Girl, 9, Could Join Fray re Chess Giant's Estate: Bobby Fischer to Be Exhumed for Paternity Test
Reversing a decision by a lower tribunal, the Supreme Court of Iceland has ordered that the body of chess great Bobby Fischer be exhumed to determine whether he is the father of a 9-year-old girl.
Fischer died there in 2008 at age 64, apparently leaving no will. A United States-born player who is known for his 1972 defeat of Boris Spassky, winning the world champion title, Fischer is already the subject of an estate dispute between his longtime partner and his relatives in the U.S., reports the Associated Press.
This week’s supreme court decision will allow his client, Jinky Young, to find out who her father is, says attorney Thordur Bogason of Reykjavik, who is representing Young’s family.
“At this point we are just trying to establish this,” Bogason says. “And if she is confirmed as the daughter of Bobby Fischer, then by Icelandic law she is his legal heir.”
Attorney Gudjon Olafur Jonsson, who represents the U.S. relatives, says his clients accept the decision and await the paternity test results. The news agency couldn’t reach representatives of Fischer’s partner for comment.
