Interview on Icelandic Television
There is a new interview with Bobby Fischer in Icelandic Television. In two
segments Fischer talks on the phone about his plight and his appeal to the
Icelandic government. In the second segment the talkshow host reads Fischer
passages from the ChessBase report on Kasparov's opinion on Fischer Random
Chess. Here's the exchange (around 10 minutes into the show):
Anchor: What about chess, Bobby, does it still play a large role in your life?
Fischer: No, I play Fischer Random. I have no interest whatsoever in chess. My
only interest in chess is to expose the pre-arrangement, but not to play it.
Anchor: I have in front of me a recent interview with Garry Kasparov...
Fischer: [exasperated sigh]
Anchor: ...and there he takes a very positive view on Fischer Random. He says
that could very well be the future of chess.
Fischer: Really?? That is a surprise because in the past he has never had
anything positive to say about it. Where was this interview published?
Anchor: It was on the Internet edition of a chess magazine. I have direct quotes
from the interview and Kasparov is very positive.
Fischer: That's amazing. Did he say anything about me in prison? I guess he
doesn't care about that, right?
Anchor: He expresses sorrow about it and says it is a tragedy. When asked about
Fischer Random he suggests that one should downsize the number of the opening
positions to twenty or thirty...
Fischer: Oooooh! There's the catch. [Laughs] That does not sound like he likes
Fischer Random at all. It sounds like he wants to ruin Fischer Random.
Anchor: He says "Simply pick a position and play it for a year. Next year a
different position".
Fischer: That is exactly what I'm trying to avoid! I'm trying to put the
spontaneity back. He's trying to do the same thing to Fischer Random that has
happened to the old chess. I'm glad you told me that, I knew it was too good to
be true.
Anchor: Let me give you another quote [reads from interview] "It seems to me
that Fischer Random is one possible way to resolve the problem. I just heard
about this and also that the reaction of chess players was, strange as it may
seem, negative on the whole. From my viewpoint Fischer Random is entirely
acceptable." His view on this is positive.
Fischer: [long pause] 'Well, I'm receiving a lot of mixed signals there. I don't
like the sound.. no, no, I don't trust him at all.