Kingsport Times-News Kingsport, Tennessee Sunday, July 09, 1972 - Page 30
Bobby Fischer A Little Cocky
You have to hand it to Mr. Bobby Fischer. He is the first player of chess who made the headline writers take note of him. He is putting chess on the map and people who do not know a pawn from a bishop or a knight from a castle, are following his career. The Great International Chess Match is getting more build up than the Olympic Games. There has been nothing like it since the days of the heavyweight championship fights.
The Soviets say they are disgusted with Mr. Fischer because he seems to be more interested in money than the love of chess. Well, why not? Who is not interested in money?
Fischer has studied the game of chess to the point where he is almost in a class by himself. It took a lot of work to get where he is and he is entitled to capitalize on his skill. That he is “egotistical” may be part of his technique for getting in the public eye.
If Fischer were a self-effacing individual he would be worth a few paragraphs in the paper and the results of the match with Mr. Spassky of the Soviet Union would be played before a few chessports. His name would go into the record books and be forgotten as are the names of other great chess players.
Now when Fischer comes home, whether he wins or loses his match (assuming that he will play it), he will come home if not exactly like a hero, at least as a celebrity. His interest in money is a guarantee that he will play the match.
And when he comes home he will give interviews and then his managers will arrange a series of public meetings in which Mr. Fischer will demonstrate his wizardry by playing three or four matches with different people all simultaneously. And people with a sudden interest in chess will plunk down the price of a ticket to see him in action. For the American people do love a celebrity.
Then he will make some good arrangements in which he will appear on the air to tell people why he drives only a certain kind of car, or uses only a certain kind of deodorant or eats a certain cereal for breakfast, or uses a certain brand of tablet for a headache or indigestion.
This is just a case of American initiative and taking advantage of opportunity. Kind of an Alger story.
Bobby Fischer A Little Cocky 09 Jul 1972, Sun Kingsport Times-News (Kingsport, Tennessee) Newspapers.com
