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What's Fischer's Problem? by Harold Lundstrom
Judging by the many snide remarks by generally unknowledgeable television commentators, newspaper reporters, and cartoonists, one would think that America's great chess hope, Robert (Bobby) Fischer was some kind of fiend from the netherworld. Really, no human being could be so perverse as he is pictured by some commentators.
Fischer's demands have been so extensively emphasized that non-chess players are interested, and wonder.
The highest amount of money ever divided by the players in a world-title match has been $14,000; Bobby was successful in getting it to $250,000.
Who ever heard of golf champions, fighters, or any other world championship match playing for peanuts?
What does money really mean to Spassky? He is a national hero of the USSR, handsomely supported by the Russian government. WHo supports Fischer in his long months of preparation or between tournaments in which even if he wins he receives only $1,000 or so?
Fischer goes to Iceland, or any other international tournament, with one “second,” period. In the case of the current match he also, it appears from the news, took a couple of lawyers. Who pays them?
Though the match and tournament rules permit a “second,” the facts are that Spassky can actually have 25 grandmasters as his “second.” Thus, while he goes to bed for the night following an adjournment, he has grandmasters analyzing every possible move all night.
Fischer has one, so that he probably spends part of the night himself analyzing.
Fischer is subject to the food and other accommodations available.
It has been reported many times that the Russian players arrive outside the USSR for their big games with a chef, a cook, a doctor, a nurse, a masseur, a physical therapist, a valet, and who knows what else.
And who goes with Bobby? One “second,” period.
Why was Bobby so fussy about the physical accommodations? One reason has to be that he has come violently to distrust the Russians.
Right or wrong, he is not sure but that the Russian grandmasters in the audience are signalling to Spassky. This is a vicious suspicion, of course, but it apparently is one that Fischer has come to.
There are tournament records, almost galore, of where the Russians, when playing each other, play for a draw (frequently on the 11th move), and then turn all their efforts to playing for a win against all others. This problem can't obtain in Iceland, but it probably is one of the reasons for Bobby's suspicions.
Surely, if Bobby weren't the great player he is, with most judging him to be the probable victor over Spassky, his demands would not be so seriously considered.
In any event, he has brought chess to the front page; he has secured a decent purse for a world title match; he has secured top accommodations and facilities for a world match.
Maybe Fischer's methods haven't always been those of a trained diplomat, but how else do you get through to the Russians?
One other factor: Fischer was only 17 in his first encounters with Spassky who was then an international grandmaster. Little wonder that Fischer's record of that time wasn't too impressive.
What's wrong with Bobby Fischer? Not enough to deserve the vicious television, radio, and press that he is receiving.
Chess 21 Jul 1972, Fri Deseret News (Salt Lake City, Utah) Newspapers.com
