Russians versus Fischer:Epilogue
Submitted by
chessbibliophile on Fri, 10/30/2009 at 5:01am.
Russians versus Fischer
by Dmitri Plisetsky and Sergey Voronkov
Hardcover, 462 pages
Everyman Chess.2005
http://www.everymanchess.com/
There is only one player who has beaten Bobby without making a single move on the board. No, his name is not Anatoly Karpov, it's Fidel Castro!
Here is how it happened: In 1965 the US State Department refused to give permission to Bobby to travel to Cuba to play in a tournament in which those Russians were also participating.Undaunted, Bobby decided to play by telephone.Some one in Havana described this as victory for Cuba. When the American press made much of this statement, Bobby was furious.He addressed a telegram to Castro.
To Prime Minister Fidel Castro, Havana
I protest against the announcement published in The New York Times in which mention is made of some sort of propaganda victory, and in connection with this circumstance I must withdraw from Capablanca Memorial Tourney.I would only be able to take part in the tournament in the event that you immediately sent me telegram declaring that neither you nor your government will attempt to make political capital out of my participation in the tourney, and that in the future no political commentaries on this score will be made.
-Bobby Fischer
The reply was laced with delicious humour.
To Bobby Fischer, New York, USA
I have just received your telegram. I am surprised that you ascribe to me some sort of announcement touching on your participation in the tournament. I have not said a single word to anybody.I know of this only through your telegraphic communiquės....Our land needs no ‘such propaganda victories’.It is your personal affair whether you will take part in the tournament or not. Hence your words are unjust. If you are frightened and repent your previous decision, then it would be better to find another exuse or to have the courage to remain honest.
-Fidel Castro
And Bobby played! Sometimes I wonder if FIDE should have had Castro at the helm of affairs rather than the well-meaning Euwe!
This is a book that evokes both joy and reflection.The Russians never fathomed Bobby’s level of preparation because he was constantly evolving as a player, learning and unlearning what they had taken for granted. His understanding of chess was truly arcane and eclectic, drawing on a variety of sources, from 19th Century champions like Anderssen and Steinitz to 20th Century greats like Nimzovitsch and Bronstein. Recalled his childhood mentor, Jack Collins,
" Bobby devoured more chess books than any one who has ever lived. He read about chess not only for opening knowledge; he also loved the lore. As I sit here, I can still remember him,one warm summer afternoon,laughing loudly while reading about a long-forgotten controversy in Steinitz’s old International Chess Magazine.”
"What's the use of reading all that stuff?" You may ask. Here is one answer:
In the last game of the Reykjavik Match Bobby sprang a surprise in Sicilian, and a bemused Spassky did not know how to counter it and lost.The cognoscenti went into raptures over the innovation in a variation analysed by the likes of Taimanov and Boleslavsky. Bobby only waved his hands, saying it was an old idea of Anderssen.
Indeed, it was, stemming from the game Carl Goering-Adolf Anderssen, Leipzig 1877(!).Of course Spassky had not bothered with such “nonsense” in his preparation.
Life is full of riddles and ironies. Bobby "needed" the Russians as much as they "needed" him.The struggle with the Russians gave a sense of meaning and purpose to his life.After 1972 it was lost for ever. It was the other way round for the Russians.The loss of the world title led to genuine introspection and renewed preparation.The resurgence that followed produced a generation of great players from Kasparov to Kramnik.
Sadly, Bobby never understood Russia and its people. For him the land was hostile territory and the Russians were his enemies. He did not know.The greatest number of his fans were in Russia, the land he chose to hate.When My 60 Memorable Games was released in Russia, as many as 100,000 copies were sold out in just 3 days! Such was his phenomenal popularity. The Russian public disdained and shunned all the official propaganda against Bobby. For he was their secret hero.They admired him for standing up to an oppressive regime they despised more than he did.
What did Bobby leave behind? Two great heirs to the kingdom:Karpov and Kasparov. Each was endowed with a distinct legacy. Karpov inherited the pure classical legacy, and Kasparov, the dynamic modern legacy. Each has cherished and nurtured that legacy, and made it his own. This book has to be read with a lot of care.Remember that Bobby is primarily seen through the eyes of his rivals. His success put many of them on trial.They had to defend themselves before authorities and assure them they would “manage” Bobby. Today it is the other way round.With the benefit of hindsight say nice things about Bobby and justify themselves before posterity. They do speak with candour.But learn to read between the lines.What they choose not to tell you is always worth finding out.
Do I miss anything in the book? Yes, it’s the voice of the humble Russian patzer who loved Bobby more than his rivals did (They had reason not to!).It’s he who quietly mourns the passing away of a great player even as he remembers the games.СПАСИБО!
This book has every one of the 158 encounters between Bobby and the Russians. The games are rather lightly annotated in Informant style.The most valuable of them are the lot from the unofficial World blitz Championship at Herceg Novi 1970.
Here is David Bronstein weaving a magic net with Bobby.
A wonderful struggle!
Finally, here is an artist's dream!
At last this series has come to an end. It only remains for me to thank all the readers who have taken a lively interest throughout. I do hope they would find reading the book rewarding.
Link to the first part of the review:
http://www.chess.com/article/view/russians-versus-fischer2
Notes:
1)Fischer was placed second, ½ point behind Smyslov who came first
in Capablanca Memorial Tournament,Havana 1965.
However, he had the satisfaction of beating the tournament winner
in their individual encounter.
2)For more on the Anderssen connection to the 21st Game of the
Reykjavik Match, see the following link:
http://www.chessville.com/reviews/NICYearbook87.htm
3)The image, an artist's dream appeared on the excellent Russian website,
chesspro.ru.:http://www.chesspro.ru/
Its original caption read:Kasparov and Fischer in common pursuit of truth.
4)The best review of this book is by Taylor Kingston on ChessCafe.com.
Here is the link:http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review/505
5)After some hesitation I am offering a link to the London Times report
on the last days and what followed thereafter.I can't vouch for the veracity of every fact.That's the problem.Any way, something is better than nothing:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article3751254.ece
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