AThe Mercury Pottstown, Pennsylvania Thursday, September 09, 1971 - Page 25
America's Bobby Fischer Determined to Put Down Russia's Top Chess Players
New York (AP)—Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. Bobby Fischer slams his chessmen across a plastic foldup board with the intensity of a boxer training on the heavy bag.
The 28-year-old chess star is psyching himself up for the big one — a pawn-to-pawn confrontation with the Russians for the world championship in chess.
In the style of the lone American hero, he sees himself laying siege singlehandedly to the entire Russian chess establishment. If he wins, he'll be the first American to ever hold the official title and the first non-Russian victor in 25 years.
“There's one way to deal with the Russians—with power. That's all they understand,” said Fischer.
He visits a Russian bookstore on occasion to buy chess books and riffle through newspapers looking for an article on himself.
READS RUSSIAN
“I read Russian. I know what they're saying about me, the creeps,” he said. One story called him lucky in his last match. “Yeah, I picked up the right piece by accident.”
Accident is not the word for the unheard-of wallopings he has delivered this year. After seven straight victories at the qualifying matches in Spain, Fischer went on to smash Russia's Mark Taimanov 6 to 0 and defeat Denmark's Bent Larsen 6 to 0.
Fischer has brought excitement, drama and hope to American chess since he was a prodigy from Brooklyn at age 14. Once considered the enfant terrible of chess, he has put aside temperament and quarrels with officials in his bid to take the title. He competes in a mind-twisting board game where tense competition has made men cry with disappointment or clutch their nervous stomachs.
Spirits are up. His supporters see his possible victory as a propaganda coup for the United States.
“For years, the Russians have held the world championship. They've said it is evidence of the superiority of the Soviet man and the Soviet system.
NO SUPPORT
“How will they explain how one lone American without any government support is able to defeat the entire Soviet system?” asked E.B. Edmondson, executive director of the U.S. Chess Federation.
Fischer plays Tigran Petrosian, ex-world champ, USSR, in the semifinals later this month. If he wins, he will face Boris Spassky for the world title next spring. Spassky, with three wins, two draws and no losses, has the best record of any Russian grandmaster against Fischer.
It might seem that Fischer is outgunned by the sheer organization and manpower of the Russian machine.
However, his weapons are impressive—eight U.S. championships, starting at age 14—the youngest-ranking international grandmaster at 15—and a longtime, fearsome reputation as one of the most brilliant, aggressive players the game has ever seen. He gives credit to his mother's early encouragement and support. She eventually moved to London.
FIGHT BACK
The Russians will fight back with players trained in a system where potential chess stars are culled from elementary schools, trained, financially supported and given research assistants called seconds.
In contrast, Fischer, a high school dropout, generally uses no assistant because, “it's hard to get anyone to do what you want them to.”
A bachelor, he lives from hotel to hotel, supporting himself with prize money from chess tournaments and proceeds from his three books.
Prize money for a single tournament can range from $500 to $2,000, not counting his $500 honorarium. He admits he makes considerably more than $18,000, but it must be still a paltry sum compared to the top take in other sports.
Fischer stands to make about $11,000, including honorarium, if he beats Petrosian in the semifinals.
Why does he want to win?
“I want the money and the prestige,” he said each time. But he adds once, in a quiet voice: “To show them I'm the best.”
