The Vincennes Sun-Commercial Vincennes, Indiana Tuesday, July 11, 1972 - Page 4
Youth Revolt?
The mention of chess invokes visions of bearded patriarchs bending over checkered boards in gilded drawing rooms. The high rank for chess players of “grand master” status has some indication of old age.
Yet the focus of the chess world today is on the world championship match between Bobby Fischer, age 28, and the defending champion Boris Spassky, age 35, while the British financier and chess wizard who bankrolled the match out of its early controversy is Jim Slater, age 43.
Which recalls that 50 years ago the Vicennes YMCA was sponsoring annual chess tournaments for teen-age players. Current interest in the Fischer-Spassky affair likely will bring a renewal of interest in the ancient game. “Pawn to Queen's Four” may come to have meaning to more and more Americans as the months pass.
There always have been many chess players, even in Midwestern America. But the game often is a family affair, played at such events as family reunions and sometimes to entertain grandpa, who isn't particularly interested in water-skiing. Big-city newspapers have found sufficient demand to publish regular columns by chess experts.
Now comes Bobby Fischer, fierce in his demands for recognition and money, forcing the championship match onto the world's front pages. Brought to the attention of general readers, the match has attracted much attention from readers who know nothing at all about the game but are interested in the international implications and of waving the flag.
There are said to be more chess players in Russia than in the rest of the world put together. This may be a result of the long, cold nights and lack of entertaining television in that country.
However we look at it, we might as well admit that the comparative youth of the main participants, the controversy over prize money and the attendant headlines are likely to bring a resurgence of interest in the game that is almost as old as man's wish to show himself better than his neighbor. But it is going to be a long time before there are more schoolboys walking to school with miniature chessboards in their pockets (ala Bobby Fischer) than are bouncing basketballs or tossing footballs.
Youth Revolt? 11 Jul 1972, Tue The Vincennes Sun-Commercial (Vincennes, Indiana) Newspapers.com
