Chessville
...by Chessplayers, for Chessplayers!
Today is


Site Map

If you have disabled Java for your browser, use the Site Map (linked in the header and footer).

Chessville
logo by
ChessPrints

 


Advertise
with
Chessville!!

Advertise to
thousands
of chess
fans for
as little
as
$25.

Single insert:
$35
x4 insert:
@ $25 each.



From the
Chessville
Chess Store



 


 


From the
Chessville
Chess Store

 

 

 

 


BOBBY FISCHER GOES PUBLIC ON UBS
 -  Criticises the Union Bank of Switzerland  for using discriminatory measures.
Reported by Einar S. Einarsson

In an lengthy interview with Morgunbladid, Reykjavik, last Saturday July 29th , chess legend and world champion Bobby Fischer revealed that he has been in a long and difficult dispute with the Union Bank of Switzerland, one of the world’s major banks, since he received in April 2005, soon after his arrival to Iceland from a detention in Japan, a notification that the UBS intended to terminate his account, which he had held with the bank for over 13 years since 1992.

The UBS asked Mr. Fischer for his banking details in Iceland in order to transfer all his assets and deposits with the bank, around 3 million dollars, notifying him at the same time about its unilateral decision to terminate all business relationship with him without stating any reason or clarification for the action.  Then, against Mr. Fischer´s repeated protests the UBS, after some extension of the deadline, went ahead in August 2005 and transferred all his funds to the Landsbanki in Reykjavik.  The UBS even liquidated all of Fischer´s gold coins, from his match with Boris Spassky in Sveti Stefan in 1992 and other investments, without his prior approval and at a time when the rate for gold was very unfavorable.

According to Morgunbladid Mr. Fischer was not willing to receive  his financial funds from the UBS this way, he reserved his rights to take appropriate actions and asked Landsbanki to return the remittance immediately to the account of the UBS where the funds have been floating while this dispute continues.

Despite several requests from Mr. Fischer himself and his attorneys in Reykjavik, UBS has been unwilling to provide any formal or substantial explanation or reason for this unvarranted action but has only referred to par. 13 in its General Conditions, where UBS reserves the right to cancel any business relationship. A complaint to the Swiss Banking Ombudsman over the strange measures of UBS did not result in resolving the issue, it explained only that UBS had given some additional respite before the account was terminated and it could not interfere.

In the interview in Morgunblađiđ Mr. Fischer states that this discriminatory decision of UBS had taken him  totally by surprise and that he considers it illegal.  He claims that even though UBS reserves a right to cancel any business relationship with its clients that  this clause does not apply in his case as his relation to UBS was for assets management only.

Questioned about possible grounds for this unparalleled action by the USB, Mr. Fischer says that this decision is obviously targeted at his person and adds that one senior officer of UBS had told him that there was a pressure within the bank to do this. “Possibly a third party has had something to do with this as a part of further attacks against me.  In fact I don't know what the directors of UBS are thinking but it seems quite clear that the bank is afraid to keep me as a customer.”  Then Mr. Fischer argues that he does not see the difference whether the bank takes orders from some outside parties to terminate his account or acts on its own initiative to get rid of him to please somebody else or the US Government.  “This is absolutely vicious, illegal and very unfair of the USB”, says Fischer.

Asked about possible lawsuit against the USB  Mr. Fischer explains that he does not expect to have any winning chances for the courts against such a big bank.  “But I intend to proceed against the UBS in the open court of the general public."

All of  the many documents regarding the case between Mr. Fischer and the UBS can be read at the following link: http://www.geocities.jp/bobbby_a/list/si/Si_0.htm.

 

 

search tips

The
Chessville
Chess Store


Reference
Center


The Chessville
 Weekly
The Best Free

Chess
Newsletter
On the Planet!

Subscribe
Today -

It's Free!!

The
Chessville
Weekly
Archives


Discussion
Forum


Chess Links


Chess Rules


Visit the
Chessville
Chess Store

 

 

Home          About Us          Contact Us          Newsletter Sign-Up          Site Map

 

This site is best viewed with Java-Enabled MS Internet Explorer 6 and Netscape 6 browsers set at 800x600 screen size.

Copyright 2002-2008 Chessville.com unless otherwise noted.