AThe Record Hackensack, New Jersey Thursday, August 25, 1977 - Page 8
What Happened To Bobby Fischer
Five years ago, whiz Bobby Fischer brilliantly moved his way across the international chess board to become world champ — the first American to de-throne the Soviets in decades.
But just as quickly, the then 29-year-old Fischer traded in his celebrity status as national hero.
Turning down matches he refused to compromise his principles even if it meant losing millions.
In March 1975, Fischer lost his title by default when he rejected the International Chess Federation's arrangements for a match with Anatoly Karpov of the Soviet Union. When the group refused to change the rules, the crown was handed over to Karpov.
In 1975 Fischer sued author Brad Darrach and the publisher of “Bobby Fischer vs. The Rest of the World,” after the author promised not to write a book about him. He lost the $5-million suit.
The year before, he was sued for refusing to allow Chester Fox to film his showdown chess match with Spassky.
Today with the 1978 World Chess Championship in sight, Fischer is still inaccessible, having sunk deeper from fame into self-imposed obscurity in South Pasadena, Calif.
He has consistently ignored invitations for games, and his failure to register for elimination matches leaves his place for the championship in February open to the Soviet Union's Spassky.
Reports earlier this year by the International Chess Federation that Fischer was considering a match with Karpov haven't amounted to anything so far. Now there's talk that West German financier, Wilfried Hilgert, is offering $3 million to Fischer if he battles Victor Korchnoi, a Soviet emigre to West Germany.
Still, Fischer's profile remains low. Reports say that he is still single, living frugally in a small house he selected because of the Southern California climate and its close proximity to Ambassador College and the headquarters of the World Wide Church of God. Some say Fischer has made large donations to the church.
But friends and associates at the college continue to shroud Fischer in secrecy. Claudia O'Karow, who works at the college and serves as Fischer's secretary, isn't answering any questions. She just takes phone messages for him.
“He hasn't been involved in any public tournaments or matches since his championship.” says Doris Thackery, Services Director of the U.S. Chess Federation. “Legitimate contests have to be rated and recorded and we have no knowledge of any [by Fischer].”
Thackery says that Fischer's books are still bringing in royalties. “And then there's the $250,000 he won for the championship match,” she says.
Exactly how Bobby Fischer, who once said that chess was his life, sends his days is unknown.
Even if Fischer never plays chess publicly again, Edmund M. Edmundson, an official of the U.S. Chess Federation, thinks that Fischer has left an important impact on the chess world.
“There are two dozen strong young players who wouldn't be as active if Fischer hadn't inspired them,” he says. “The legacy he left is enormous.”
