Endgame_ Bobby Fischer's Remarkable Rise And Fall Part 14

Bobby thought of himself as being totally aware and equated himself with Bhagwan's concept of the Nietzschean "Superman" who transcends the constraints of society. "I am a genius," he said shortly after arriving back in Iceland, not pontifically but sincerely. "Not just a chess genius but a genius in other things as well."

Bobby's attempt to find some deeper, perhaps religious meaning to his life took a wide and twisted path. At first, as a child, there was Judaism, of which he never really felt a part; then Fundamentalism, until he became disillusioned with the leaders of the Worldwide Church of G.o.d. Anti-Semitism also became a quasi religion-or certainly a profound belief-for him, and one that he never really abandoned. At one point of his life he embraced atheism, although not for long. He was intrigued with the cult of Rajneesh himself, rather than the guru's practices. Finally, near the end of his life, he began to explore Catholicism.

A contradiction in terms, an oxymoron? A Catholic Bobby Fischer?

Something was missing in the life of Bobby Fischer, a chasm that needed to be filled. Delving through books, he discovered the writings of Catholic theologians, and he became intrigued with the religion. Gardar Sverrisson, his closest friend in Reykjavik, was Catholic (one of the few: 95 percent of Icelanders are Lutheran), and Bobby began to ask him questions about the liturgy, the adoration of saints, the theological mysteries, and other aspects of the religion. Gardar answered what he could, but he was no theologian. Eventually, Bobby brought him him a copy of a copy of Basic Catechism: Creed, Sacraments, Morality, Prayer Basic Catechism: Creed, Sacraments, Morality, Prayer, so that Gardar could be more informed when they had discussions.

It's not certain whether Bobby was baptized in the Roman Catholic religion in the traditional manner, which entails the pouring of-or immersion in-water, the anointing of sacred chrism (special oil), and a solemn blessing by a priest performing the sacrament, but it's unlikely. Einarsson and Skula.s.son both concluded that Bobby, despite his late-life deliberations on the topic, was not not a strong believer in the Catholic Church and that he a strong believer in the Catholic Church and that he hadn't hadn't converted to the faith. But there are three forms of baptism: by water (the usual way), by fire (as in martyrdom), and by spirit (in that the recipient converted to the faith. But there are three forms of baptism: by water (the usual way), by fire (as in martyrdom), and by spirit (in that the recipient desires desires to be baptized). If Bobby did to be baptized). If Bobby did wish wish to become Catholic, it's possible that aspiration was sufficient for him to have been accepted into the Church, at least by less conservative clergy. According to Gardar Sverrisson, Bobby talked with him about the transformation of society by creating harmony with one another, and then professed that he thought "the only hope for the world is through Catholicism." to become Catholic, it's possible that aspiration was sufficient for him to have been accepted into the Church, at least by less conservative clergy. According to Gardar Sverrisson, Bobby talked with him about the transformation of society by creating harmony with one another, and then professed that he thought "the only hope for the world is through Catholicism."

Bobby's attraction to Catholicism, a religion that is defined by its emphasis on charity, humility, and repentance for sins, seems hard to reconcile with his writings such as: "Unfortunately we're not strong enough just to wipe out all the Jews at this time. So what I believe we should do is engage in vigilante random killing of Jews. What I want to do is to arouse people against the Jews to the point of violence! Because the Jews are criminal people. They deserve to have their heads cracked open."

"I am not now that which I have been," Byron wrote in Childe Harold's Pilgrimage Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, and that could have been Bobby's answer to his spiritual change near the end of his life. Or, as cynical as it may sound, his possible acceptance of Catholicism may have been merely a theological chess game, a tactic and long-term strategy that he calculated might lead to eternal salvation. Men often believe that they've converted as soon as they decide to do so, although they haven't yet achieved-and often aren't even aware that they must enter-a state of inner wors.h.i.+p. Only Bobby Fischer knew what was in his heart.

A photograph of Bobby taken by Einar Einarsson in the summer of 2005, just a few months after he arrived in Iceland, clearly shows an encroaching illness. Fischer usually would never sit for a photograph, but when dining with Einarsson at 3 Frakkar ("Three Coats"), Bobby was greeted by an old chef whom he knew from 1972, who asked if he could pose with Bobby. Einarsson took a picture of the two men and then moved the camera slightly to the left and took a single shot of Bobby. The result was a revealing portrait of a man in pain: psychic and perhaps physical. David Surratt, a chess editor, observed: "The expressiveness of the eyes, my goodness, you can practically feel his sadness, and perhaps a sense of regret, too. Perhaps regret over what might have been, or what he lost over the latter half of his life."

Bobby started to have urinary problems and thought it might simply be caused by an enlarged prostate gland, at first denying that anything might be seriously wrong with him. His lungs were also bothering him and he was having difficulty breathing. Since he had a lifelong distrust of doctors, he tolerated the discomfort until October 2007, when his pain and inability to urinate became excruciating. He went to a doctor and requested a cursory, nonintrusive examination, but it was explained that only a blood test would enable the doctor to evaluate his kidney function. Reluctantly, he acquiesced; the test showed that he suffered from elevated levels of serum creatinine with a value way above 1.4, the highest parameter in the normal range. The finding indicated that he had a blocked urinary tract. This abnormality could be checked, although possibly not cured, by taking certain drugs. But there were also problems with his kidneys, which were not functioning properly. On principle, harking back to his Worldwide Church of G.o.d teachings, Bobby refused to take any medicine, and the idea of being hooked up to a dialysis machine to cleanse his blood every few days for the rest of his life was out of the question. When the dialysis treatment was proposed he said it was absurd. He was warned that unless treated, he could experience total kidney failure, seizures, and even dementia. When he asked for more information about his prognosis, the doctor told him that unless dialysis treatment began immediately, he probably didn't have more than three months to live. Despite these dire warnings, he still refused to be treated, and he even rejected taking pain medicine to ease his agony. It's possible that Bobby was just giving up, letting go of his life, beginning a slow form of suicide. His friend Pal Benko believed that to be the case.

Bobby allowed himself to be checked into Landspitali Hospital by Dr. Erikur Jonsson, who supervised the limited amount of treatment and nursing his patient would permit, for seven weeks. It was a difficult time not only for Bobby but for the nursing staff as well. He wouldn't allow a fixed catheter and insisted that they help him urinate each and every time he had to go. He placed restrictions on what he would eat, created a list of potential visitors who'd be allowed to see him and another list of those who'd be summarily barred from entering his room.

Grandmaster Fridrik Olafsson visited him once a week. Bobby asked him to bring bottles of fresh-squeezed carrot juice from Yggdrasil; if the health food store didn't have it available, Olafsson was to buy juice imported from Germany. Under no circ.u.mstances, Bobby instructed sternly, was Olafsson to buy anything from Israel. Not surprisingly, during some of their visits the two grandmasters discussed chess. Bobby wanted Fridrik to bring a copy of the Kasparov-Karpov game that he'd claimed for years was prearranged, so they could discuss it and play it over on Bobby's pocket set. But instead of bringing the whole book in which the game was published, Fridrik simply brought a copy of the few relevant pages so that he'd have less to carry. Bobby was deeply disappointed. "Why didn't you bring the whole book!?"

Bobby asked if a photograph of his mother could be sent to him, and Russell Targ, his brother-in-law, complied. Bobby looked at it from time to time, but contrary to reports that he had it perched on his bedside table, he kept it in the drawer, knowing that it was there, symbolically protective.

Of all of the people who visited him in the hospital, in many ways the man who was the most comforting to Bobby was Dr. Magnus Skula.s.son, a member of the RJF Committee who'd had a fairly low profile with the group and had hardly been in Bobby's presence during the three years he'd lived in Iceland. Skula.s.son was a psychiatrist and the head doctor of Sogn Mental Asylum for the Criminally Insane. He was also a chess player who had a great reverence for the accomplishments of Bobby Fischer and an affection for him as a man.

It should be stressed that Skula.s.son was not "Bobby's psychiatrist," as has been implied in the general press, nor did he offer Bobby any a.n.a.lysis or psychotherapy. He was at Bobby's bedside as a friend, to try to do anything he could for him. Because of his training, however, he couldn't fail to take note of Bobby's mental condition. "He definitely was not schizophrenic," Skula.s.son said. "He had problems, possibly certain childhood traumas that had affected him. He was misunderstood. Underneath I think he was a caring and sensitive person."

Skula.s.son is a gentle and intense man with a gravitas that is arresting. In his conversations, he appears to be more a philosopher than someone with a medical and psychological background, quoting Hegel as much as Freud, Plato as much as Jung. Bobby asked him to bring foods and juices to the hospital, which he did, and often Skula.s.son just sat at the bedside, both men not speaking. When Bobby was experiencing severe pain in his legs, Skula.s.son began to ma.s.sage them, using the back of his hand. Bobby looked at him and said, "Nothing soothes as much as the human touch." Once Bobby woke and said: "Why are you so kind to me?" Of course, Skula.s.son had no answer.

Dr. Jonsson began to get pressure from the hospital to release Bobby because of his refusal of proper treatment. Jonsson realized that releasing him would be a death sentence, so he kept making excuses to keep Bobby in the hospital, trying to keep him comfortable as long as he could. Without Bobby's knowledge, the nurses applied morphine patches to his body to ease his pain. Eventually, terminally ill, still stubborn about refusing proper treatment, he was discharged and returned to his apartment on Espergerdi in December 2007, where Sverrisson, his wife Kristin, and their two children, who lived two floors below Bobby, became his attendants and guardians. In particular, Kristin used her nursing skills to help care for him.

Being out of the hospital perked up Bobby's spirits for a while, and he began to feel better, even going to a movie with Sverrisson's twenty-year-old son, a professional soccer player. At Christmastime, when all of Reykjavik is festooned with lights and takes on the ambience of a Currier and Ives painting and there are days and days of celebrations, Miyoko came and stayed with Bobby at the apartment for two weeks. On January 10, 2008, she flew back to Tokyo, losing a day with the time difference. Soon, she received a call from Sverrisson that Bobby had grown substantially more ill. By the time a new reservation could be arranged and she could make her way back to Iceland, Bobby had been taken to the hospital by Sverrisson in the car. He died there, peacefully, on January 17. Like the number of squares on a chessboard-an irony that nevertheless cannot be pressed too far-he was sixty-four.

Epilogue.

BORIS S SPa.s.sKY WAS STUNNED. Long concerned about Bobby's illness, he'd kept in close contact. Then, shockingly, he learned that Bobby had died. Momentarily unable to express his sense of loss, Spa.s.sky e-mailed Einar Einarsson: "My brother is dead."

In those four words he showed how deeply he felt about Bobby, although the world already knew. He'd told people that he "loved" Bobby Fischer...as a brother. At the 1992 match he publicly stated that he was ready to fight "and I want to fight, but on the other hand I would like Bobby to win because I believe that Bobby must come back to chess." When Bobby was incarcerated in j.a.pan, Spa.s.sky had been serious when he announced that he was willing to be imprisoned with him (and a chessboard). Spa.s.sky's respect for his nemesis bordered on adulation and possibly even fear. He once said: "It's not if you win or lose against Bobby Fischer; it's if you survive." But there was true camaraderie between them that went beyond just chess and that Spa.s.sky was always quick to express. He felt they sensed each other's frayed loneliness as past champions, a nostalgia to which few could relate.

Only three weeks before Bobby's death Spa.s.sky had sent his old friend a lighthearted message, telling him to obey his doctors, and that when he "escaped" from the hospital, he should get in touch.

Spa.s.sky had been informed that Bobby's condition was serious, but he wasn't aware that it was grave. Icelandic tradition discourages a person's illness from being discussed outside of family or intimate friends, but because of Spa.s.sky's solicitous comments about his longtime opponent, Einarsson considered him a part of Bobby's "family" and had let him know his friend's condition was worsening. Spa.s.sky wrote: "I have a brother's feeling toward Bobby. He is a good friend."

In the last days of Bobby's life he was becoming more frail and could hardly speak, nor could he keep down any food. His lips were always dry. Either the forty-eight-year-old Gardar Sverrisson-who wasn't well himself-or his wife Kristin, a nurse, would stay with Bobby at his apartment all through the night, watching out for him when he slept and attending to his needs when he woke.

Bobby had told Sverrisson that he would like to be buried in the small country graveyard close to the town of Selfoss, about an hour's drive from Reykjavik, in a rural farmland community called Laugardaelir. The cemetery was reported to be at least a thousand years old, established about the time that Eric the Red left for Greenland and the Althingi-Iceland's parliament (the first in Europe)-was formed; ironically this is the same governmental body that gave Bobby his citizens.h.i.+p in 2005.

An unpretentious Lutheran church-a chapel, really-that looks like a set for an Ingmar Bergman drama and can seat only about fifty paris.h.i.+oners, guards the site of the cemetery. Bobby had felt the peaceful atmosphere of the surroundings when he'd visited Sverrisson's wife's parents, who live in Selfoss, and Bobby and his friend Gardar took long walks among the ancient rocks and paths in the area. In a memorial article in the Iceland Review Iceland Review, writer Sara Blask summed up Bobby's feelings about what he wanted after his death: "Fischer just wanted to be buried like a normal human being-not a chessplayer, just as a person. person."

It took a long time for Bobby to admit to himself that he was dying, but when he came to accept it, he made it clear to Sverrisson that he wanted no fanfare, no media circus, no lavish funeral, and he wanted it to be private private. Desiring control until the end, he was particularly emphatic that none of his "enemies" attend his funeral: those who he felt exploited him or with whom he'd established feuds. Above all, he stressed that there were to be no reporters, television cameras, or gaping tourists.

Sverrisson arranged the funeral and carried it out with strict observance of Bobby's last directives. He knew that the other members of the RJF Committee, who'd worked so tirelessly for Bobby, would be deeply hurt if they couldn't pay their last respects by attending a ceremonial funeral, but he was nothing if not a loyal friend to Bobby, and he'd spent years protecting him and carrying out his wishes. This last service performed for his friend would cause Sverrisson years of enmity from certain members of the RJF Committee and others who felt close to Bobby during his Icelandic years. Russell Targ, Bobby's brother-in-law, was particularly irritated since he'd flown from California to attend the funeral, only to find that he'd missed it by hours. The U.S. Chess Federation sent a communique to the Icelandic Chess Federation asking about the disposition of Bobby's body, presumably wanting to bring him back to the United States, a move that Bobby would have detested. Especially at his death, Sverrisson believed it was his duty to fully comply with Bobby's requests. His friend would be buried where, when, and how he wanted.

It took several days to arrange the details: The grave had to be dug-not an easy task in the frozen volcanic earth of Iceland's winter; a priest had to be secured; doc.u.ments had to be approved before the morgue released the body; yet everything had to wait for Miyoko to arrive from j.a.pan. Four days after his death, at eight p.m. a hea.r.s.e carrying Bobby's body took the hour's drive to Selfoss and then to the graveyard. The funeral procession was without pomp and circ.u.mstance, exactly as Bobby had wished, and as the hea.r.s.e drove into Laugadaelir, the long and biting winds of winter awaited the remains of the world's greatest chess player. It had snowed all morning, and now it was dark and raining. Sverrisson, his wife and two children, and Miyoko had traveled to Selfoss the night before to ensure that the arrangements were in order.

Father Jacob Rolland, a diminutive Catholic priest, originally from France, who also had the distinction of overseeing the burial of Haldor Laxness (Iceland's only n.o.bel Prize winner-for literature-and a convert to Catholicism), said a few words of blessing, reportedly likening Bobby's burial to that of Mozart's, before the coffin was lowered into the grave. "Like him, he was buried with few present, and he had an intelligence like him that could see what others could not begin to understand." There was no dirge, no incense, no requiem. Even the wide expanse of stars normally visible in the unpolluted sky was hidden behind rain clouds on that gloomy night. The ceremony took just twelve minutes, and then the freezing mourners departed. A white wooden cross was hastily erected on the grave mound with a placard that read: Robert James Fischer F. 9 mars 1943 D. 17 januar 2008 Hvil i frii "Rest in Peace" it said in Old Norse Icelandic.

Within a few weeks daily buses began to arrive from Reykjavik-sometimes two or three a day-filled with the gaping tourists that Bobby had so desperately wanted to avoid. The grave, now with a two-foot-high plain marble stone, had become one of Iceland's sightseeing attractions.

At the time of his death, Bobby Fischer's estate was worth more than $2 million, primarily the prize money left over from the $3.5 million that he'd won in his 1992 match with Spa.s.sky. Yet Fischer, the man who'd tried so hard to control things on and off the chessboard, never wrote a will. Perhaps he thought he could control his illness and didn't believe that he was dying until he was too ill to think about legal doc.u.ments. Or perhaps, in some odd way, it amused him to realize that his money would become a major cause of contention, that it would initiate a baroque chess match in which each of the estate's possible recipients took a turn at the board to gain a stronger position.

There were four people claiming to be Bobby's true heir: Miyoko Watai, who lived with Bobby and contended that she was his wife; Nicholas and Alexander Targ, Bobby's nephews (the two sons of Bobby's late sister, Joan); and Jinky Young, who claimed to be Bobby's daughter. All filed papers in Iceland, and were waiting for the court to sort out their respective pet.i.tions. The U.S. government also entered the fray in the hopes of gaining twenty years of back taxes owed by Bobby.

According to Icelandic law, a wife receives 100 percent of her husband's estate if there are no children and only one-third if there is one child or more. However, the Icelandic court questioned the j.a.panese marriage certificate that Miyoko presented because it was only a photocopy, and she had difficulty proving that she was in fact Bobby's legal wife.

The claim of the Targ brothers was clear: They are indeed his nephews. Now grown men-one a doctor and the other an attorney-both live in California. They were fully aware that they could only inherit their uncle's fortune if "closer" relatives-such as a wife or child-are proven not to be rightful heirs. It behooved them, therefore, to try to determine the legitimacy of the other claims.

Finally, there was Jinky. Eight years old at the time of Bobby's death, the girl was supported financially by Bobby all of her life. Icelandic friends said that Fischer was kind to the little girl, played with her, and bought her presents while she was in Iceland. Surprisingly, though, during the three years that Bobby lived in Iceland, Jinky and Marilyn visited him in Reykjavik only once, remaining there for about a month, in a separate apartment.

Then, a year and a half after Bobby's death, Marilyn and Jinky traveled to Iceland again, this time to file a claim to his estate. With Eugene Torre's a.s.sistance, an Icelandic lawyer-Thordur Bogason-was hired to represent the child, and soon after the attorney pet.i.tioned the court for a DNA test in an attempt to prove Bobby's paternity. Getting a sample of Jinky's DNA was simple: Doctors just took a small vial of blood. Retrieving a sample from Bobby, however, was decidedly more problematic. The National Hospital of Iceland, where Bobby died of renal failure, hadn't saved any of his blood. His belongings were still in his apartment in Reykjavik, but who could prove whether a hair taken from a hairbrush really came from Bobby? The only foolproof way to secure Bobby's DNA was to take a sample from Bobby's body. That would settle the matter, everyone believed. In the United States the FBI, which often has to extract DNA in criminal cases, considers the DNA test, when done with the latest technology, infallible.

Exhuming Bobby's corpse was impractical for many months: His grave was covered with snow, and it was difficult to dig through Iceland's frozen soil until late spring. Until that time, arguments for and against exhumation were debated through the lower courts, and were finally settled by the Icelandic Supreme Court: It ruled that Jinky had the right to know whether Bobby was or was not her father.

At about three a.m. on July 5, 2010, the grave of Bobby Fischer was opened by a team of experts from the Reykjavik Official Cemeteries Department. The unusual time of morning to perform the exhumation was selected to thwart possible newsmen and curiosity-seekers from ogling the corpse and possibly taking photographs. After removing the dirt down to the level of the coffin lid, a section was dug around the base of the coffin so several people could stand next to it. Looking like mourners, a solemn group stood staring down at the coffin or in the dug-out s.p.a.ce around it: The Rev. Kristinn A. Fridfinnsson, the pastor of the church; some of the Church's elders; forensic experts; government officials; the attorneys for all the claimants of the estate; Dr. Oskar Reykdalsson, who officiated; and olafur Kjartansson, the sheriff of Selfoss-the town near the cemetery. All were there to make sure that the process was done in a respectful and professional manner and that the exhumation would not be compromised.

At four a.m., just before the DNA samples were collected, a large white tent was erected around the gravesite to ensure even further privacy. It was a calm, beautiful summer morning with a peaceful wind.

The coffin was never moved or raised, but the lid was opened. Some newspapers around the world reported that the body wasn't actually dug up but that a drill was inserted through the earth, then through the coffin and into Bobby's body. Sheriff Kjartansson corrected that report the next day. No drill was inserted, he said, and the samples were taken directly from Bobby's body.

Normally, a DNA exhumation consists of gathering several several specimens in the event that one might not be suitable. Forensic scientists recommend a fingernail, a tooth, a tissue sample, and a piece of the femur. In Bobby's exhumation, a fragment of bone from his left small toe was extracted, in addition to seven tissue samples-enough for a binding test. As soon as the procedure was completed, the coffin was covered with the lava-infiltrated earth and a dusting of some residual ash that had drifted to Selfoss from the recently erupted volcano. Gra.s.s turf that had been removed when the digging had begun was then placed back on top of the grave. The samples were packaged and s.h.i.+pped to a forensics laboratory in Germany for testing; the Icelandic DNA laboratory was ruled out to avoid any possibility of compromise or conflict. specimens in the event that one might not be suitable. Forensic scientists recommend a fingernail, a tooth, a tissue sample, and a piece of the femur. In Bobby's exhumation, a fragment of bone from his left small toe was extracted, in addition to seven tissue samples-enough for a binding test. As soon as the procedure was completed, the coffin was covered with the lava-infiltrated earth and a dusting of some residual ash that had drifted to Selfoss from the recently erupted volcano. Gra.s.s turf that had been removed when the digging had begun was then placed back on top of the grave. The samples were packaged and s.h.i.+pped to a forensics laboratory in Germany for testing; the Icelandic DNA laboratory was ruled out to avoid any possibility of compromise or conflict.

The idea of disturbing a dead body would be horrible for anyone-some religions such as Judaism and Islam forbid it except for highly exceptional circ.u.mstances-but Bobby, before his death one of the world's most private beings, would no doubt have considered this final invasion of his privacy the ultimate act of disrespect. Even in death, he wasn't being allowed to rest in peace.

In a way, however, he was the final arbiter. According to Article 17, act 76/2003 of Icelandic Parliament, "a man shall be deemed the father of a child if the outcome of DNA-research points decisively [to the fact that he is the father]. Otherwise he is not the father." Six weeks after the exhumation, the results of the DNA test were released by the Reykjavik District Court: the DNA did not match. Bobby Fischer was not not Jinky's father. Jinky's father.

With Jinky no longer being a putative heir, the remaining contenders for the estate were Miyoko Watai, the Targ nephews, and the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

Like a chess game between equally matched compet.i.tors, however, the battle continued. Samuel Estimo, a chess master and Jinky's attorney in the Philippines, wrote to Bogason, his Icelandic counterpart, and protested that Jinky's claim had been relinquished too soon. Implying that there may have been skullduggery afoot, Estimo wrote a letter to The New York Times The New York Times and sent it to other media as well: and sent it to other media as well: The exhumation of Bobby Fischer was not done the normal way. His coffin should have been brought up and opened so that it would have been sure that the seven tissue samples that were taken from the alleged remains in that coffin were that of Bobby Fischer. Indeed, the procedure undertaken borders on the doubtful. The lot where Fischer was buried belongs to the family of Gardar Sverisson, a close friend of Miyoko Watai, one of the claimants to the estate of Bobby. He had complete access without the church pastor knowing it. Fischer was buried in front of the church in an early January morning without the church pastor knowing it. Who knows what could have taken place there between the date of burial and on the days before the exhumation.

Although Bogason warned Estimo that his statements could be considered slanderous and that he should accept that the case was closed for their client Jinky, Estimo would not not resign. He requested DNA samples of Bobby's nephews to determine, through their familial heredity, whether the samples taken from the gravesite actually matched Bobby's DNA. Estimo's implication-that another body might have been subst.i.tuted for Bobby's and somehow placed in the grave-tested the credulity of many. And the idea of deception brought off at the exhumation itself seemed even more far-fetched. With all the government officials, doctors, scientists, and church people present, all seeking the truth as to whether Bobby was Jinky's father, it seemed impossible that the exhumation was performed improperly. Nevertheless, the Icelandic court reopened the case to allow Jinky's attorney to present more evidence in support of her claim that she is Bobby's daughter. Bogason, in disagreement with Estimo, withdrew from the case. Estimo then renewed his request that the Targ brothers submit resign. He requested DNA samples of Bobby's nephews to determine, through their familial heredity, whether the samples taken from the gravesite actually matched Bobby's DNA. Estimo's implication-that another body might have been subst.i.tuted for Bobby's and somehow placed in the grave-tested the credulity of many. And the idea of deception brought off at the exhumation itself seemed even more far-fetched. With all the government officials, doctors, scientists, and church people present, all seeking the truth as to whether Bobby was Jinky's father, it seemed impossible that the exhumation was performed improperly. Nevertheless, the Icelandic court reopened the case to allow Jinky's attorney to present more evidence in support of her claim that she is Bobby's daughter. Bogason, in disagreement with Estimo, withdrew from the case. Estimo then renewed his request that the Targ brothers submit their their DNA, so it could be compared with the samples taken from the body in the coffin. If there's no match, Estimo can press his claim that the samples purportedly taken from Fischer's body are fraudulent. DNA, so it could be compared with the samples taken from the body in the coffin. If there's no match, Estimo can press his claim that the samples purportedly taken from Fischer's body are fraudulent.

Even if the match is positive, Estimo claims that Jinky Young is still ent.i.tled to be named an heir, because Bobby treated her as a daughter. Had the estate been negligible, one wonders whether there would have been such a fight over who is the true heir. But it is not just a question of money: The legitimacy of the girl's paternity-biological or t.i.tular-is at stake, and the Philippine nation would certainly like to know whether one of its citizens, Jinky Young, is the daughter of the greatest chess player who ever lived.

Meanwhile, the two Targ brothers now have only Miyoko standing between them and their claim to their uncle's millions. Or, at least, Miyoko would would be the only impediment if it weren't for the U.S. government, which, ironically, may walk away from this chess match with the best score. If the U.S. Internal Revenue Service is able to collect Bobby's back taxes and fines, the multimillion-dollar "purse" the compet.i.tors are vying for will have been seriously reduced. What was once a fortune may become a pittance, a lost game for the heirs. be the only impediment if it weren't for the U.S. government, which, ironically, may walk away from this chess match with the best score. If the U.S. Internal Revenue Service is able to collect Bobby's back taxes and fines, the multimillion-dollar "purse" the compet.i.tors are vying for will have been seriously reduced. What was once a fortune may become a pittance, a lost game for the heirs.

And what, then, will be the inheritance bequeathed by Bobby? For chess players, and for people who followed the story of Bobby Fischer's rise to become what many say is the greatest chess player who ever lived, his legacy for his heirs and the world alike may simply be the awe that his brilliance evoked.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.

I have been studying the life of Bobby Fischer for decades. There is hardly a tournament that I attend where someone doesn't tell me a story about him, and locked away in my memory are scores of anecdotes and first-person narratives that have been given to me. The problem has been to sort through a labyrinth of fables to select what is true and what is not, what is exaggerated and what is journalistically accurate, what is biased-pro or con-and what is a credible tale. In any event, to all of those players and friends who have shared with me over the years their recollections and eyewitness accounts, their brief encounters and amusing and dramatic incidents concerning Bobby, I express my deep grat.i.tude.

In researching this book, I have delved into just about everything that has been written about Fischer in English, listened to all of his broadcasts, read his books and other writings, and carefully examined his letters to and from his mother, Pal Benko, Jack Collins, and others. I have had translations done of other materials whose languages were unknown to me.

When I worked on previous writings about Fischer, I had discussed him with several former World Champions-Mikhail Botvinnik and Vasily Smyslov in Macedonia and Max Euwe in New York and Iceland-and dozens of players, and the reader may find a small portion of material reworked, redeployed, and integrated in Endgame Endgame that can be found elsewhere in other prose of mine. My attempt was to capture Bobby Fischer the man and not just offer a chronology of his tournaments and matches. that can be found elsewhere in other prose of mine. My attempt was to capture Bobby Fischer the man and not just offer a chronology of his tournaments and matches.

When I was in Reykjavik for two months attending every round of the first Fischer-Spa.s.sky match, I had the opportunity to talk about Bobby with such chess lights as Miguel Najdorf, Svetozar Gligoric, Robert Byrne, Bent La.r.s.en, Max Euwe, William Lombardy, Lubomir Kavalek, Lothar Schmid, Dragoljub Janosevic, I. A. Horowitz, and Larry Evans, as well as most of the chess community present, in addition to such literary lions as Arthur Koestler, George Steiner, and Harold Schonberg. Bobby's legal eagles, Paul Marshall and Andrew Davis, although reserved, also opened up to me. All of the above gave me the benefit of their insights into Bobby. In some cases, I have continued a dialogue with some of them in my recent preparation of Endgame Endgame.

Back in 1972, the Soviet players who accompanied Spa.s.sky-Efim Geller, Nikolai Krogius, and Ivo Nei-refused to speak to me, probably thinking of me as a spy for the United States side, or at least someone who would aid Bobby in some way in his pursuit of the champions.h.i.+p, as if anyone could. Spa.s.sky, however, ever the gentleman, was not afraid to at least pa.s.s the time of day with me. We have recently corresponded, and he was kind enough to share his warm feelings about Bobby.

I am indebted to the following people who, during the past year, talked to me or helped me in other ways to grasp the essence of Bobby Fischer: Fridrik Olafsson, Walter Browne, Bernard Zuckerman, Boris Spa.s.sky, Leslie Ault, Arthur Bisguier, Lev Khariton, Renato Naranja, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, Gabor Schnitzler, Richard Vattone, Stuart Margulies, Shelby Lyman, Joseph Smith, Aben Rudy, Eliot Hearst, David Oddsson, Mark Gerstl, William Ronalds, John Bosnitch, David Rosenblum, Tibi Vasilescu, Paul Jonsson, Arthur Feuerstein, Asa Hoffmann, Hanon Russell, Susan Polgar, Alla Baeva, Lion Calandra, Vincent Mallozzi, Bill Goichberg, Helgi Olafsson, Ralph Italie, Dr. Joseph Wagner, Gudmundur Thorarinsson, Sam Sloan, Allen Kaufman, Sal Matera, Curtis Lakdawala, James T. Sherwin, Anthony Saidy, Saemi Palsson, Russell Targ, Pal Benko, and Bragi Kristjonsson. Special thanks to International Master John Donaldson, who placed the ma.n.u.script under his microscope of chess knowledge and plucked some weeds from my prose. Edward Winter, the world's most eminent chess historian, found some rhetorical, linguistic, and factual discrepancies which were caught just a short time before publication. My deepest thanks.

Additionally, four friends, all chess players and writers, read the entire ma.n.u.script and offered truly invaluable advice, correcting whatever lacunae that had crept in: Jeffrey Tannenbaum, a relentless editor; Dr. Glenn Statile, a philosopher; Glenn Petersen, the longtime editor of Chess Life; Chess Life; and Don Schultz, who probably knows more about American chess than anyone else. I grieve for the slaughter of some of my favorite cows that they suggested I kill, but how can I ever thank them for making this a better book? and Don Schultz, who probably knows more about American chess than anyone else. I grieve for the slaughter of some of my favorite cows that they suggested I kill, but how can I ever thank them for making this a better book?

Three Icelanders were so helpful when I traveled to Reykjavik last October that I am truly indebted to them for the deep courtesy they displayed and their concern that I accurately portray Bobby's life in their little but fascinating country: Einar Einarsson, who shared everything he knew about Bobby; Dr. Magnus Skula.s.son, who probably understood Bobby better than anyone I have ever met; and Gardar Sverrisson, who was closest to Bobby, and his spokesperson during his time in Iceland. Thank you, thank you, and thank you.

The following libraries offered up surprising nuggets of Fischeriana: the New York Public Library, the Brooklyn Public Library, the Long Island Collection of the Queensborough Public Library, the John G. White Collection of the Cleveland Public Library, the Columbia University Library, and the Lilly Library of the University of Indiana. The publications New in Chess, Chess New in Chess, Chess, and Chess Life Chess Life, as well as the websites ChessBase, Chess Cafe ChessBase, Chess Cafe, and Chessville Chessville, were of enormous help. To each I am indebted, as I am to Mirjam Donath, a Fulbright scholar; and Taryn Westerman, my former graduate a.s.sistant; both of whom helped me research the work.

I've never had an editor before as perceptive and as hardworking as Rick Horgan. He is not only responsible for this book coming into existence, but helped shape it in every way, shoving needles into the eyes of my discursive prose from time to time and serving as a sounding board throughout the compilation of the book.

My literary agent, Jeff Schmidt, deserves special commendation for recognizing the potential of Endgame Endgame, and for steering the book to one of the best publis.h.i.+ng houses in the world.

Finally, there is my wife, Maxine, to whom this book is dedicated. Like me, she also knew Bobby, spent time with him, and observed and interacted with him in our home, at parties, and at many tournaments, so her intelligence and memory-in addition to her writing and editing skills-were essential signposts for me in virtually everything that appears here. Without her contribution there would be no Endgame Endgame. My sincere grat.i.tude for her constant consultation is simply not enough.

NOTES.

The sources for this book come from a variety of origins: interviews of and correspondence with chess players; friends and relatives of Bobby Fischer; chess periodicals and books; the general press; Bobby Fischer's own writings; libraries and archives; and the author's own memories, conversations, and observations of Bobby Fischer spread out over a lifetime.

Abbreviations Bobby Fischer Autobiographical Essay-BFE John W. Collins Archive-JWC Marshall Chess Foundation Archive-MCF New York Times-NYT Chess Life-CL Chess Review-CR Chess Life & Review-CL&R Frank Brady Archive-FB New In Chess-NIC Chess Base-CB Profile of a Prodigy-PRO KGB Reports-KGB Author citations refer to books in the Bibliography.

Author's Note 1 "A biography is considered complete" "A biography is considered complete" Clare Colquitt, Susan Goodman, Candace Waid. Clare Colquitt, Susan Goodman, Candace Waid. A Forward Glance: New Essays on Edith Wharton A Forward Glance: New Essays on Edith Wharton, a.s.sociated University Presses, Inc., 1999, p. 23.

2 "a whole world of feelings" "a whole world of feelings" Mack Frankfurter. Mack Frankfurter. Options: A Three Dimensional Chess Options: A Three Dimensional Chess, October 13, 2006. At safehaven.com. Accessed December 14, 2008.

Chapter 1: Loneliness to Pa.s.sion.

The sources for this chapter came, in some part, from a statement written in the third person by Bobby Fischer while he was incarcerated; examination of the FBI files on Regina Fischer; Bobby's autobiographical essay written when he was a teenager; talks of the author with Bobby's teachers, Carmine Nigro and Jack Collins, as well as Regina Fischer; observations of the author; and previously published accounts in books and periodicals.

1 "I can't breathe. I can't breathe." "I can't breathe. I can't breathe." Legal statement of facts written by Bobby Fischer, 6 pages, July 2004, Legal statement of facts written by Bobby Fischer, 6 pages, July 2004, orwelltoday.com/fischerroom202.shtml.

2 "as soon as he lands at JFK, we'll nail him." "as soon as he lands at JFK, we'll nail him." Recollection of author, who talked with State Department official, circa late 1990s. Recollection of author, who talked with State Department official, circa late 1990s.

3 The group's destination was the Silver Moon Chinese restaurant The group's destination was the Silver Moon Chinese restaurant. This incident occurred circa 1956. Discussion with Jack Collins, circa 1956; and reported in Newsday Newsday, September 28, 1992.

4 he'd just returned from the U.S. Open Champions.h.i.+p in Oklahoma City CR he'd just returned from the U.S. Open Champions.h.i.+p in Oklahoma City CR, August 1956, p. 227.

5 at the first Moscow Medical Inst.i.tute at the first Moscow Medical Inst.i.tute Discussion of Regina and Gerhardt Fischer in Moscow. Johnson, p. 125. Discussion of Regina and Gerhardt Fischer in Moscow. Johnson, p. 125.

6 Regina Fischer had no long-term residence PRO Regina Fischer had no long-term residence PRO, pp. 14.

7 One of Bobby's first memories One of Bobby's first memories BFE, p. 1. BFE, p. 1.

8 flung his pencil down in frustration and grabbed a brown crayon, but this time he paused flung his pencil down in frustration and grabbed a brown crayon, but this time he paused MCF MCF 9 Later, he became enamored of j.a.panese interlocking puzzles NYT Later, he became enamored of j.a.panese interlocking puzzles NYT, February 23, 1958, SMD 38.

10 In early 1949 Regina Fischer took the least expensive housing she could find In early 1949 Regina Fischer took the least expensive housing she could find FBI report, 8-24-53 (SAC, New York, 100-102290). FBI report, 8-24-53 (SAC, New York, 100-102290).

11 on a rainy day when Bobby had just turned six Parade on a rainy day when Bobby had just turned six Parade, October 27, 1957, p. 22.