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The King's Men Sun, Jan 23, 1972 – Page 51 · The Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky) · Newspapers.com
The King's Men: Soviets Take Cheap Shot at Fischer as 'Mercenary' by Merrill Dowden
An Associated Press dispatch out of Moscow recently quoted the Soviet Union's leading sports newspaper as saying that American grandmaster Bobby Fischer is taking a mercenary attitude in his forthcoming match against world champion Boris Spassky.
Sovietsky Sport charged Fischer with “anarchy” and “disrespect” because he wants to meet Spassky on any site that offers the highest purse.
The paper's chess columnist, A. Roshal, accused Fischer of putting money before the game and charged that he thus “inflicts damage on the art of chess.”
Well, look who's talking! Such sanctimonious prattle ill becomes the spokesman for a system which parades its chess professionals as lily white amateurs. It's a well-documented fact that the Soviet Government heavily subsidizes its top players.
So what's wrong with Fischer wanting to go where the money is? He's a professional, and makes no bones about it. Chess is his only means of livelihood; it's his whole life. Nobody seems to see anything wrong with our professionals in the spectator sports, such as football, basketball, baseball, and boxing, getting paid for their efforts, and very handsomely at that.
And I don't believe there's any game, spectator or otherwise, that requires as much of a man before he can reach the very top rung as chess does. Genius alone didn't put Fischer where he stands today. He's been working toward his goal of world champion since he was 6 years old, and working very hard indeed. But even chess champions must eat.
