Remains of chess champion Bobby Fischer to be exhumed

Bobby Fischer died in Iceland at the age of 64

The remains of chess champion Bobby Fischer are to be exhumed in order to settle a paternity claim, an Icelandic court has ruled.

The Supreme Court in Reykjavik said a tissue sample was needed to prove whether nine-year-old Jinky Young was Fischer's daughter.

Fischer, who died in Iceland in 2008, left no will.

His estate, estimated to be worth $2 million (£1.4m), has been at the heart of several inheritance claims.

Fischer's former wife, relatives and the US government - which claims it is owed taxes - are also involved in the dispute.

Jinky, a Filipina, is the daughter of Marilyn Young, who had a relationship with Fischer.

'Unavoidable'

"In order to obtain such a sample it is unavoidable to exhume his body," a court document said.

The verdict overturned a ruling by a district court, which said earlier this year that the grounds of the request were not strong enough.

Thordur Bogason, lawyer for Marilyn Young and her daughter, said the exhumation was a "last resort", saying they had hoped that blood samples had been kept in an Icelandic hospital.

He said they had presented evidence that his clients had received regular payments from Fischer in the years before he died.

US-born Fischer became world famous in 1972 after winning against Boris Spassky, in what became known as the "chess match of the century".

He was later accused by the US of violating international sanctions against Yugoslavia by playing a match there in 1992. He was granted citizenship in Iceland in 2005.

He died aged 64, and is buried in a church cemetery in southern Iceland, about 50km (30 miles) from Reykjavik.