AThe Corpus Christi Caller-Times Corpus Christi, Texas Tuesday, August 31, 1965 - Page 16
Diplomatic Chess
(Reprinted from the Christian Science Monitor)
Checkmated by the State Department in his efforts to go to Cuba for an international chess tournament, the United States chess champion is going to play by cable.
This will not be the first chess played by remote control. But since all the other players will be permitted to be on the scene it recalls the comment of the legendary Hollywood producer talking about “message” pictures: “If you have a message, send it by Western Union.”
With the American champion, Bobby Fischer, making his moves by wire, the whole world will get the message that the mighty United States is preventing its chess hero from going to little Cuba.
To Mr. Fischer's credit, he refused to play even by wire until Premier Castro assured him he had no propagandistic intentions.
“Our country has no need for such fleeting propaganda,” Dr. Castro is reported to have replied.
Surely many Americans must be thinking, “Our country has no need of keeping chess champions out of Havana.”
The State Department doubtless has its reasons for making no exception to regulations. Yet it would seem that any propaganda that ensues will be the result of its own move on the diplomatic chessboard.
