AThe Miami Herald Miami, Florida Friday, June 16, 1972 - Page 6
Brainy Sport Looked Down On
On July 2, Robert J. Fischer of the United States begins a 24-game chess match with Boris Spassky of Russia for the championship of the world.
Even though there are several million chess buffs in the country, this event is literally ignored by the news media. Fischer is one of the outstanding chess geniuses of all time, being even more talented than the great Paul Morphy, the United States and world champion of over a century ago.
The competition today is vastly greater and stronger than during that era. Chess is not necessarily an older person's game — most of the masters and grandmasters are well under 40 years of age and, in many cases, considerably under 30 and even 20.
Fischer's income is roughly $15,000 per year and in most instances his expenses are paid personally.
In this contact sport-oriented society of ours, where some illiterate can demand and get $100,000 a year or more for his dubious ability, Bobby Fischer's prowess obviously deserves no recognition.
Intellectual accomplishments appear to have little or no value in our scheme of things. F.P. Conley, Fort Lauderdale
