Press release
Fischer’s remains to be exhumed
In a bizarre twist to the battle for the estate left by the late chess legend
Bobby Fischer, lawyer Sammy Estimo revealed that the remains of the chess icon
will be exhumed soon.
Estimo, lawyer of Fischer's Filipino child, Jinky Young, said that Judge Sigrun
Gudmundsdottir of the Icelandic probate court found no DNA samples of Fischer
at the National Hospital in Iceland, where the ex-world champion died on January
17, 2008 of renal failure. Because of this development, Estimo and his collaborating
Icelandic lawyer,Thordur Bogason, were left with no other recourse but to request
the court to issue an order for the exhumation of Bobby's remains for DNA samples
to be tested with the blood samples extracted from Jinky when she went to Iceland
in December last year.
Jinky, Fischer's nephews and the Japanese Miyoko Watai, who claims to have
married Fischer in 2004, are claimants to the PHP 140 million [three million
US$] and gold deposits left by the chess genius at the Landsbanki in Reykjavik.
Fischer also purchased real estate properties in Iceland, where he became a
citizen after his release from a Japanese airport prison in 2005.
Bobby Fischer with Jinky Young and "live-in partner" Marilyn Young
in 2004
In a decision issued by the Supreme Court of Iceland in December last year,
Watai's marriage to Fischer was invalidated because of the failure of the Japanese
to present the original of their alleged marriage certificate.
On April 16, Judge Gudmundsdottir will resolve the request of Jinky for the
disinterment of her father's remains in a cemetery in Selfoss town, south Iceland.
Lawyer Estimo, Jinky, Marilyn, GM Eugene Torre at Fischer's grave
Estimo had predicted before that this saga would reach this far – for
Bobby Fischer to rise again and provide the solution to this puzzle on his estate!
Lawyer Samuel Estimo
Counsel of Jinky Young, Fischer's daughter
DNA testing with 23andMe
It occurs to us that there is an inexpensive and uncomplicated alternative
to digging up the remains of Fischer to extract DNA samples for testing against
those of Jinky Young. The company 23andMe,
a privately held personal genomics and biotechnology company (co-founded by
Anne Wojcicki, who is married to Google co-founder Sergey Brin) provides a service
that genotypes DNA samples and can map
the ancestry of a subject.
A single sample – in the form of saliva – taken from Jinky Young
will provide a map of her DNA family tree, going back many generations. If the
map shows ancestry in Hungary and the US, where Fischer's parents originated,
then further tests are justified. If they are only in Asia or the Philippines
then it would be clear that Fischer is not the father of Jinky – without
having to extract DNA from an exhumed body.
The cost of a 23andMe is $399 for ancestry. The DNA mapping can also be conducted
by many hospital facilities.
Related ChessBase reports
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Bobby Fischer dies in Iceland
18.01.2008 – One of the world's greatest chess
geniuses, Bobby Fischer, has died at the age of 64. A spokesman for Fischer
said the former world chess champion passed away in a Reykjavik hospital
yesterday. The US-born former world chess champion, who became famous
around the world for beating the Soviet Union's Boris Spassky in 1972,
had been seriously ill for some time. Rest
in Peace, Bobby. |
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Bobby Fischer – his final weeks
25.01.2008 – One of the greatest chess legends,
the eleventh world champion Robert Bobby Fischer, passed on January 17,
2008. The cause of death was renal failure. He was quietly buried by his
closest friends at a cemetery in the countryside he loved. Controversy
is arising due to the secrecy of the burial, but we are convinced it was
conducted according to his personal wishes. Report
and tributes. |
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Bobby Fischer buried in Iceland
22.01.2008 – Chess legend Robert James Fischer,
eleventh world champion, was laid to rest in the cemetery of Laugardalur
Church outside the town of Selfoss, 60 km south of Reykjavik. Fischer,
who died of kidney failure, had requested that only a handful of people
be present at the funeral – amongst them Fischer's companion, Miyoko Watai.
We bring you the wire reports and a statement
by Garry Kasparov. |
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First anniversary of Bobby Fischer's death
17.01.2009 – Exactly one year ago a great chess
legend died, at the age of 64. Bobby Fischer was buried without ceremony
in a private cemetery in southern Iceland, which now has a simple headstone
– a reader sent us a picture. In a commemorative article we remember Bobby
with an inspiring story from his childhood – "The Sicilian Vespers" and
with links to his Sixty
Memorable ChessBase Reports. |
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Iceland: Fischer's estate, his final resting place
10.11.2009 – The chess legend Bobby Fischer
died in Iceland on January 17, 2008. He was buried in the compound of
a church in Selfoss, 60 km from the capital Reykjavik. Since then there
has been a battle over his estate, which is claimed by his nephews Alexander
and Nicholas Targ. Now the Reykjavik Discrict Court has ruled in favour
of Fischer's lawfully wedded wife, Miyoko Watai. Pictorial
report. |
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Fischer's daughter Jinky files claim to his estate
11.11.2009 – Yesterday we published a report
on an Islandic court awarding Fischer's estate to his lawfully wedded
wife Miyoko Watai. Today we received a message from Marilyn Young, Fischer's
"Filipina live-in partner", who is seeking justice for her and Fischer's
eight-year-old daughter Jinky. The two are on their way to Iceland to
file their claim. Marilyn has sent us some fairly
compelling photographic evidence. |
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Marilyn and Jinky visit Fischer's tomb
05.12.2009 – As we
reported some weeks ago, Marilyn young, Bobby Fischer's "Filipina
live-in partner", is claiming rights to the late champion's estate for
their common daughter Jinky. The claim has been filed with Icelandic courts,
and during their visit a blood sample was drawn from Jinky and submitted
for DNA ananlysis. Marilyn's lawyer Samuel Estimo sent us the following
report
from Reykjavik. |
On Fischer and Miyoko Watai
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'Fischer and Miyoko were indeed married'
27.01.2008 – Did Bobby Fischer marry the president
of the Japan Chess Association, Miyoko Watai, with whom he lived for some
years in Japan? This question moves out of the gossip columns and requires
serious investigation as questions are raised in the press about the legality
of Fischer's "secret burial" – and the fate of his estate, estimated at
about £1.5 million. We have received a letter
from a close associate. |
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'We want to live together forever'
01.09.2004 – She collected pictures of her
chess hero after his match with Boris Spassky in 1972. One year later
they met in Tokyo – the start of a romance spanning decades. Since four
years the two have lived together in downtown Kamata in Tokyo's Ota Ward.
In an exclusive interview for ChessBase Miyoko Watai tells us the story
of her life
with Bobby Fischer. |
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'Bobby Fischer and I have decided to marry'
17.08.2004 – Bobby Fischer, the former world
chess champion, plans to marry the president of the Japan Chess Association
(and four-time Japanese women's champion) Miyoko Watai. This was reported
in newspapers and wire services last night. Now Watai-san has sent us
a statement explaining the background of her
personal relationship with Fischer. |
