Trivia: Bobby Fischer Lived in Baguio from 2000 to 2002
Bobby Fischer Live Interviews, Baguio Philippines, 9.11.2001
From Wikipedia:
In the Philippines
“From 2000 to 2002, Fischer lived in Baguio City in the Philippines.[98] He resided in the same compound as the Filipino grandmaster Eugenio Torre, a close friend who acted as his second during his matches with Spassky.[98] Fischer played tennis at the Baguio Country Club, where he met a 30-year-old girl friend from Davao in Baguio City.
Torre introduced Fischer to a 22-year-old woman named Justine Ong (or Marilyn Young). Together, they had a daughter named Jinky Ong, born in 2002 (or 2001) at the Saint Louis University, Baguio City, Sacred Heart Hospital.[99][98][100]([101][102]).”
Contemporary Baguio City history has been filled with the game of chess: Imelda Marcos built the Baguio convention center in record time to host Anatoly Karpov’s successful defense of the crown against Viktor Korchnoi of Switzerland in 1978 after 43 games, making it the longest ever.
I remember vaguely having an event reservation at Halfway House in Camp John Hay, while we were running it from 1991 to 1997 for a chess tournament. Not being very interested in chess (except that all my older cousins had a huge crush on Eugene Torre when he became a grandmaster at age 20 in 197?). Then I was told that that event, though little publicized, was historic for it produced for us another Filipino international grandmaster.
I am sorry I do not know if this was Rogelio “Joey Antonio, Jr or Bong Villamayor as there is very little information on the web about it. But should any chess enthusiast read this post, please do us the favor of filling in missing information. Thanks.
Anyway, I guess the climate makes Baguio suitable for chess. And Filipinos, innately intelligent, excel at this game.
My cook, Ruben, is actually an addict, preferring to pit his brains against so many at the Igorot Park in Burnham Park where all the locals congregate outdoors for the sport. Every spare moment he has he can be found at Burnham Park.
Many folks were appalled by Fischer’s anti-Semitic and anti-American stance. He was also known to have many, many demands in terms of tournament rules of engagement.
The US Department of the Treasury had warned Fischer beforehand that his participation (in a 1992 tournament in Yugoslavia) was illegal as it violated President George H. W. Bush’s Executive Order 12810[94] that implemented United Nations sanctions against engaging in economic activities in Yugoslavia.[95] In front of the international press, Fischer was filmed spitting on the US order forbidding him to play. Following the match, the Department obtained an arrest warrant for him. Fischer remained wanted by the United States government for the rest of his life and never returned to the United States again.
But Bobby Fischer, in later years a recluse, was great at his game, and he didn’t even finish high school, saying that school had nothing left to offer him. And, after reading his bio, I can understand why he felt that way on September 11, 2001.
Interesting …
Interesting tidbit, indeed, Lisa!
I remember a friend naming their dogs Karpov and Kasparov after the 2 chess players were pitted against each other at the Baguio Convention Center.
Hi Marie,
The 1978 tournament was between Karpov and Korchnoi. Kasparove became champion much later I think. But Karpov and Kasparov sound better together.
that was january 1993. I watched the whole thing. it was antonio who got his GM there. asian interzonals.
Thank you so much, Frank Cimatu!
I have always wondered about that. So it was 15 years ago.
Mostly my mom and I were at the veranda by the golf course looking in, or in the kitchen supervising, not really concerned with the results of the event, just with Halfway House operations.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Hi Lisa,
Good trivia! Indeed, Baguio was ideal place to hold chess tournaments. Here’s another one and where were you then? I remember, my friend Architect Emil Pineda hosting Murray Chandler(NZ) a seventeener in the First Asian Junior Championship held at Pines Hotel from August 8-21,1977. He went on to win it and earned his IM norm. He later on earned his International Grandmaster norm/rating. As a 44 year old guy married to an astrophysicist now, he has published three chess books for kids.
Here’s a link by another entrant form Malaysia then:
http://www.geocities.com/pg-chess/archive14.html
Haha this is so cool
Thanks Joe, for the info!
I was 12 years old in 1977 and my Baguio memory for that year was riding the Marlboro Country trail for the first time! Baguio is still all about horses for me. Hahaha!
Yup, Kubi, EXACTLY how I felt when I learned that about Baguio. I always thought it was only Eugene Torre who took up residence here.
it amazes me to learn that at one point in time, the legendary bobby fischer did stay in baguio city. well, on second thought, hearing about his wild eccentricities, that should not actually come as a surprise. who knows, he might even have taken up residence in mindanao, especially during those years he was out of the limelight?
Hi Bernard,
No talk about Bobby Fischer living in Mindanao though. I think it was Iceland, some travels to Japan, etc. You can click on the Wikipedia link above for a summary of his eccentric life.