Jewish Involvement in Chess;
and Spasskv and Fischer

McGovern Clears
an Aide Charged
with Pro-Arabisin

WASHINGTON (JTA) — Demo-
cratic Presidential nominee George
McGovern said that the matter of
Rick Stearns, one of his closest
political campaign associates who
was accused last wee': of being
pro-Arab has been "fully re-
solved" and- is "cleared up"
McGovern made this statement at
a news conference held in the old
Senate office building, in response
to a question by the JTA regarding
the accusation, which was made
at the Demorcatie convention's
Jewish Affairs Seminar in Miami
Beach.
The question was asked in the
presence of Vice Presidential nom-
inee Sen. Thomas F, Eagleton and
McGovern's newly appointed na-
tional campaign chairman Law-
rence F. O'Brien at the conference
held to announce O'Brien's ap-
Robert Fischer (left) and Boris Spassky pointment.
McGovern said: ' - This matter is .
Although chess master Bobby he cited—th• greatest was Wil- fully resolved. It was a misunder-
I , -cher's Jewish origins have-been helm Steinitz, who was world standing. Stearns has sent a state-
pu'Jicized this mother is Jewish, , champion from 1866 to 1807. lie ' event to Jewish organizations and
although he has renounced his al:o distinguished himself at blind- I understand the matter is cleared
Jewislinessi it not generally fold chess. • up. Stearns is not an anti-Israel
known that his opponent in the
''Another great name is his person. His views are the same as
world match—Boris Spassky—also successor, Emanuel Lasker. If mine."
is the son of a Jewish mother
Steinitz is the chess player's the-
:McGovern did not name the
Roth Fischer and Spassky, chief orist, Lasker is the chess player's Jewish organizations to which he
protagonists in the Reikjavik chess chess player. His doctrine was said Stearns' statement was sent.
match, are listed in the Encyclo- the importance of effort. His im-
The accusations regarding
pedia Judaica, which has a lengthy mense talent is clearly revealed Stearns' Israel position was made
entry on Jews and chess.
in the matches in which he de- by Harriet Davis, a delegate to the
Spassky, 35, the defending world fended his world championship ti- convention from New York. She
champion, was born in Leningrad tle for 28 years (until 1921).
claimed that Stearns had signed
of a Russian non-Jewish father
Many other Jews emerged to pro-Arab materials and demanded
and a Jewish mother. At 18, he top rank, and in the later 1930s Stearns' dismissal frcm the Mc-
achieved the title of grand master the teams of the Slav countries Govern staff.
and in 1969 wen the world cham- were composed almost entirely of
Jewish players who were also
pionship
The Encyclopedia Ju•laica points Prominent in many other coun-
out that Jews tong have been tries.
attracted by elle,: In an article "A number of great Jewish chess
submitted by British e hess mas- Play ers died in the Holocaust.
ter. Gerald Abrahams. the fol- Some survived because they were
lowing is stated: taking part in a tournament in
"The Jewish contribution to Buenos Aires when World War II
chess on an appreciable scale , broke out. The absence of Jews
dates from the mud-19th Century. ,from many East European teams
There is no truth to the legend in postwar Olympics was a re-
that the Jews invented chess nor minder of the Jewish tragedy.
to the story that appears in the • "Western Europe also is no
Midrash that King Solomon played longer dominated by Jewish play-
the game. In fact, Jews probably ers as it was before World War
became acquainted with game only I II. Germany, Scandinavia. Spain
in the 10th Century. I and Italy have never had many
"The Arabs introduced the game Jewish chess masters.
"Some of the European chess
into Europe via Spain, and by the
masters escaped to Israel and
11th Century it was highly porn:-
developed the game there. Nev-
tar among J ,,A- S in Spain and
ertheless, in the first official
Provence. The famous biblical
contests
between the USSR and
commentator. Abraham Ihn Ezra,
world after
World
knew the game and an excellent the
War Weste-n
II. the United
Kingdom
poetic description of the game is team had five Jewish players,
ascribed to him.
the Soviet team five out of a
"A member of a famous Span-
total of 10. and the U.S. seven.
ish family. Bonsenior lbn Yahya.
general
after
World War the
wrote a description which gave • In
Jews
came
to dominate
the Persian Arabic nomenclature
American chess team.
for the pieces and this provides
"In 1948. Botvinnik. a Soviet
a key to the development of the I
terms for chessmen in various Jew, won the world title and held
it
intermittently for almost 20
countries and languages.
Jewish scholars differed as to years. He lost it in 1907 to Petro-
whether chess should be en- , sian (an Armenian) who in turn
courage& Mamonides expressed , was defeated in 1909 by Boris
disapproval of the game when ! Spassky. son of a Jewish mother.
played fe- money, coupling it who emerged as star of the chess
with backgammon. Rabbinic law i world."
disapproved of chess as a waste
of time. Eventually, when games
Proposed Refin•r.'
were often generally condemned,
at Eilat Draw: Debate
an exception was made for
chess. Later authorities all ap-
JTRUSALEM -- The recent pro_
Depict •
teosal put forward by
proved of the game—provided
Finance !Minister Zvi Dinstein to
it was not played for money-
On this principle, chess may be
establish an oil refinery in Eila t
played on the Sabbath.
has come in for severe criticism
A number of great chess play-, by Prof. David Amiran, of the
ers have emerged from yeshivot. 1 Hebrew University department of
But Moses Mendelssohn said "For I geography. Prof. Amiran considers
a game it is too serious, and for ! that such industrial development in
a serious occupation, it is too Eilat is totally incompatible with
much of a game " its character as a holiday resort.
'Ity the middle of the 19th Cen•
Catlin.;
public debate me the
he .,:an to
names
Jewish
that
tury.
,nuel,; ■ • f requentiv

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

8—Friday, July 28, 1972

Cambodia Plans to Open Embassy in Jerusalem

JERUSALEM (JTA)—The Cam• Cambodia presently has no resi-
bodian government has advised the dent ambassador in Israel. Its en-
in London is accredited tee
foreign ministry that it intends to Jerusalem. Israel has a resident
foreign
open an Embassy in Jerusalem ambassador in the Cambodian
capital.
shortly, it was reported.

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In America's Best Interests

CONGRESSMAN
WILLIAM
BROOMFIELD

should be returned to his seat for his efforts
in defense of this nation's most urgent interests
in crucial matters.
As a member of the House Foreign Affairs
Committee, Congressman Broomfield is
one of the most active, best informed and
dedicated supporters of justice for the op-
pressed and in defense of the State of Israel.
As sponsor of basic legislation in Israel's de-
fense, Congressman Broomfield has earned
the gratitude of the American people, and the
proper expression of appreciation is to labor
for his return to Congress.

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Signed
MAX FISHER

Re-Elect Bill Broomfield