AThat's A Big IF
From The Age Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Friday, July 21, 1972 we get this bit of distortion, and one of the prime culprits behind spreading sensational fiction is none other than one of Fischer's arch rivals, Larry Evans. Larry Evans was Robert Fischer's “second” in Argentina during the Petrosian-Fischer quarter final tournament in 1971. Reported by numerous chess columnists in 1971, Evans threw a tantrum, because Fischer didn't need him. Evans returned home halfway through the tournament! Meanwhile, when the matter arose again about Evans serving as Fischer's second in Reykjavik, Fischer refused, according to Evans himself. One condition being that Fischer forbid Evans to write about him and/or publish.
Evans remained disgruntled from that time forward, using every available opportunity to bad-mouth and smear Fischer in the press and spread false stories, but always using Fischer's notoriety to bolster his own career and publicity interests. Such as this bit that Evans circulated without evidence, and mentioned in The Age, 7/21/1972, “In Washington, the usually conservative evening newspaper the STAR claimed earlier this week that White House aide Dr. Kissinger had made an 11th-hour intervention last Monday with a telephone appeal to Fischer not to walk out of the series. ([Really? Who's trying to claim Fischer was actually the one with the “attitude problem”? What about those rule-breaking Soviet and Icelandic organizers refusing to remove disruptive camera men and nearly jeopardized the tournament?]) The newspaper's special correspondent in Reykjavik, LARRY EVANS, solemnly reported that Dr. Kissinger told Fischer that America's honor was at stake, and that there was also the little matter of U.S. military bases in Iceland. IF THE REPORT WAS CORRECT…”
… and that's a big “If”.
Larry Evans was also complicit in spreading false news stories from August 14, 1972 that falsely alleged Nixon extended a White House invitation to Fischer. There was no truth to the claim and the New York Times even notes on August 7, 1972 when it did its own follow up investigation: “White House press aides declined comment on the reported invitation yesterday.” (See New York Times “White House Reported To Invite Fischer”.)
When the White House declines comment, it's further supporting evidence that Fischer was never extended an invitation, which justified the resentment Fischer often expressed toward Richard Nixon, in later years. Larry Evans reported falsely in his column, embellishing on Brad Darrach and Harry Benson's fables, that Nixon enlisted the services of Harry Benson (imagine that! Does the President of the most powerful nation in the world actually need, or think so highly of a couple of Life reporters, to enlist their aide to serve as White House courier-liaisons?!) yet, that's precisely what Larry Evans, Brad Darrach and Harry Benson released in the press, claiming Nixon sent the invitation through Harry Benson. Larry Evans followed up by claiming Fischer simply “forgot” it.
There is no evidence Kissinger, Nixon or the White House had anything at all to do with Fischer during his tournament in Iceland, unless Kissinger comes forward and personally confirmed he ever made a phone call. Short of that, nothing except a couple scurrilous reports by attention-craving columnists like Evans and Darrach.
The only confirmation beyond White House officials stating “No Comment” is a report released September 04, 1972 confirming: “Fischer received a congratulatory telegram from President Nixon. Aides to Fischer said the new champion shuffled his feet and broke into a big smile as he read the telegram, despite the fact that it did not extend a White House dinner invitation”.
Robert J. Fischer, an American, would justifiably grow bitter in his resentment toward Richard Nixon's refusal to give the due acknowledgement for the intellectual feat accomplished for American prestige, during the summer of 1972.
