Free Bobby Fischer

By Frank "Boy” Pestaño
Chessmoso

I AM reprinting an appeal by World Chess Federation (Fide) president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov addressed to US President George W. Bush, now that he has just been re-elected, to pardon Bobby Fischer who has been in detention in Japan since July 13.

To recall, Bobby’s passport was cancelled by the US Government last year for reasons that are both unfair and ridiculous. After all these years why now? And why has he been in detention for over three months?. “He is under much stress and angry at the Japanese Government,” says his fiancée Miyoko Watai.

The first hearing was completed last Wednesday with both sides submitting evidence. The next hearing will be in January, which means more detention time for Bobby.

Bobby’s appeal for bail has been denied twice and a third is still pending.

If you want Bobby to be freed, log on to www.freebobby.org and affix your name and country. If you don’t have an Internet connection, call me at 233-8678 in the afternoon and I will place your name there.

“On behalf of the millions of chess players all over the world and on behalf of 164 National Chess Federations united under the flag, we write to seek your personal intervention, Mr. President, through the show of tolerance and leniency in dealing with the matter of the 11th World Chess champion, Mr. Robert James Fischer, now awaiting deportation orders to the United States from Japan.

“We all know that on August 1992, when Mr. Fischer agreed lo play a chess match against Boris Spassky in a privately organized and sponsored event outside the auspices of Fide in Yugoslavia, he violated US law and the international boycott of that country. The former world champion obviously thought that chess had no other limitations than the game itself and now more than 10 years later, he faces serious charges for his action.

“Like most geniuses, Mr. Fischer is not always easy to communicate with.

Furthermore, some of his actions and statements are not necessarily in accordance with established norms and traditions. However, we would like to remind you, Mr. President, that the former world champion successfully represented the United States on many occasions during his chess playing career and that in 1972, he single-handedly took upon himself the fight of the free world when he brilliantly captured the world chess championship crown from the Soviet world champion Boris Spassky in Reykjavik.

“Mr. President, I have been privileged to discuss the impact of Fischer’s achievement with the then secretary of state of the United States, an avid chess player, Dr. Henry Kissinger, who personally took charge of negotiations surrounding the Reykjavik match.

“From Fischer’s actions since Reykjavik, when he turned himself into a virtual recluse, it is possible to postulate that he is not very well and as he is now seeking sanctuary far from his motherland. We kindly urge you, Mr. President, to let the matter lie. At the same time we would like to point out that in today’s world, eccentricity and challenge to established norms as well as behavior which is different from the majority of the people, should be subject to benign moral and social judgments rather than criminal prosecution.

“We thank you for your understanding in this delicate matter.

“Yours sincerely, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov.”

The latest development on this unusual case is that Bobby‘s lawyer may file a lawsuit in the US.

“There are some grotesque abuses of government power, violations of due process and human nights and I would say an utter waste of US taxpayers’ money in prosecuting Bobby Fischer,” Fischer’s US lawyer, Richard Vattuone, told a news conference in Tokyo.

A lawsuit could be filed challenging the constitutionality of the order to arrest Fischer.

Ladies’ selection vs Cepca. The Cebuana woodpushers selection made up of varsity chess players from various schools will play with the members of the Cebu Executives and Professionals Chess Association (Cepca) on Nov.14 at the Handuraw Leisure and Learning Cafe in Mabolo at 1:30 p.m.