If it were an opening gambit in chess, it would certainly be bold: the remains of chess champion Bobby Fischer are to be exhumed in order to settle a paternity claim, an Icelandic court has ruled.
Reykjavik’s Supreme Court made the decision and concluded that a tissue sample was required to prove if nine-year-old Jinky Young was the late Fischer’s daughter. The chess great (immortalized here in this TIME cover story on his epic 1972 match against Boris Spassky) died in Iceland in 2008, leaving no will.
What’s more, Fischer estate, estimated to be worth $2 million has frequently been the subject of several inheritance claims. This time around, Fischer’s former wife, relatives and the U.S. government are also involved in the dispute. Jinky Young is the daughter of Marilyn Young, who had a relationship with Fischer. Their lawyer, Thordur Bogason, said the exhumation was a “last resort,” and offered evidence that his clients received regular payments before Fischer passed away.
One would imagine there will be many more moves played by the various parties before the endgame is upon us.
