Bobby Fischer to Reside in Iceland

Iceland's foreign minister Mr. David Oddsson authorised Bobby Fischer's residence visa in Iceland. He is in complex negotiations with US and Japanese Authorities but the icelanders hope that Fischer will be in Iceland in a couple of weeks.

Einar S Einarsson International Affairs Liaison for the Icelandic Chess Federation says they are quite concerned about the fate of former world chess champion Bobby Fischer and have formed a special, the The RJF Committee Iceland in support for his freedom from his detention in Japan. Members of this committee include GM Fridrik Olafsson, former Fide president, and G. Thorarinsson, chief organizer of the Fischer - Spassky match in 1972, Lilja Gretarsdottir president of ICF and more.

On December 15th Bobby Fischer was granted a residence permit in Iceland. The Icelandic Authorities announced that Bobby Fischer is welcomed to Iceland and that Mr. David Oddsson foreign minister has decided at his request to grant him a residence visa. When this news broke 5 members of Bobby Fischers support group were at the Japanese Embassy in Reykjavik, protesting and appealing for his uncondtional relese from detention in Tokyo. Yesterday they visited the US Embassy and today there in an open letter to the US Ambassador in the main newspaper with very sharp criticism and points.

The Icelandic Government granted the request of the Icelandic Chess Federation on humanitarian grounds. The Icelandic ambassador in Japan has been authorised to negotiate with Japanese authoritities on Fischer's release and his move to Iceland. On December 19th the American ambassador Mr. Gadsden visited the Icelandic foreign ministry and expressed surprise and disappointment from the US Goverment and asked that Fischers resident visa to be withdrawn.