From Budapest comes word that Bobby Fischer, the former world champion who has been living in seclusion in Yugoslavia, has agreed to play a blitz match - a series of high-speed games - against Judith Polgar, the world's youngest grandmaster and highest-ranking female player.
The agreement was negotiated during a recent visit to Yugoslavia by the Polgar family and was concluded during Fischer's stay last week in Hungary.Chess fans have been eagerly expecting such a match ever since Polgar, a bold and unpredictable player, defeated Boris Spassky in a 10-game match in Budapest this year.
Fischer prevailed over Spassky, his old rival, in a match in Yugoslavia in the fall of 1992.
Fischer arrived in Budapest and visited the Polgars at their summer home in Nagymaros. Surrounded by bodyguards, Fischer refused to speak with journalists. His friend Peter Rajcsanyi said Fischer left for Switzerland later that day and would then go to the Philippines.
Fischer and Polgar, 17, have not selected the place or time of their match and have asked Rajcsanyi to look for a sponsor.
Under the agreement, Fischer will also play a match against Judith's oldest sister, Zsusza, who is also a highly rated champion.
Fischer has been living in Yugoslavia since his match there with Spassky. A warrant for his arrest has been issued in the United States on charges of violating the United Nations blockade of Yugoslavia and of tax evasion.
According to a report by Judith Ingram, a New York Times correspondent, James Nelson, a spokesman at the United States Embassy in Budapest, would not comment on whether the government planned to pursue and prosecute Fischer.
- CHESS SCHOOL - The Salt Lake Chess Academy has been created and will be open to all players interested in developing and refining their chess skills - and that should include just about every player from world champion Gary Kasparov on down.
The academy will be lead by national master Mark Rubery (South African rating 2400). He will be assisted by Philip Rodriguez, president of the University of Utah Chess Club. The two-hour lessons will be conducted on Saturdays with two sessions to choose from:
First session: 10 a.m. until noon.
Second session: 1 to 3 p.m.
Each session costs $7 or $30 for the full six-week course.
The first session will be Aug. 14 in the "Den" at the U. Student Union Building. Class sizes will be limited.
For advance registration, send fees and information to: The Salt Lake Chess Academy, P.O. Box 581035, Salt Lake City, UT 84108. (However, due to this late announcement date, it would be better to pay and register at the door on Saturday.) Those who wish to register for the first class - Saturday - may telephone Rodriguez at 582-8385.
Scheduled dates for the academy are Aug. 14 and 28, Sept. 11, 18 and 25, Oct. 2, 9, 16 and 23, and Nov. 6 and 27.
- QUEENS - A selection of the world's top young women in chess defeated a group of senior men in a match recently in Vienna. They thus got revenge for their defeat in the first match of this kind last year on Aruba in the Caribbean.
The winning team was composed of the former women's world champion, Maya Chiburdanidze of Georgia, who was high scorer with 9-3; Zsuzsa Polgar of Hungary; Xie Jun of China, the current women's world champion; Zsofia Polgar of Hungary, Ketevan Arakhamia of Georgia, and Alisa Gallyamova of Ukraine.
They scored 401/2 points to the men's 311/2.
The losers were Bent Larsen of Denmark, men's high scorer (71/2-41/2); Vasily Smyslov of Russia, a former world champion; Efim Geller of Russia, Borislav Ivkov of Yugoslavia, Fridrik Olafsson of Iceland, and Andreas Duckstein of Austria.
Each player contested two games with each member of the opposing team.