Iceland beckons chess legend Bobby Fischer

Iceland says it will give a residence permit to chess legend Bobby Fischer, who is being held by Japanese immigration authorities as the United States tries to extradite him.

Fischer wrote to Icelandic Foreign Minister David Oddsson requesting asylum.

Fischer, who became an American hero for wresting the world chess crown from Soviet domination during the Cold War, has been held in Japan after trying in July to board a flight to the Philippines using an invalid passport.