AThe Observer London, Greater London, England Sunday, October 14, 1962 - Page 14
Russians Caught Cheating? 14 Oct 1962, Sun The Observer (London, Greater London, England) Newspapers.com
Russians Caught Cheating?
Everyone knows that competitive sport is not all sweetness and light. Even so Bobby Fischer, the American chess master, has broadcast a fairly enormous allegation in Der Spiegel, the German Time-style magazine.
He claims that the Russians, not to put too fine a point on it, have been conspiring to eliminate Western competitors in international tournaments. According to Fischer, they've been packing the Candidates' Tournaments, which are designed to select the man to challenge the reigning world champion (usually himself a Russian).
Anxious to keep the final, as it were, in the family, the Russians enter for this tournament in strength. Then, having packed it, they proceed to rig it.
Three years ago, in Yugoslavia, writes Fischer indignantly, there were four Russians among the eight entrants. All of the finished in front of him. Yet, not long afterwards, he beat them all. There must have been something wrong.
This year's tournament, at Curacao, provided a clue as to what it might have been. The Russians agreed to play each other for a draw, thus notching up a fine array of half points.
If Fischer is right, it looks like a pretty piece of cold war. One expert we talked to said he could be right. But one can't help thinking he might not be. After all, the Russians are fairly good at chess.
