Des Moines Tribune Des Moines, Iowa Tuesday, December 28, 1971 - Page 10
Chess For Money
We hope the youngsters who are turning to chess out of admiration for Bobby Fischer aren't turned off by Fischer's single-minded pursuit of money. Commenting on the locale of his pending match for the world's championship, Fischer said he would play in whatever city produced the biggest payoff. “For me the first and foremost thing is money,” declared Fischer. “I repeat, money is the most important.”
That has an overly-materialist ring for a game whose chief attraction is supposed to be its intellectual challenge. But there has never been hypocrisy about money in tournament chess. Money is the standard prize in tournaments. The distinction between amateur and professional found in most contests — and honored more in the breach than the observance—does not exist in chess. The youngster who enters his first chess tournament is as much a “professional” as the seasoned grand master.
The chief problem for American chess players is the lack of money. Relatively few Americans play tournament chess, and the prize money — made up for the most part from entry fees — usually is modest. Few Americans make a living playing chess.
Bobby Fischer's success in reaching the finals for the world's championship gives him a perhaps once-in-a-lifetime shot at big money. He can be pardoned for acting like other champions and trying to cash in while he can.
