74 Entering the sparkling city of Budapest Undated postcard from the Hotel Gellért, from Bobby Fischer to Regina Fischer, circa summer 1993, MCF.
Chapter 13: Crossing Borders
Interviews of Pal Benko, Olga Lilienthal (by Dimitry Komarov), Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, and Zsuzsa Polgar, in addition to others that appear in Tivadar Farkasházy’s book Bobby Vizzatér, were invaluable sources for this chapter.
1 “You don’t need bodyguards in Budapest” Interview of Pal Benko by author, summer 2008, New York.
2 To protect himself, he bought a heavy coat made of horse leather Interview of Pal Benko by author, summer 2008, New York.
3 As soon as he was settled at the Hotel Gellért, Bobby was invited to spend part of the summer with the Polgars Interview of Zsuzsa Polgar by author, May 2009, Princeton, NJ.
4 about thirty-five miles north of Budapest, in the verdant Danube Bend section of the Slavic Hills of Hungary “Seeking the Fischer King,” New York Daily News, August 22, 1993.
5 All of the sisters played chess with him, but acceding to his preference, they played Fischer Random Gligoric, Shall We Play, p. 86.
6 Zsuzsa played him “countless games” Interview of Zsuzsa Polgar by author, May 2009, Princeton, NJ.
7 “I tried to convince him in the beginning about the realities” Interview of Zsuzsa Polgar by author, May 23, 2009, Princeton, NJ.
8 “He was like a big kid,” Zsuzsa fondly remembered Interview of Zsuzsa Polgar by author, May 2009, Princeton, NJ.
9 Even after living there for years, he referred to himself as a “tourist” Calypso Radio interview of Bobby Fischer, January 13, 1999.
10 Although Olga was almost the same age as Bobby Interview of Olga Lilienthal by Dmitry Komarov, circa 2008, letter courtesy of Magnus Skulasson.
11 “You are a good man, a good person, so you are not a Jew.” Farkasházy, p. 97.
12 Andrei had surreptitiously taken a photograph of Bobby at a New Year’s Eve dinner party Interview of Pal Benko by author, May 2010, New York.
13 He relayed a message to Lilienthal that he’d deliver the $100,000 in American cash to Bobby personally Interview of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov by author, August 2002, Cherry Hill, NJ.
14 “I was struck by how Fischer was up on everything that was happening in our country.” Vladimir Linder and Isaac Linder, “From Morphy to Fischer—Who’s Next?” Unpublished essay, Russia, no year.
15 Ilyumzhinov suggested that Bobby move to Kalmykia Interview of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov by author, August 2002, New York.
16 Bobby thanked the president and asked about Kalmykia’s medical care program Sports Express, December 20, 1995.
17 Ilyumzhinov also offered to put up millions for another Fischer-Spassky match Kasparov, p. 489.
18 “The old Jewish scoundrel Andrei Lilienthal” From a book in progress by Bobby Fischer, What Can You Expect from Baby Mutilators? November 18, 1997. Extracts appeared in DeLucia and DeLucia, pp 248–61.
19 Incredulous, Bobby asked Sofia: “How can you even talk to those people?” Farkasházy, p. 269.
20 When Zita told her mother what he’d said Farkasházy, p. 135 ff.
21 “Single, tall, rich, handsome, middle-aged American man” DeLucia and DeLucia, p. 236.
22 Once, when coming home late at night from an event Farkasházy, p. 375.
23 To Kaltenbrunner the fact that the great Bobby Fischer was gracing his home Farkasházy, pp. 382–85.
24 The film grossed more than $7 million and was nominated for an Academy Award Internet Movie Database, imdb.com.
25 It’s “a monumental swindle” “Bobby Fischer Moves to a Satisfying Peace,” Chicago Sun-Times, September 26, 1993.
26 Bobby felt safe enough to travel and eventually went to many countries Interview of Pal Benko by author, April 2010, New York.
27 Mysteriously, he also journeyed to Italy to meet a member of the Mafia Farkasházy, p. 198.
28 Some chess players in the state of Washington conjectured that he surreptitiously entered the United States Chess, January 2001, p. 8.
29 Sometimes he’d vary his routine and go on long walks Chicago Sun-Times, September 26, 1993.
30 Ellsworth actually realized his error in time to attend the auction and buy back $8,000 worth of the material Böhm and Jongkind, p. 65.
31 He just wouldn’t let it rest Bobby Fischer live radio interviews, http://bobbyfischerpage.tripod.com.
32 One psychiatrist, Dr. Magnus Skulasson, who knew Bobby well toward the end of his life Interview of Dr. Magnus Skulasson by author, October 2009, Reykjavik, Iceland.
33 Saidy added that the media were exploitative in publishing the most hideous of Bobby’s statements CL, June 1999, letter to Larry Evans in Evans on Chess.
34 He lambasted Saidy for living in the United States Extract from Bobby Fischer’s diary, August 5, 1999, in DeLucia and DeLucia, p. 285.
35 Bobby and Miyoko, both in their late fifties, lived a quiet life http://www.anusha.com/paf690.htm.
36 One of his friends who observed them together said that he treated little Jinky with affection Interview with Gardar Sverrisson by author, October 2009, Reykjavik, Iceland.
37 “Yes, well, this is all wonderful news” Interview of Bobby Fischer on Radio Baguio, September 11, 2001.
Chapter 14: Arrest and Rescue
1 He wanted the world to know about his devestating loss DeLucia and DeLucia, p. 275.
2 brought renewed scrutiny by the United States government NYT, July 17, 2004, p. A1.
3 twenty-four new pages perfectly sewn in http://www.canoe.ca/newsstand/columnists/ottawa.
4 It was dated December 11, 2003 Letter on “Embassy of the United States of America—Manila, Philippines” stationery, dated December 11, 2003, to Robert James Fischer, signed by Theodore Allegra, Consul of the U.S.A., FB.
5 being that the embassy had never sent the letter to Bern Chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=1852.
6 “He was so upset, and I didn’t know what to say” Interview of Miyoko Watai by Ev Mafurji on chessbase.com, January 9, 2004.
7 Miyoko, for her part, thought that U.S. authorities could have arrested Bobby anytime AP wire story (Tokyo), July 18, 2004.
8 Another time, he purposely stepped on the glasses of a guard Interview of Saemi Palsson by author, October 2009, Reykjavik, Iceland.
9 Fischer called it a “kidnapping” Quoted in network news footage, March 24, 2005.
10 He also wrote to Secretary of State Colin Powell AP wire story (Asia), August 17, 2004.
11 “permanently renounce my U.S. citizenship.” Bloomberg News Service. August 6, 2004.