AFort Lauderdale News Fort Lauderdale, Florida Sunday, June 10, 1962 - Page 68
Lets Play Chess 10 Jun 1962, Sun Fort Lauderdale News (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) Newspapers.com
Great disappointment is being expressed in the chess world at the unsportsmanlike tactics being shown by the Russian contestants in the Candidates Tournament at Curacao. The world wants to see the best player emerge on top; the Russians merely want to see a Russian win.
Since there are five Russians and a Czech in the tourney and only two Americans, the dice are heavily loaded in favor of a Communist victory. When the Russian leaders face each other, they do not try to win but agree to an early draw — sometimes in 16 or 18 moves. They they both get one half a point.
However, when they face the Americans they go all out for victory. At the present time three Russians are neck and neck, while the other two have been sacrificed to add points to the leaders' scores. It is safe to suppose that if the going gets rougher that one or two more will be sacrificed to ensure the victory of the remaining Russian.
These tactics would not have succeeded if Bobby Fischer had been playing his best chess. Points are worth more than half points! But he has not been playing his best; so he would practically have to win all his remaining games to take the title.
Results at the end of the seventeenth round, with the Fischer-Filip and Keres-Korchnoi games being adjourned, are: E. Geller, 11-6; T. Petrosian, 11-6; P. Keres, 10½-5½; R. Fischer, 8-8; V. Korchnoi, 8-8; P. Benko, 8-9; M. Tal, 5-11½; M. Filip, 4-12.
