Friday, July 14, 1972
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Page Eleven
Cameras anger Fischer,
forfeits second contest
REYKJAVIK, Iceland (N-
Bobby Fischer forfeited yes-
terday's chess game with
world champion Boris Spas-
sky. He stayed in his hotel
room, sulking because of
movie cameras in the play-
ing hall.
His balk for the second in a,
24-game schedule left the score
2 to Q in the Russian's favor.
This gave Spassky a powerful
psychological advantage o v e r
Fischer, who has never beaten
the champion.
Fischer knew before he came
to Iceland to play for the world
title that the match would be
filmed. And Chester Fox, t h e
promoter who owns the three
cameras, said they were out of
Fischer's sight and hearing.
"He said just knowing t h e y
were there bothered him," Fox
said, adding later: "I pity the
poor guy."
All attempts to get Fischer to
the chess table - where he lost
the first game to Spassky on
Wednesday - proved futile. The
tempermental American chess
Sports of Ihe Daily
The chess championship ...
. a Fischer farce
By DAN BORUS
SPORTS HEROES have traditionally been a diverse and motley
bunch. Legends have been made of men whose habits were
more than a modicum away from societal norms.
It is no state secret that Babe Ruth, the Sultan of Swat, was
also the' Shiek of Suds. Cardinal fans, of which this reporter
numbers, thrill to the idea of Grover Cleveland Alexander tipsy-
ing in to strike out the dangerous Lazerri. Or more correctly to
the Redbird hurler, the dangerous Lazerris.
Pepper Martin used to nail teammates shoes to the club-
house and recently linebacker Chip Oliver allowed as how he
had literally tripped down midfield.
But in a sport more serene than the typical American
roughhouse, an American has emerged as the typical boor.
A new Ugly American, added to the Ugly Americans who burn
forests in strange countries, has emerged and he is occupied
with black and white squares.
I am aware of the argument that holds that Bobby Fischer
is a genius and this country has so precious few that we should
afford them the best treatment possible.
A second argument which is a corollary of the first is
that Fischer is not only a genius but also an expert psycher.
Fischer, the argument continues, is "up against the Mono-
lith," the Soviet behavior modification machine which turns
mere mortals iuto computers of the Grandmaster ranks
The Soviet system, contends the apologists, totalitarian in its
own right is using the chess tournaments as a huge pro-
paganda tour de fource and Fischer is Cassius Clay humbling
the Liston-like Spassky.
Neither of these arguments is quite convincing. Bobby
Fischer is, in fact, a bit neurotic. Although this columnist is not
quite qualified to make a psychiatric determination, Fischer's
behavior is uncalled for in a sport as tame and orderly as
chess. Fischer's erractic position is not only highly materialis-
tic, but quite reminiscent of a one track mind.
Fischer, if he were not a chess player and let's say a
nuclear scientist, would not only build sensors but use them
against student populaces. While dedication to a work is most
commendable, enslavement is fraudulent.
His refusal to even show us at the chess hall yesterday must
rank as the height of gall. Movie cameras that he can not see
and can not hear should not make any difference to a real pro.
Fischer, the pampered fool, has placed himself in a danger-
ous position. He has told every one that Spassky can not keep
up with his game. Well, a game predicated on conceit and ar-
rogance seems to have run aground.
Fischer has taken the cult of individualism to its troub-
led end. This is especially true in chess where the confronta-
tion is so intense and so personal. The psychology of domina-
tion is all right for All because he does not concentrate on
the jugular. Fischer's goal of ultimate depersonalization and
destruction of the self esteem of his opponent seems a
bit too blood thirsty for the good of the sport.
But Fischer is incomparable. And he is a character. There
is no denying that he has taken a back-yard intellectual base-
ment parlor game and created an international sensation. Chess
enthusiasts do have some consolation in that.
For too long Americans have laughed at the pointy head in-
tellectuals who were engrossed in the movement of pawns and
in the intricacies of the Portuguese gambit. Something akin
to Radical Chic in reverse has hit the country and the 5 column
screaming heads in the New York Daily News seem ample.
proof of this phenomenon.
Now after the Fischer paranoid reactions to the imagined
Russian attempt to sabotage his chances, maybe some fascinat-
ing chess will be played. In passing it should be noted that the
Russians have resorted to some frankly dirty tricks to insure
that the coveted title remains in the Union of Soviet Socialist;
Republics. And, in fairness, it should be noted that, Grand-
master Sp assky is himself quite a character: a chess champ-
ion who is not and never has been a member of the party.
I
whizz even turned down an ap-
peal based on his responsbili-
ties as a "folk hero of the Am-
ericans."
The future of the match, said
chief referee Lothar Schmid,
now depends on whether Fisches
persists in his walkout.
Schmid said the International
Chess Federation could inter-
vene and disqualify the Ameri-
can challenger, allowing Russia
to keep the world title it has
held for 24 years. But at the end
of the day, Schmid said there
would be a game on Sunday as
scheduled.
The row over the cameras be-
gan early yesterday when Fis-
cher said he couldn't play altng-
side them in the 2,500-seat Sports
Palace. Fox, whose purchase (.
television and film rights for the
match allowed the Icelandic
Chess Federation to offer a re-
cord $125,000 in prize money,
said the cameras had to stay.
In an attempt at compromise,
Fox's lawyer Richard Stein sent
Fischer a letter at 5 a.m. ap-
pealing to him to at least talk
about the problem.
"As a folk hero of the Amer-
icans, you must permit millions
of Americans to share this ex-
perience with you in t h e i r
homes, for the benefit of chess
and for the benefit of the rest
of the world," Stein's letter said.
Fischer ignored the appeal.
Ten minutes before the match
was to begin, Fred Cramer, a
U.S. Chess Federation official,
called the match organizers to
say Fischer wasn't coming.
False illusions
Hubert Humphrey (on left) practices throwing out the first ball
after securing the nomination at the Democratic convention of
1968. But we all know why the mystery man on his right dis-
plays a great big smile.
LOLICH NOTCHES 15th:
Streaking Tigers bop Royals
DETROIT - Detroit scored
five runs in the first inning to
give Mickey Lolich a big cushion
enroute to his 15th triumph as
the Tigers extended their win-
ing streak to five with a 6-4
triumph over the Kansas City
Royals last night.
The victory pushed the Tigers'
lead in the American League
East to 2%/ games over idle
Baltimore. The winning streak
is Detroit's longest of the sea-
Lolich, 15-6, became the win-
ningest hurler in the majors
Canadians
baek NHL
OTTAWA (AP) - The Cana-
dian government will not take
the initiative in trying to per-
suade owners of National Hoc-
key League teams to let Bobby
Hull play on the Canadian team
that is to meet champion Soviet
hockey players this fall.
Prime Minister Jacques Tru-
deau and Health Minister John
Munro said yesterday they do
not want to risk collapse of the
Canada - Soviet Union series
over one player.
Protests , from the public be-
gan flowing into Munro's office
after it was announced that the
NHL owners would not let Hull
play on the Canadian team.
The roadblock to Hull's parti-
cipation is an agreements be-
tween Hockey Canada, the gov-
ernment - backed supervision
organization for amateur hoc-
key and the NHL.
That agreement states that
NHL teams will allow their
players to participate in the
series against the Soviet Union,
but only NHL players are to be
used. Hull recently left the
NHL to join the Winnipeg Jets
of the newly-formed World
Hockey Association.
NHL President Clarence
Campbell said yesterday the
league will not make an e -
ception to allow Hull to play.
this season, scattering 11 hits.
It was his 15th complete game
of the year and seyenth against
Kansas City in his last eight
tries.
Ed Brinkman drove in three
runs, two with a single in the
first and the other on a squeeze
bunt in the third after Ike
Brown doubled and stole third
base.
Aurelio Rodriguez led off the
Detroit first with a double, Bill
Freehan walked, then Willie
Horton singled off Spitt rff's
shoulder to score Rodriguez.
Spittorff, 9-5, loaded the bases
with a walk to Paul Jata before
Norm Cash smacked a sacrifice
fly. A walk to Ike Brown re-
loaded the bases and Brinkman
came through with his two-run-
single.
Jenkins jolted
CHICAGO - Home runs by
Tommy Helms and N o r m Mil-
ler in the ninth inning produced
five runs that broke a 2-2 tie
and gave the Houston Astros a
7-2 victory over the C h i c a g o
Cubs yesterday.
Helms first unloaded with a
blast into the left field bleach-
ers off the Cubs' Ferguson Jenk-
ins, scoring Doug Rader and
John Edwards ahead of him.
Then Miller hit his third homer
of the season off reliever Dan
McGinn after a single by Rog-
er Metzger had chased Jenkins.
It was Jenkins' eighth defeat
against 11 victories. The win-
ning pitcher was Jim Ray, who
relieved Jerry Reuss in the sev-
enth.
The Cubs took a 1-0 lead in
the first inning on a bases-load-
ed scratch single by Jose Car-
denal. Bobby Watson then made
a one-handed catch high against
the left field wall on a drive by
Rick Monday to end the inning.
The Astros tied it in the third
- when Metzger doubled and scor-
ed on a single by Miller and went
ahead in the fourth on singles by
Lee May and Rader and an in-
field out by Edwards.
Professional League Stand
Amerieanc. eague National League
E.ast tast
W Lt. GP.nW 1L Pct. on
etroit 44 34 .54 Pittsburgh 4 3 5
Boston 37: 37 .5005 S NtLork 42 3 .53 8
New York 37 37 .500 5 '. 'hcou 42 39 .538 7
Cleveland 32 45 .416 t1' 'tMntreal4 34 44 .43614
Milwaukee 30 45 .400 12 Philadelphia 28 52 .350 21
eeOakland 48 30 .615- Cc t st
Chicago 45 34 .570 31 Cos'i n 48 :14 .58 -ii
Minnest s4037.510 'wLoAngeles 4238.25 -6'
KasasCity 40 30.500 810' Atlonta 37 44 .457 12'
California 36 44 .450 13 'a3an0a36 49 .424 15
Texas 34 46 .425 15 San Fiso 30 50 .3751>5
Yesterday's Results
Minnesota 10, noston 0 Yesterday's Results
Texas 5, Cleveland 0 Houston 7, Chicago 2
Detroit 6, Kansas City 4 Cincinnati 2, Pittsburgh 0
Other lobs not scheduled St Louis 2, Atlanta 0
TODAY'S GAMES O her clubs not scheduled
Oakland (Hunter, 10-4 and Odom, 7 n2) ib h
New York (Kline, 8-3 and Kekich, 8-7), TODAY'S GAMES
?, twinight. Atlanta (McLain, 0-1) at Chicago
Chicago (Bahnsen, 11-9 and Forester, tPappas, 6-5)
1-2) at Baltimore (McNally, 9-7 and Houston (Ray, 8-3) at Pittsburgh
Alexander, 3-5) 2, twinightaB riles 373) noish
Californiat(tyan, 11-5) aMilwaukee Cncnnati (G ttnsly, 6-3i) 'aSt.
(Longborg, 7-4), night Louis (wise, 9-8), night
Boston (Siebert, 7-5) at Minnesota New York (Seaver, 11-5) at San Diego
(Perry, 7-8), night (Arlin, 7-9), night
Cleveland (Perry, 14-7) ; at Texas Montreal (Morton, 4-8) at Los Angeles
(Paul, 3-2), night (Osteen, 9-6), night
Kansas City (Dal Canton, 4-3) at Philadelphia (Reynolds, 0-4) at San
Detroit (Coleman 11-7), night Francisco (Marichal, 3-10), night