bobby fischer

i read in the news today that the mysterious chess champion, bobby fischer, has surfaced in japan where he was detained as he tried to leave the country.  apparently it all stems back from his 1992 rematch against boris spassky as it was held in yugoslavia which at the time under international sanctions. bobby's american passport was later revoked and this apparently is what the japanese have caught. looks like the us government might finally catch bobby, who faces a 10-year jail term as well as countless fines and has been on the run for years.

on the subject of odd chess personalities, a while ago i stumbled across the website of sam sloan. sam has been descibed as, "US Chess Federation candidate, taxi-driver, polygamist, gadfly – all these epitaphs fit one of the most colorful personalities in world chess. Sam Sloan has been jailed in Afghanistan, fought Pakistani kidnappers, had lunch with terrorist mastermind bin Laden, fled US courts who want access to his father's alleged $50 million fortune. And you thought chess players led dull lives?"

to learn more about who sam is, read what he has to say about himself and enter his bizarre world. he's no stranger to thailand....