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Bobby Fischer never had the cache for me that he did for others, although I had to recognize his accomplishments and peculiar genius. When he disappeared, it seemed an inevitable consequence of his eccentric character, that quality that had also made him the chess champion. The news that he violated international sanctions on Yugoslavia to replay Boris Spassky merited very little of my attention: more Fischer madness. That he had become more mad became more evident with the news of his post-September 11 remarks and reports of his anti-Semitism. Mostly, however, it’s all just been very sad, so I tend to take Garry Kasparov’s view of the man over that of law enforcement. In fact, I think it’s more than just silly to be hounding the guy, as he’s done nothing to actually harm anyone but himself, and that only in his reputation. He needs help more than he needs to be prosecuted.