AThe Times Shreveport, Louisiana Wednesday, August 29, 1962 - Page 6
When They Cheat at Chess 29 Aug 1962, Wed The Times (Shreveport, Louisiana) Newspapers.com
When They Cheat at Chess
Teenager Bobby Fischer probably America's best chess player, has learned a hard lesson about his Communist Russian chess opponents.
They cheat.
Actually, the fact that the Reds cheat at chess is not new. Chess masters, chess officials and chess writers have been saying for years that the Russians play games set up ahead of time, and confer with each other during the game itself, offering to draw or throw games to their teammates
—anything to win.
On the surface, it may seem strange that the Russians would not follow the rules in what is supposed to be an exercise in intellect on neutral grounds—a part of our “cultural ties” with the Soviet Union.
Mr. Fischer now knows something about Communism. Nothing is neutral to the Reds—not chess, not ballet, not the Olympic games. Communists only use art and culture as a propaganda weapon. In the West art exists for itself.
For the Communists, everything—even chess—is a Cold War operation. It must be won. Victories must be reported. The Reds will use any method to win—and foul methods often insure victory.
The Russians as Communists cheat at everything. They cheat at the chess board, they will cheat at the disarmament table. For them, there is only one struggle: a life and death battle against the United States and the West.
Thus, there is in reality no “relaxing of tensions” no “lull in the Cold War,” no Spirit of Camp David, no cultural exchange, no “mellowing” on the part of the Soviet Union. As Bobby Fischer found out, Red moves are planned ahead with one purpose in mind—to win, by any means.
Mr. Fischer has announced that he will not play any more games with the Communists.
The U.S. could learn a lesson from this teenager chess player.
