Des Moines Tribune Des Moines, Iowa Thursday, August 25, 1977 - Page 18
Fischer Returning To Chess in '78?
Just five years ago, the world's attention was turned to Reykjavik, Iceland, where Bobby Fischer of the United States and Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union were matching wits over a marble and mahogany chess table.
Fischer, then 29, won the world championship, breaking a 26-year Russian monopoly of the title; it was the first time since 1946 that a non-Russian had even reached the world championship finals. Fischer earned a record purse of $250,000 and became a cult figure.
After spending most of his life working for the crown, Fischer didn't wear it well. He hasn't played chess in public since the Spassky games. In 1975, Fischer lost his title by default, refusing to defend it after a dispute over match rules.
Rumors of new games, new opponents and new locales have surfaced periodically since then. None has been realized. Fischer emerged briefly into public view recently when he lost a $5 million lawsuit against Brad Darrach.
The latest report of a prospective opponent for Fischer comes from The Netherlands, where former Soviet grand master Victor Korchnoi has told the press he hopes to play a match with Fischer next February.
Korchnoi has just won his way to the finals of the world championship challengers' competition and is a likely prospect to play champion Anatoly Karpov for the title next year. A match with Fischer could be an interesting warm-up for this contest.
A Dutch newspaper says West German Wilfried Hilgert has agreed to pay Fischer $3 million for the match.
“I've been in contact with Fischer and in early September I'll go to American to meet him and fix further details,” Korchnoi told reporters.
Few persons have contact with Fischer today. He lives a secluded life in South Pasadena, Calif., where he moved shortly after the Spassky match.
He chose the Pasadena area not only because of the weather but because of its proximity to Ambassador College and the headquarters of the Worldwide Church of God. Fischer has made large donations to the church, some reports say.
“I've had no communications with Fischer lately,” said Edmund M. Edmundson, an official of the U.S. Chess Federation. “As far as I know he lives in a small house in South Pasadena and he must live frugally because he does nothing for a living. He must depend on royalties and some leftover money from the Spassky match.”
Even though Fischer hasn't let the world see much of him recently, he did have an enormous impact on the popularity of chess.
“There are now two dozen strong young players who wouldn't be as active if Fischer hadn't inspired them,” said Edmundson, who added remorsefully, “The legacy he left is enormous.”
Once Bobby Fischer said, “Chess is life.” But he also said, “I don't mix well.”
