AThe Gazette Montreal, Quebec, Canada Saturday, August 21, 1965 - Page 15
Chess King No Pawn
Bobby Fischer, the USA chess champion, does not intend to be used by Premier Castro of Cuba as a pawn in a propaganda contest. He sent a cable to the Premier saying he was withdrawing from the Capablanca Memorial international tourney in Havana unless he disavowed a statement attributed to him.
It was reported that the Premier had discerned “a propagandistic victory for Cuba” in the USA State Department's refusal to allow Fischer to go to Havana. It had been expected that Fischer would participate by telephone, teletype or cable in the tournament, which begins August 25. In his cable to Premier Castro, Fischer said:
“I object to your statements reported in The New Your Times today claiming ‘propagandistic victory’ and hereby withdraw from the Capablanca tournament.
I shall re-enter tournament only if you send immediate cable assuring me that you and your Government seek and claim no political benefit from my participation and that no further political comments will issue from you concerning my participation.”
The State Department refused a visa to Fischer on the ground that he is neither a businessman with long-standing interest in the Communist island, nor a bona fide journalist, nor is on a humanitarian mission.
