Robert Fischer won the World Championship match against Boris Spassky in 1972. After that he took a break from competition chess until he played Spassky in a commemorative match in 1992. Fischer also won this match.

Fischer and Spassky chose to play this match in Yugoslavia, which was at the time, undergoing civil war.

As a consequence of playing chess there, United States beaurocrats sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment (in his absence).

Playing a chess match was deemed to be "trading with the enemy". I don't believe Fischer paid to play the match. Also Fischer and Spassky were ripped off and ended up getting no prize money. Despite no exchange of money, Fischer "traded with the enemy".

Also, what of Boris Spassky? Are the "authorities" out to "get" him as well.

During the U.S. led intervention in the Balkans, the Chinese embassy was bombed, a train full of civilians was bombed, a village in Albania was bombed etc. etc. No-one is threatened with 10 years jail for these incidents, but playing chess .... thats really bad.

People who play chess are sometimes run down by politicians and journalists, two groups who are on average, less ethical than chessplayers. Fischer, after all, is just a chessplayer to them.

In Britain in the early 1900s, the wife of a chessplayer by the name of Wallace was murdered. Wallace was charged, despite evidence, and was about to be hung. He was saved at the last minute, as the result of new evidence that someone else was the culprit. The judge believed that because Wallace played chess, he must have a devious and sneaky mind, and therefore must be guilty.

I can't see what possible good sending Fischer to jail could possibly do. It would not be to prevent him recommitting an offense and the experience would certainly not do him any good, and could kill him. Its hard to see him fitting in at all.

People who make decisions that a person should be sent to prison when no crime has been committed are sadists. I will say this again. The people who are giving Fischer a hard time are being sadistic.

It has to be said that it is possible for an egoic person to enjoy hurting another, though they will tend to deny this is their true motivation. There is a website at Cobbers which discusses the phenomen of beaurocratic bullying and the behaviour of "Little Hitlers".

Fischer apparently has made bitter comments about the US. This is understandable, if someone else was facing the prospect of being a political prisoner there for more than 10 years, then they may be bitter too. Fischer has already been falsely imprisoned. In the 1980s he was arrested (for armed robbery) because of mistaken identify and mistreated by police.

Fischer has been the subject of a lot of criticism over the years, after he stopped playing in the 1970s some people were disappointed that he didn't continue playing and he was labeled as a recluse. Its quite understandable that a person should like a private life after so much publicity.

Fischer correctly criticised the 24 game world championship system, as it allowed the leading player to simply play for draws, this contributed to different systems being tried.

Fischer invented a new type of chess clock and patented it. Fide (the world chess federation) copied the idea (ignoring the patent) and now it is comonplace in international chess.

Fischer also developed a new type of chess (FischerRandom), which removes the need for opening preparation.

False rumours have circulated about Fischer years ago, that he had been schizophrenic etc.

Fischer's treatment by US officials sets an ugly precedent. If playing chess is a crime, then this is bad for anyone who plays international chess.

The US human rights record have declined sharply in the recent past. The US government won't sign the International Court of Law etc etc and quite frankly they are wankers in some respects.

Its time to stop giving Bobby Fischer a hard time.