Spassky's appeal for Fischer.

In mid-August, Japan turned down an asylum request from American-born chess champion Bobby Fischer, who faces extradition to the U.S. to stand trial for violating UN sanctions against Yugoslavia. In 1992, Fischer--in defiance of a UN embargo, and after spitting on a letter of warning from the State Department--played a rematch against his storied Russian chess opponent, world champion Boris Spassky.

For the supposed crime of playing chess in defiance of a UN embargo, Fischer faces the prospect of 10 years in prison, a sizeable fine, and forfeiture of $3 million in prize money earned by defeating Spassky for a second time. Fischer, who has renounced U.S. citizenship, has a well-earned reputation for making unpleasant and bigoted public statements, most notoriously his hideous comments praising the terrorists who committed the September 11 atrocities. But the Bush administration has no constitutional warrant to enforce UN dicta against American citizens--or individuals who repudiate U.S. citizenship, regardless of how disgusting their opinions may be.

Spassky, who emigrated from the Soviet Union and became a French citizen, issued a remarkable public appeal to President Bush on August 10. "In 1972, Bobby Fischer became [a] national hero" recalled Spassky. "He smashed me in the match in Reykjavik. The Soviet chess hegemony collapsed. One man won against a whole army." Like Fischer, Spassky defied the UN in 1992, but the French government did not see fit to enforce the UN sanctions against him.

"I would not like to defend or justify Bobby Fischer," continued the venerable Russian chess master. "He is what he is. I am asking only for one thing. For mercy, charity. If for some reason it is impossible, I would like to ask you the following: Please correct the mistake of President Francois Mitterand in 1992. Bobby and myself committed the same crime. Put sanctions against me also. Arrest me. And put me in the same cell with Bobby Fischer. And give us a chess set."