
New York Daily News
, August 22, 1993.
5
All of the sisters played chess with him, but acceding to his preference, they played Fischer Random
Gligoric,
Shall We Play
, p. 86.
6
Zsuzsa played him “countless games”
Interview of Zsuzsa Polgar by author, May 2009, Princeton, NJ.
7
“I tried to convince him in the beginning about the realities”
Interview of Zsuzsa Polgar by author, May 23, 2009, Princeton, NJ.
8
“He was like a big kid,” Zsuzsa fondly remembered
Interview of Zsuzsa Polgar by author, May 2009, Princeton, NJ.
9
Even after living there for years, he referred to himself as a “tourist”
Calypso Radio interview of Bobby Fischer, January 13, 1999.
10
Although Olga was almost the same age as Bobby
Interview of Olga Lilienthal by Dmitry Komarov, circa 2008, letter courtesy of Magnus Skulasson.
11
“You are a good man, a good person, so you are not a Jew.”
Farkasházy, p. 97.
12
Andrei had surreptitiously taken a photograph of Bobby at a New Year’s Eve dinner party
Interview of Pal Benko by author, May 2010, New York.
13
He relayed a message to Lilienthal that he’d deliver the $100,000 in American cash to Bobby personally
Interview of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov by author, August 2002, Cherry Hill, NJ.
14
“I was struck by how Fischer was up on everything that was happening in our country.”
Vladimir Linder and Isaac Linder, “From Morphy to Fischer—Who’s Next?” Unpublished essay, Russia, no year.
15
Ilyumzhinov suggested that Bobby move to Kalmykia
Interview of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov by author, August 2002, New York.
16
Bobby thanked the president and asked about Kalmykia’s medical care program Sports Express
, December 20, 1995.
17
Ilyumzhinov also offered to put up millions for another Fischer-Spassky match
Kasparov, p. 489.
18
“The old Jewish scoundrel Andrei Lilienthal”
From a book in progress by Bobby Fischer,
What Can You Expect from Baby Mutilators?
November 18, 1997. Extracts appeared in DeLucia and DeLucia, pp 248–61.
19
Incredulous, Bobby asked Sofia: “How can you even talk to those people?”
Farkasházy, p. 269.
20
When Zita told her mother what he’d said
Farkasházy, p. 135 ff.
21
“Single, tall, rich, handsome, middle-aged American man”
DeLucia and DeLucia, p. 236.
22
Once, when coming home late at night from an event
Farkasházy, p. 375.
23
To Kaltenbrunner the fact that the great Bobby Fischer was gracing his home
Farkasházy, pp. 382–85.
24
The film grossed more than $7 million and was nominated for an Academy Award
Internet Movie Database,
imdb.com
.
25
It’s “a monumental swindle”
“Bobby Fischer Moves to a Satisfying Peace,”
Chicago Sun-Times
, September 26, 1993.
26
Bobby felt safe enough to travel and eventually went to many countries
Interview of Pal Benko by author, April 2010, New York.
27
Mysteriously, he also journeyed to Italy to meet a member of the Mafia
Farkasházy, p. 198.
28
Some chess players in the state of Washington conjectured that he surreptitiously entered the United States Chess
, January 2001, p. 8.
29
Sometimes he’d vary his routine and go on long walks Chicago Sun-Times
, September 26, 1993.
30
Ellsworth actually realized his error in time to attend the auction and buy back $8,000 worth of the material
Böhm and Jongkind, p. 65.
31
He just wouldn’t let it rest
Bobby Fischer live radio interviews,
http://bobbyfischerpage.tripod.com
.
32
One psychiatrist, Dr. Magnus Skulasson, who knew Bobby well toward the end of his life
Interview of Dr. Magnus Skulasson by author, October 2009, Reykjavik, Iceland.
33
Saidy added that the media were exploitative in publishing the most hideous of Bobby’s statements CL
, June 1999, letter to Larry Evans in
Evans on Chess
.
34
He lambasted Saidy for living in the United States
Extract from Bobby Fischer’s diary, August 5, 1999, in DeLucia and DeLucia, p. 285.
35
Bobby and Miyoko, both in their late fifties, lived a quiet life
http://www.anusha.com/paf690.htm
.
36
One of his friends who observed them together said that he treated little Jinky with affection
Interview with Gardar Sverrisson by author, October 2009, Reykjavik, Iceland.
37
“Yes, well, this is all wonderful news”
Interview of Bobby Fischer on Radio Baguio, September 11, 2001.
1
He wanted the world to know about his devestating loss
DeLucia and DeLucia, p. 275.
2
brought renewed scrutiny by the United States government NYT
, July 17, 2004, p. A1.
3
twenty-four new pages perfectly sewn in
http://www.canoe.ca/newsstand/columnists/ottawa
.
4
It was dated December 11, 2003
Letter on “Embassy of the United States of America—Manila, Philippines” stationery, dated December 11, 2003, to Robert James Fischer, signed by Theodore Allegra, Consul of the U.S.A., FB.
5
being that the embassy had never sent the letter to Bern
Chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=1852
.
6
“He was so upset, and I didn’t know what to say”
Interview of Miyoko Watai by Ev Mafurji on
chessbase.com
, January 9, 2004.
7
Miyoko, for her part, thought that U.S. authorities could have arrested Bobby anytime
AP wire story (Tokyo), July 18, 2004.
8
Another time, he purposely stepped on the glasses of a guard
Interview of Saemi Palsson by author, October 2009, Reykjavik, Iceland.
9
Fischer called it a “kidnapping”
Quoted in network news footage, March 24, 2005.
10
He also wrote to Secretary of State Colin Powell
AP wire story (Asia), August 17, 2004.
11
“permanently renounce my U.S. citizenship.”
Bloomberg News Service. August 6, 2004.
12
Bobby’s plea was based on his paternity
http://21-1-TW. Facebook
.
13
North Korea … Libya … Iran … Montenegro … The Philippines
Undated e-mail from Miyoko Watai to Pal Benko, circa spring 2005 in DeLucia and DeLucia, p. 304.
14
Venezuela … Switzerland
. “Freeing Bobby Fischer,” a report by Einar S. Einarsson, June 6, 2008, FB.
15
he’d become part of the Icelandic sagas NYT
, (London), January 28, 2005, p. A7.
16
“Saemi, this is Bobby.”
From the film
Me and Bobby Fischer
, 2009.
17
He was on a plane to the East
Interview of Saemi Palsson by author, October 7, 2009, Reykjavik, Iceland.
18
To not help them, they believed
“Freeing Bobby Fischer,” a report by Einar S. Einarsson, June 6, 2008, FB.
19
they began lobbying the Icelandic government
Interview of Einar Einarsson by author, October 8, 2009, Reykjavik, Iceland.
20
“We feel obliged to express our deepest dismay”
Letter of March 15, 2005, by the RJF Committee, FB.
21
“the whole country has no culture, no taste”
Interview of Bobby Fischer on Bombo Radyo, August 12, 2004.
22
Fischer then announced that he was going to marry
AP wire story (Asia), August 17, 2004.
23
“a pawn can become a queen.” NYT
, August 20, 2004, p. A5.
24
“I’d rather not say”
Associated Press, December 4, 2006.
25
“It was already a de-facto marriage.” NYT
, August 20, 2004, p. A5.
26
“We had been satisfied with our life before he was detained”
Interview of Miyoko Watai by Ev Mafurji on
chessbase.com
, January 9, 2004.
27
After months behind bars
http://www.channelnewasia.com
.
28
Honorable Members of Althingi
From Bobby Fischer, January 19, 2005. FB.
29
These calls to Gardar
Interview of Gardar Sverisson by author, October 2009, Reykjavik, Iceland.
30
Bobby read some of the book
Letter from Richard Vattuone to author, January 2010.
31
Fukushima criticized Chieko Nohno
“Freeing Bobby Fischer,” a report by Einar S. Einarsson, June 6, 2008, FB.
32
warning that if action weren’t taken quickly
E-mail exchange between Einar Einarsson and John Bosnitch, March 21, 2005, FB.
33
“When the leader of a country”
Interview of David Oddsson by author, October 10, 2009, Reykjavik, Iceland.
34
A federal grand jury in Washington
AP wire story (Philadelphia), March 8, 2005.
35
suggesting that Iceland drop the offer of sanctuary Japan Times
, December 23, 2004.
36
Fischer’s alleged crime of a violation of trade sanctions
Ibid.
37
“The Immigration Bureau must think” Mainichi Daily News
, March 22, 2005.
38
polled on whether to grant Fischer permanent citizenship
Act Respecting the Granting of Citizenship, no. 16/2005, FB.
39
a limousine supplied by the Icelandic embassy
AP wire story, March 23, 2005.
40
This was nothing but a kidnapping”
Watching America website, and various network sources. March 24, 2005, FB.
41
“It is not his beard”
Interview with Zita Farkasházy by Tivadar Farkasházy;
Bobby Visszater
, p. 369.
A great amount of the source material for this chapter consisted of face-to-face interviews, telephone conversations, and correspondence with many Icelanders who knew Bobby Fischer during his residence in Reykjavik (2005–2008) and in 1972, and who were instrumental in freeing him from imprisonment in Japan. Additionally, correspondence with Bobby’s lawyers resulted in the clarification of important information. Examination of documents and correspondence concerning his detention and the ultimate granting of his Icelandic citizenship also provided new facts.
1
blue denim work shirt and pants
AFP (Reykjavik), January 19, 2008.
2
As for what people thought about his dress
Interview of Gardar Sverrisson by author, October 2009, Reykjavik, Iceland.
3
he gave it as a gift to his new friend
Ibid.
4
“Fischer came close to being a moron” Skeptical Inquirer
, Vol. 33–5, September/October 2009.
5
and sometimes even falling asleep
Interview of Bragi Kristjonsson by author, October 2009, Reykjavik, Iceland.
6
“It’s good to be free”
E-mail to Pal Benko from Bobby Fischer, April 20, 2006, in DeLucia and DeLucia, p. 305.
7
he pored over books on battles from ancient Greece to World War II
Interview of Einer Einarsson by author, October 2009, Reykjavik, Iceland.