ADes Moines Tribune Des Moines, Iowa Thursday, August 12, 1965 - Page 13
Chess King Rips Castro
New York, N.Y. — Bobby Fischer, the United States chess champion, has made it clear that he does not intend to be used by Premier Fidel Castro as a pawn in a propaganda contest. The 22-year-old chess wizard has sent a cable to Premier Castro saying he is with-drawing from the Capablanca Inter-national Tournament in Havana unless the premier disavows a statement attributed to him. It had been reported on Tuesday that the premier regarded the United States refusal to allow Fischer to go to Havana as “a propagandistic victory for Cuba.”
“Object”
Fischer cabled his withdrawal after agreeing to participate in the tournament by telephone, teletype or cable. The tournament begins on Aug. 25. In his cable, Fischer said: “I object to your statements reported in the New York Times claiming ‘propagandistic victory’ and hereby with-draw from 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.”
“Astonished”
Fischer's lawyer, Andrew P. Davis. said his client was astonished to learn that Premier Castro was using the situation for anti-American propaganda. The U. S. Department of State has refused a visa to Fischer to go to Cuba for the tournament on the ground that he is neither a business-man with long-standing interest in the Communist island, a bona fide journalist or on a humanitarian mission.
