Fischer by Buchwald

In the Book, "Bobby Fischer Goes to War," the authors David Edmonds and John Eidinow wrote:

In the London "Sunday Times" on 2 July, Arthur Koestler, the author of the terrifying study of Stalinism, Darkness at Noon, understatedly warned, “Bobby is a genius, but as a propagandist for the free world he is rather counter-productive.” The "Washington Post" ruminated that Fischer’s behavior had caused the match to escalate “from a sport into a revival of the Cold War.” One of the Post’s readers wrote that “Fischer is the only American who can make everyone in the U.S. root for the Russians.” In an article written in late July and passed around the Soviet embassy in Reykjavik, causing much merriment, Washington Post humorist Art Buchwald mused over a presidential dilemma: Would Nixon place a telephone call to Iceland if Fischer won? He foresaw the conversation-

Here is satistist and chess enthusiast, Art Buchwald's column:

Haha. I like this guy Art Buchwald. I wonder if Nixon was any good at chess. 

I'm a Fischer fan. I don't necessarily agree with everything in the article, but I think it's a well written piece. There's a guy in the sports column of our city newspaper that rips apart my nba team all the time. I completely disagree with him to the point that it almost angers me, but he's sometimes pretty funny. It's the columnist's job to shake up the pot.  

I remember Buchwald, even though I HAD forgotten him. He was great at the satire.

What happened when the plane got hijacked? 

Did Castro send him back?

2QIC's video demonstrates that Fischer was a good straight man. Had a bit of Bob Newhart in him.  

Nice article, thanks for sharing. Buchwald was one of the best, I can imagine Fischer behaving in such a manner.

Perhaps of interest:

https://www.chess.com/blog/Spektrowski/boris-spassky-2016-interview

Thanks for that, spongey. It shows that Spassky had Fischer well and truly figured out. But, Spassky could not hide that he was not a vindictive type, and as he said, I had an incipiently insane person on the other side of the board. 

And I forgot batgirl in my first post. All Buchwald had to do was to have Fischer treat the White House the same as the Chess authorities. 

Another very nice thread by Batgirl. Art Buchwald certainly had a good sense of humour   lol.

Art Buchwald was a great, great humorist and newspaper opinion-piece writer.  When I was young my family and friends couldn't wait to read his column each day and, at school or at work, people would often start a conversation with, "Did you see what Buchwald wrote about..."

Note that all the requirements and objections Bobby makes in the Buchwald article are basically identical to the ridiculous requirements he made during the match vs Spassky.  I've mentioned before on these boards how most Americans were embarrassed at how Spassky was treated and by Bobby being such a jerk.  Buchwald's quote that, "Fischer is the only one who could make everyone in the United States root for the Russians," is almost a bullseye!

2Q1C, get off of your myopic high-horse.  Fischer ABSOLUTELY did NOT do things for chess first.  Yes he fought for bigger purses - as long as he was one who got them.  A lot of people helped him, chesswise and financially, as he grew up were tossed aside as soon as Bobby didn't need them anymore. If Bobby had a motto it was, "Me! Me! Me first!"  Bobby was a JERK and Buchwald framed it just right!