http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/03/21...r.ap/index.html

 

REYKJAVIK, Iceland (AP) -- Iceland's parliament has voted to grant citizenship to fugitive U.S. chess star Bobby Fischer.

 

The legislation, passed Monday with 40 lawmakers voting "aye" and two abstaining following a brief debate, became law immediately.

 

"I am very pleased with this, and I think that the dignity of the parliament has increased," Fischer's supporter Saemundur Palsson said, adding that Fischer would be informed Tuesday morning Japanese time.

 

"I hope that he will stop cursing the Americans now. It has gotten him into so much trouble," Palsson told reporters.

 

Article didn't say whether Japan would release him or not.

Full disclosure: I was a full fledge chess geek in grade school through college and much of that was traced to the Fisher v. Spasky World Chess Championships. I think I have played through those games a hundred times. I even (major geek) went to the 5th grade costume party as a chess player. (Oh how did I ever manage to reproduce).

 

Having said that, Bobby Fisher is a complete, antisemitic, psycho and needs therapy, not a country.