AThe Miami News Miami, Florida Thursday, August 26, 1965 - Page 10
Yank Cables Chess Plays To Havana
New York (AP) — Chess breached the Cuba blockade last night as U.S. champion Bobby Fischer began the first game in an international tournament played by cable between here and Havana.
Fischer's moves in his first match with West Germany's Heinz Lehrmann were relayed by teletype and cable to the $2,000 fourth annual Capablanca memorial tournament in the Havana Libre Hotel.
The arrangement was worked out after the State Department refused to grant Fischer a visa for travel to Cuba.
Fischer, who at 22 is the youngest of chess' international grand masters, will face a total of 22 opponents before the tournament ends Sept. 20.
Blinking under television lights in a back room of the Marshall Chess Club, Fischer made his early moves quickly as his opponent's moves were repeated on his board.
Fischer's moves were written on slips of paper, which were carried to a small office where the teletype machine was set up to relay them by cable.
The teletype operator relayed not only Fischer's moves but the time he took for each move.
Last night's session had a five-hour limit — 2½ hours allotted to each player for 40 moves. Games not completed within the five-hour limit are to be finished at later dates.
