Bobby Fischer found in Japan

[hukarez]

Former world chess champion wanted by U.S. since 1992
The Associated Press
Updated: 2:00 a.m. ET July 16, 2004


TOKYO - Immigration authorities have detained former world chess champion Bobby Fischer in Japan, an official said Friday.

advertisement

Fischer, wanted in the United States for attending a 1992 chess match in Yugoslavia in violation of international sanctions, was stopped at Tokyo's Narita International Airport on Tuesday, an airport spokesman said on condition of anonymity.

Fischer, 61, was trying to leave Japan for the Philippines, the spokesman said. He refused to elaborate, citing Fischer's privacy.

Officials were preparing to deport him to the United States, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper said Friday, citing unnamed sources.

The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo said it was aware Fischer had been detained but gave no additional details.

Fischer, a chess prodigy, became grandmaster at age 15. Fischer became a Cold War hero when he beat a Russian, Boris Spassky, for the world title in 1972.

He was world chess champion until 1975, when he forfeited the title and withdrew because conditions he demanded proved unacceptable to the International Chess Federation.

After that he virtually disappeared, living in secret outside the United States.

He emerged in 1992 to play Spassky again in a highly publicized match in Yugoslavia. Fischer beat Spassky 10-5 to win $3.35 million.

The U.S. government accused Fischer of violating U. N. sanctions against Yugoslavia by playing the match. The sanctions were imposed on Yugoslavia for provoking warfare in neighboring Bosnia-Herzegovina.

© 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.



http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5447613/

[stevew]

I guess we are no longer searching for Bobby Fischer

[Bonegavel]

Originally Posted by stevew

I guess we are no longer searching for Bobby Fischer

Nice. Bascially the only response this thread needs. Classic.

[JAG]

Chess is a very popular game in prison. Fischer will fit right in.

[hhiipp]

I believe we should all be able to breathe easier now, in light of this news. 12 years of worry has been lifted from our shoulders knowing Bobby Fischer has been caught.

[JonInMiddleGA]

This version of the story has most of the same detail, as well as adding the apparent motivation for Fischer's sudden detention.

But Fischer's detention — and a possible handover to U.S. authorities — gives Japan a chance to show it is cooperating with the United States just days before Japanese officials plan to bring an accused U.S. Army deserter, Charles Robert Jenkins, to Tokyo for urgent medical treatment.

Jenkins, whose Japanese wife was kidnapped by North Korea in 1978 and returned home in 2002, is wanted by Washington on desertion charges for allegedly defecting to North Korea in 1965. Jenkins is suffering from problems following abdominal surgery in North Korea.
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news...16fischer.html

[clintl]

The US isn't seriously going to prosecute Bobby Fischer, is it? If so, what a collossal waste of time and resources. And if that truly is the motivation of the Japanese for picking him up, shame on them.

[QuikSand]

Interesting turn of fate for this guy Jenkins, though, it seems ... you decide to spit on America and all she stands for, and then you head over to North Korea ... only to find your wife gets kidnapped, and you're split wide open on an operating table in Pyongyang where they barely have running water. Sucks to be you, pal.

[GrantDawg]

We Jenkins' are not known for our life decision-making ability. It must be the same part of the brain that controls spelling and name-memory.

[hukarez]

In all retrospect, I didn't even know Bobby Fischer was wanted for anything, really. All I knew was that he was just some good chess player and all, so this is news to me!

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by hukarez

In all retrospect, I didn't even know Bobby Fischer was wanted for anything, really. All I knew was that he was just some good chess player and all, so this is news to me!

Not to mention that he's been largely a raving lunatic for the past several years.
(The transcripts of his anti-Semitic rants on Phillipine radio are floating around on the 'net somewhere)

[cuervo72]

Now if we can just nab Roman Polanski...

[thealmighty]

Don't need to nab Roman Polanski, just send a very pretty 15 year old with AIDS and let (Polanski's) nature take it's course.






that was harsh/disgusting maybe, but I am in a bad mood

[Kodos]

And then he pulled the most unexpected move of all.



He disappeared.

[BigJohn&TheLions]

Thank God they got him, now I can sleep at night.

Right now I believe Bin Laden is damn glad he never played chess...

[Kodos]

Originally Posted by BigJohn&TheLions

Thank God they got him, now I can sleep at night.

Right now I believe Bin Laden is damn glad he never played chess...

Imagine a big press conference where Bush tells us "We got him!", only to find out in a couple moments that he was talking about Fischer.

[Sharpieman]

Seriously, if they try to put Fischer in jail, it will be a complete waste of time. Give like 5 years of probation let him kick ass in chess in America.

[Huckleberry]

I would rather not have Fischer represent the USA, thanks. While I understand the probable reason (genius of that magnitude often comes at the price of one's sanity), the guy is a loon. A bitter, divisive loon.

hxxp://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/16/international/asia/16CND-FISC.html?hp

hxxp://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2002/12/chun.htm

[Tekneek]

Originally Posted by BigJohn&TheLions

Thank God they got him, now I can sleep at night.

Right now I believe Bin Laden is damn glad he never played chess...

12 years to catch this guy? Besides, what the hell kind of charge is that against him anyway? I thought we were the "land of the free", right? I guess it is "land of the free (as long as you agree with the political motivations of the federal government)."

Either way, Osama bin Laden has to be happy knowing it will be at least 12 years before they can catch him. He may very well die from other means before that comes to pass. If this guy can elude for that long, someone like bin Laden with finances and an organization could elude for at least twice as long. It makes me very confident that the government is making the world a safer place for all of us...

[Airhog]

Fisher really needs some psychiatric help. Some people believe he suffers from sczhiophrenia, or some sort of delusional state of mind.

[BigJohn&TheLions]

Originally Posted by Tekneek

It makes me very confident that the government is making the world a safer place for all of us...

Yes, I'm waiting for Tom Ridge's press conference to announce that the threat level is being dropped to pink...

[duckman]

I seriously doubt that we've been actively searching for him. We happened to have a standing notice on him and the Japanese authorities just happened to find him. People are really making too much of a deal of this. He broke a law and was caught. He needs to owe up to that. He'll come back to the US and probably get a slap on the wrist. He may even get the psychiatric help that he actually needs.This will be an afterthought when it is all said and done.