Hoosiers Ate My Brain

Bobby Fischer...Found

I didn't know that the world was aware of Bobby Fischer's whereabouts these days. He's spent much of his life in seclusion -- so much so that for many years, his whereabouts where completely unknown. However, these days, he is in a Japanese detention center where he's been since last July. Detained for traveling on an expired passport, the Japanese are holding him for possible extradition to the US. (He was in a scuffle with guards, supposedly over an egg and is in solitary confinement, now.) His fiancee, a four-time Japanese women's chess champion, has seen him and says he's in a fragile mental state.

The US wants Fischer for violating sanctions against the former Yugoslavia related to his 1992 match. Iceland has offered Fischer a home and a special passport for travel including clearance through countries he'd need to enter to get there. The passport awaits Fischer at the Icelandic embassy in Japan as soon as he can claim it. The question lies with Japan -- will they allow the US to extradite him or allow him to leave the country on his own. More on his plight.

posted by braingirl @ 1:30 AM