Boris Spassky Writes To GW Bush
 

Appeal to President Bush from Boris Spassky



Mr. President,

In 1972 Bobby Fischer became national hero. He smashed me in the match in Reykjavik. The Soviet chess hegemony collapsed. One man won against a whole army. Soon after that Fischer stopped playing. He repeated the sad story of Paul Morphy. At the age of 21, legendary Paul had beaten all leading European masters and became unofficial champion. He stopped playing and finished his tragic life at the age of 47 in New Orleans in 1884.

In 1992, twenty years after Reykjavik, there was a miracle. Bobby resuscitated and we played a match in Yugoslavia. But at that time there were sanctions against Yugoslavia forbidding American citizens any sort of activity on the territory of Yugoslavia. Bobby violated the instructions of the State Department. He became the subject of a warrant for arrest issued on December 15, 1992 by the US District Court. As for me, as a French citizen since 1978, I did not get any sanctions from the French government.


Spassky vs Fischer during the match of the century in Reykjavik in 1972

Since July 13, 2004, Bobby has been detained at Narita airport on immigration violations. Further events have been described by media.

It is clear that the law is the law. But Fischer?s case is not usual. I am an old friend of Bobby since 1960 when we played in Mar-del-Plata and shared 1-2 places. Bobby is a tragic personality. I realized this at that time. He is an honest and good natured man. Absolutely not social. He is not adaptable to everybody?s standards of life. He has a very high sense of justice and is unwilling to compromise as well as with his own conscience as with surrounding people. He is a person who is doing almost everything against himself.

I would not like to defend or justify Bobby Fischer. He is what he is. I am asking only for one thing. For mercy, charity.

If for some reason it is impossible, I would like to ask you the following: Please correct the mistake of President François Mitterand in 1992. Bobby and myself committed the same crime. Put sanctions against me also. Arrest me. And put me in the same cell with Bobby Fischer. And give us a chess set.

Boris Spassky
10-th Chess World Champion
08.07.2004

Bobby Fischer is an odd story. He was a master of chess. I loved the movie about him when it showed him playing 10 people at once.

It sucks we never got to see him play Karpov when both were near their primes.

I don't know any news about that story, but from which I read USA asked (requested) from Japan deportation of Bobby. Two weeks ago Japanese government asked/contacted Yugoslavian (Serbian) government about Bobby Fischer's citizenship.
Sad story... He is the biggiest chess player in history...
I can only say that I had privilege to be in the same room with him...

Bobby Fischer has serious mental problems, he praised the Sept 11 attacks, serious jew-hater... the list goes on

That said, I still don't think the dude should be deported and thrown in an American jail, he hasn't lived in the States for like 20 years or something.

The last paragraph brought a tear to my eye. Spassky has always been a gentleman, a man with an unshakable belief in fairness and sportsmanship. Hopefully this story will have a good ending, though I have my doubts...