The Havre Daily News Havre, Montana Thursday, July 20, 1972 - Page 3
EDITORIALS: Back Bobby Fischer
Some people have goose bumps over the world championship chess match being played in Reykjavik, Iceland and fans find the battle of personalities involved, that of Bobby Fischer of the United States and Boris Spassky of the USSR, is more interesting than the movement of the pieces on the chess board.
Master chess players we are told are sensitive folks who for the most part have keen minds and are thinking many moves ahead of the ordinary chess player. A tremendous amount of psychology is involved as is obvious in the current match.
The impression a reader gains is that the best players in the world are prima donnas and that Fischer in particular, is a spoiled young man.
But is he?
Is he the arrogant, demanding, temperamental person who abounds with egotism or is he a player who uses adverse description to completely paint a picture of a person involved with the deepest of concentration?
About a year ago the public made Fischer a hero and there was confidence expressed in some quarters that Fischer would have no trouble defeating the world champion, Spassky, when they met. After winning some big matches this year including defeating the best in South American, Fischer became an idol. Some writers claimed he is a human begin and worthy of favorable publicity but by the time Reykjavik showed up he was something else in deportment ([due to isolating the match in a hostile Anti-American, racist location which enabled Soviets to control news reports]).
As we see it he is no different than many a sports hero. The very nature of a chess game makes his ([carefully filtered reports to put a favorable Soviet-spin on Fischer's]) actions seem contrary to the tenets of good sportsmanship. But Spassky ([whose every action is also controlled by Moscow]) is now acting a little difficult. Maybe the competitors are trying to “psyche” each other. This, however, is not too likely because these chess masters know what the game is about.
They naturally want the conditions under which they play to be as ideal for themselves as individuals as possible. So we do not think it is arrogance on the part of Fischer in asking photographers to refrain from setting off flash bulbs in his face while he is engaged in a match. And we do not think he is demanding when he requests that the audience be seated at least five rows from the playing platform and that they do not engage in their own chess games, moving pieces and talking among themselves.
With the stakes as large as they are plus the reputations of Fischer and Spassky we do not think it unreasonable to request that lighting be so directed that there is no glare on the chess board.
No do we think it is wrong that the men quibbled a little over financial arrangements and bargained for the best returns. Wouldn't you if you were among chessdom's best? Fischer and Spassky make a living at the game.
Keep in mind that in Russia high ranking players are subsidized, lionized and hailed for their accomplishments.
Spassky is the favorite but Fischer is capable of registering the upset and if he does the United States will gain a tremendous amount of recognition. Let's hear it for Bobby Fischer, different though he may be than most of us who can think of only one move at a time! HCW
