Fischer Wins `69 WCC?
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And for a bit of rumours, hope the OP will like it:
http://www.dmv.demon.nl/newpage0.html#Jacqueline_Piatigorsky
Clearly, if Keres and Bronstein had defected in 1962, that would have greatly improved Fischer's chances of becoming world champion in 1969. 
Would this count as persecution ?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktor_Korchnoi
Korchnoi won the next Candidates' cycle to again earn the right to challenge Karpov in 1981. The match was held in Meran, Italy. The headline of the tournament again largely centered on the political issues. Korchnoi's wife and son were still in the Soviet Union. His son had been promised to be released to join his father in exile if he gave up his passport. When he did so, he was promptly drafted into the Soviet army. In spite of protests, Korchnoi's son was arrested for evading army service, sentenced to two and a half years in labour camp, and served the full sentence. After the release, he was again refused permission to leave the USSR. (In 1982, six years after Korchnoi's defection, his son finally succeeded in leaving the country.)
Korchnoi took the opportunity of the match to publicize the situation of his wife and son, drafting an open letter to the Soviet government to release them both.
Interestingly enough, there hasn't exactly been an onslaught of Russian / Soviet GMs immigrating into the US after the USSR collapsed. Wonder why that is, perhaps they were scared by Bobby's fate ?
Btw had Bobby defected into the USSR, I am sure that he would have received a warm welcome.