European GM may hold key to Fischer estate
By Francis Ochoa
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 22:47:00 02/09/2008
Filed Under: Sport, Chess
A EUROPEAN GRANDMASTER supposedly close to the late chess great Bobby Fischer may hold the key as to how the iconic American’s estate will be divvied up among its claimants.
This was revealed by the lawyer of Fischer’s Filipino daughter, who did not divulge the name of the GM but said the chesser may hold an important document that will help the claimants of Fischer’s estate out.
“Before Bobby died, he called Marilyn (Young, Fischer’s Filipino partner and the mother of his daughter) and said that if ever something happens to him, to call this person,” said lawyer Sammy Estimo, an official of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines. “We believe he may hold the secret to Bobby’s estate.”
Estimo and lawyer Rudy Tacorda are representing the Young’s in their bid.
The European GM, according to Estimo, is an acquaitance of Filipino GM Eugene Torre, one of Fischer’s closest confidantes currently helping Young and her daughter pursue their claim.
Torre is currently trying to locate the European GM.
Estimo also revealed that Young is also trying to contact Miyoko Watai, the other principal claimant of Fischer’s estate, to try and work out a settlement.
“Marilyn is a kind-hearted woman and when she learned that Miyoko is staying in Iceland with a common friend of theirs, she decided to try and contact her to voice her desire to work out a settlement because this is what Bobby would have wanted,” Estimo revealed.
Fischer passed away on Jan. 17 due to a lingering illness and so far, no will has surfaced to determine who inherits his estate, which is worth 1.07-million pounds, a bulk of which is deposited at the Landsbanki Island in Iceland.
Fischer is also reported to have stockholdings in Icelandic companies.
Currently, the Young’s have assembled “documentary and object pieces of evidence” including postcards with handwritten notes Fischer sent to his daughter and signed “daddy,” according to Estimo.
Watai is currently in Iceland manifesting her own claim to Fischer’s estate, using as evidence a photocopied document which is purportedly a marriage certificate. Watai has promised an Icelandic court that she will provide the original document, which she says is in Japan, soon to prove her marriage to Fischer.
Estimo has said he doubts there ever was a marriage and revealed that Torre is set to execute an affidavit expressing the same doubt.
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