Detroit Free Press Detroit, Michigan Sunday, February 28, 1965 - Page 28
The Chess Corner: Elimination Procedures Modifications for World Championship
“The Russians are cheating!”
This slur on the eliminations for the world chess championship caused the Federation Internationale des Echecs (FIDE) to react like the American colonists did to “The British are coming!”
There was a revolution.
The slur was cast by U.S. Champion Robert Fischer, who asserted in a national magazine that under procedures then current the Russians were throwing games to one of their many entrants.
The FIDE quickly prevented all chances of hanky-panky by turning the final phase of the world title eliminations into a series of matches between contenders rather than a tournament where games could be fixed.
WHILE THIS will satisfy Fischer's objections, the Brooklyn prodigy still will not be competing for the crown held by Tigran Petrosian because he has refused to participate in the necessary tournaments.
Enter Soviet Grand Master David Bronstein. He proposed that the U.S. champion be invited to the elimination Matches anyway—along with seven other strong masters who had been eliminated in interzonal tournaments.
Bronstein's proposal was rejected by delegates at the Chess Olympics in Israel late last year.
One can only speculate on Bronstein's motives for suggesting that the elimination matches be expanded, but perhaps his own elimination had something to do with it.
