Havana Tourney

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The Gazette Montreal, Quebec, Quebec, Canada Saturday, September 18, 1965 - Page 29

Havana Tourney
Boris Ivkov, Yugoslavia, defeated Bobby Fischer, USA, in the Capablanca Memorial tourney at Havana, to widen his lead with 11-2 pts., ahead of V. Smyslov, USSR, 9½-2½; E. Geller, USSR, 9½-3½; R.J. Fischer, 9-3; J. H. Donner, Holland, 8-5; R. Kholmov, USSR and L. Pachmann, Czech, 7½-4½ each … —
… Leonard Barden in the Manchester Guardian says “There is news that Bobby Fischer the world's best player outside the Soviet Union, has been drafted into the United States Army for two years. It is apparently quite possible that he will eventually be sent with the infantry to Vietnam.”
“Profile of a Prodigy”: The Life and Games of Bobby Fischer, is the title of a [unauthorized] biography recently brought out by Frank Brady. It contains 75 of his best games and a 100 pages of [unauthorized] biographic detail.”

Frank Brady Rebuffed by Fischer

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The Boston Globe Boston, Massachusetts Sunday, September 12, 1965 - Page 85

Frank Brady Rebuffed by Fischer
Frank Brady's “The Life and Games of Bobby Fischer” David McKay) has been published. The narrative portion of the book is a 100-page account of the short but turbulent 20-odd years of Robert J. Fischer who, whether or not he is the greatest player who ever lived, is certainly the most colorful of our time.
In this work are fitted together the bits and pieces of a career which we have heard about from time to time but have never seen in a single mosaic.
Bobby Fischer emerged in short pants into the chess world when his mother wrote to Hermann Helms, chess editor of the Brooklyn Eagle, to find a place for 7-year-old Bobby to play.
Helms referred her to The Brooklyn Chess Club where Carmine Nigro took him under his wing. Later Bobby frequented a club at the home of John Collins, columnist for Chess Review, who subsequently helped Bobby write and publish his own book of chess games.
By the time Bobby reached 13 he established himself as a great player. In 1956 he played in the Rosenwald Championship and though he didn't win, turned in “The Game of the Century” against Donald Byrne.
The following year, bangs and all, he won the U.S. Junior Championship, The U.S. Open and finally The Rosenwald.
He then amazed the world by tying for fifth in the Interzonal tournament at Portoroz.
He quit high school in 1959 and the next year moved away from his mother, an eccentric pacifist who embarked on a peace walk to Moscow but remarried on the way and moved to England.
Bobby learned to dress nattily and continued to annex Rosenwald victories, culminating in his magnificent perfect score in 1963-1964. The book gives a good account of the Reshevsky match in which Bobby forfeited by refusal to play a game at 11 o'clock in the morning.
Brady defends Bobby, but it is hard to see that Fischer was anything but unbending and difficult.

[EDIT: See the following articles from Los Angeles Times, which cites a spokesman from the organizers at the Fischer-Reshevsky Series, which admit the time was inappropriately rescheduled (without Fischer's consent, flagrant violation of rules) to accommodate referee Irving Rivise' personal trip to the San Francisco U.S. Open.

The Los Angeles Times Los Angeles, California Monday, August 14, 1961 - Page 73, “Chess Champ Forfeits by Failing to Appear”]

• https://bobby-fischer-1961.blogspot.com/2018/06/chess-champ-forfeits-by-failing-to.html
• https://www.newspapers.com/clip/21207710/chess_champ_forfeits_by_failing_to/

The monumental disappointment of Fischer's career was his failure at Curacao, when he lost his bid for the world's championship. Brady ends his work with some psychological analysis of this genius who has such difficulty with people.

[EDIT: The San Francisco Examiner's H.E.F. Donohue provides his own insightful “Psychoanalysis of Frank Brady” which touches on the exaggerated perceptions and possessiveness over the life of Bobby Fischer, as “personal property”. Such a bleak portrait is painted, perhaps, to prevent others from attempting to take a closer look at the great Fischer and come to their own, different conclusions.

The San Francisco Examiner San Francisco, California Sunday, September 05, 1965 - Page 156, “Nobody's Pawn”]

Fischer's reaction to this book is convincingly indicated by his lawyer's notification to Brady to cease acting as Fischer's referee in the pending Cuban tournament in which Fischer is playing by teletype.
There are 75 games in this work and these are as genuinely beautiful as “pearls that whisper through the Doge's hands.” Fischer's immense stature is reflected by the effortless way in which he disposes of Laszlo Szabo in the following game.

'Profile Of A Prodigy' Put Spotlight on Bobby

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The Courier-Journal Louisville, Kentucky Sunday, September 12, 1965 - Page 52

'Profile Of A Prodigy' Put Spotlight on Bobby
“The publication date coincides nicely with the Capablanca Memorial Tournament now being staged at Havana, and the fiery Fischer, as usual, is in the star role. Denied a visa to visit Cuba by the State Department, Fischer his cabling his moves from New York, and this novelty alone is getting him headlines around the world.”
Brady was serving as Fischer's referee in the tournament until the U.S. champion fired him in a fit of anger. Brady said he received a call from Fischer's attorney saying it “disturbed Fischer's concentration” to have Brady in the same room with him. Whether the feud is genuine or something dreamed up by a publicity agent I am not prepared to say. But I repeat, Brady couldn't have chosen a better time.”

[EDIT: Since when did Bobby Fischer have a “Publicity Agent” to muddle his private life? How much did Brady's book financially net Bobby? Answer: $0.
Since Brady knew Bobby so well, then why didn't Brady simply collaborate with Bobby, obtain the inside scoop from the horse' mouth, and produce a novel worthy of Fischer's approval? Then the public could have really gotten their money's worth! When the press maligned Bobby, in spite of his repeated attempts to refute mischaracterizations, eventually driven into exile and deprived of basic human rights, —was all that too, a “publicity stunt”?]

“The problem is the book I wrote about him,” said Brady. “He didn't like it. It isn't flattering.”
Well, no honest appraisal of Bobby Fischer could be entirely flattering.”

[EDIT: And neither is an honest appraisal of Frank Brady, as The San Francisco Examiner, California Sunday, September 05, 1965 published its own psychoanalytical appraisal of Brady's strange issue with “possessiveness” and “personal ownership” over Fischer's life... as if Bobby were exclusive “personal property” in a book review aptly titled “Nobody's Pawn”. H.E.F. Donohue asks pertinent questions and throws the bleak portrait painted of Fischer into a new light while encouraging the reader to ask deeper questions about Brady's motives and intent.]

“Declaring at the very beginning of the book that he is no scholar, an admission with which I am not inclined to quarrel … fascinating, stubborn, rebellious, incomparably gifted young international grandmaster.”

[EDIT: And if the book was half as accurate as Brady would like people to think it is, Fischer, who read it, clearly didn't agree. Throw in “brutally honest,”. If Fischer didn't like the book there was a reason. Aside of Brady's obvious failure to properly assess Fischer, there's the matter that out of personal respect for Mr. Fischer, Brady didn't seem to feel the need to obtain Fischer's personal consent… friends do that… people who respect you, do that… before going to press with such a book. In fact, they would ask you to read the manuscript, and offer any suggestions… Brady didn't do that. Why? For one who claims to have been “so close” and “a friend,” obtaining Fischer's consent would seemingly been simple.]

The Self-Checkmate

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Detroit Free Press Detroit, Michigan Sunday, September 05, 1965 - Page 16

The Self-Checkmate
Although recorded chess history spans four centuries, in the view of many only four supreme prodigies have emerged: Paul Morphy (1837-1884), Jose Raoul Capablanca, (1888-1942), Samuel Reshevsky (born 1911) and Robert (Bobby) James Fischer (born 1943).
Fischer currently is playing in a Cuban tournament via teletype after the U. S. State Department blocked his request to travel to Havana. He has become one of the most electrifying, controversial and widely known players of all times.
I met Fischer in Detroit last year during a simultaneous exhibition and found a gangling youth whose eyes would light up only when the conversation turned to chess.
I remember that Fischer was asked to write a message in a chess book for a small boy and I had to help the chess champion with the spelling of a simple word.
Suddenly I was overwhelmed by a feeling of pity for this youth who never finished high school and had but a single absorption-chess. While reading Brady's book, again I felt sorrow creep over me for this youth who still lives in the family apartment in Brooklyn but almost never invites in friends… the rooms filled with rare chess volumes.

Elliot Hearst, the New York state champion, wrote a classic profile in Chess Life called “The Self-Mate of Bobby Fischer.” Self-mate is a chess concept in which a player forces his opponent to check-mate him.
The idea is used by chess problemists, but in the real world of competition the tournament player finds the concept amusing only because of its utter impracticality.
Few U.S. chess players are amused by Fischer's self-mate - his impractical decision to avoid the world championship qualifications and thus surrender all of his rights to a world title match until at least 1969.
Unless Fischer changes his mind when the next world championship sequence begins in 1967, he may turn out to be another Paul Morphy.
Morphy, who proved himself to be the greatest player of his time, stopped playing serious chess at the age of 25.
Morphy not only created a self-mate condition for himself, but spent his remaining years in solitude, cursing imaginary outside forces that had thwarted his career.
Fischer is a much more balanced and resilient person, and Brady's book hints that the Prodigy is beginning to recognize his duty to fulfill his immense promise.
Having touched on self-mate compositions in this column, we here introduce one of the most famous of these problems.
White compels Black to mate him, but don't read farther for the answer is continued in the next paragraph. The problem was composed by W. Pauly and has a solution…

Nobody's Pawn

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The San Francisco Examiner San Francisco, California Sunday, September 05, 1965 - Page 156 (★)

[Note: Seems H.E.F. Donohue is touching a bit on his own psychoanalysis of Frank Brady!]

Nobody's Pawn

When Thurber's biography of Harold Ross appeared a few years ago one critic in the magazine “game” was asked why Thurber had presented so pale and bland a picture of such an unusual man. “Maybe,” the critic-author opined, “maybe Thurber did not want anyone else to dare do the book again.” That is to say Thurber felt Ross was his private property and he did not want “outsiders” to meddle with the great man's memory.”

“…we have been given an examination of the symptoms but not the causes of Bobby Fischer's dilemma: loneliness, ALLEGED paranoia…”

Chess Champ Has Problems With Play By Cable

The Journal Herald Dayton, Ohio Tuesday, August 31, 1965 - Page 41

Chess Champ Has Problems With Play By Cable
NEW YORK — (UPI) — U.S. chess champion Bobby Fischer was scheduled to play a match with Alberic O'Kelly of Belgium yesterday after failing to further his position in the Capablanca memorial chess tournament in play with a Romanian champion.
The 22 - year - old American played to a draw in 48 moves with Romania's Victor Cioaciltea yesterday morning. Both players received a score of one-half point for the match, which began Sunday.
Fischer fired his referee, Frank Brady, an hour before the Cioaciltea match was to begin. Brady had been supervising the young chess champion move on a demonstration chessboard in a chess club here.
The moves are relayed by teletype to Havana where the tournament is being played.
Fischer is playing the 22-game tournament via cable because the state department would not issue him a visa to Communist Cuba.
Brady said he received a call from Fischer's attorney in Massachusetts saying it “disturbed Fischer's concentration” to have Brady in the same room with him.
“The problem is the book I wrote about him,” said Brady. “He didn't like it. It isn't flattering.”
Fischer defeated Russia's former world champion, Vassily Smyslov, who conceded after 43 moves last Thursday. He also won his second match. The Cioacaltea match was his third.

U.S. Chess Champ Fires His Referee

The Times Shreveport, Louisiana Monday, August 30, 1965 - Page 17

U.S. Chess Champ Fires His Referee
NEW YORK (UPI) — U. S. Chess champion Bobby Fisher fired his referee Sunday an hour before he resumed his long-distance play in the Capablanca Memorial Chess tournament in Havana, Cuba.
The referee, Frank Brady, 31, said he received a long-distance call shortly before 2 p.m. from Fischer's attorney in Massachusetts who said that the young chess master didn't want him around. I talked to Bobby later and he said he felt it would disturb his concentration if I was in the same room with him,” Brady said. “The problem is with the book I wrote about him. He didn't like it.”
Fischer, 22, began play at 3 p.m. via cable to Havana with Romania's Victor Ciocâltea in the third game of the 22-game tournament. He is competing by cable because the State Department refused his permission to go to Cuba.
Brady said the “boy wonder” had read his book, “Profile of a Prodigy,” in galley form and “He didn't like it then. In fact, I was surprised when he called me last Thursday to ask me to be the referee.”
A variety of referees sat in on the first week of play and Brady was on hand only Thursday night when Fischer defeated Russia's former world champion, Vassily Smyslov, who conceded after 43 moves.
Brady said, “My book came out last week and I think Bobby re-read it and decided to fire me because he doesn't like people tampering with his private life.”

Bobby Fischer at Capablanca Memorial Tournament

The Boston Globe Boston, Massachusetts Sunday, August 29, 1965 - Page 87

Bobby Fischer at Capablanca Memorial Tournament
Frank Brady, former editor of the magazine Chess World, has written a book on Bobby Fischer called “Profile of a Prodigy,” reputedly a comprehensive portrait of this controversial figure and containing 75 of his games. The book is to be released at the end of this month.
The book is already a little incomplete, for the controversial Bobby Fischer is again in the news. Bobby is not in the army as previously reported, though we were informed that he had expected to be drafted.
Recently he applied for a visa to play in the Capablanca Memorial tournament in Cuba, partly on the theory that he would also function as a journalist. His application was denied.
Fischer then arranged to participate by telecommunication. Fidel Castro promptly announced a diplomatic victory.
Fischer, irritated that his name was being used for political reasons, thereupon withdrew from the tournament, indicating by cable that he would nevertheless participate if the Cuban government publicly conceded that his participation is non-political. However, the latest report is that Fischer is playing.

Bobby Fischer would not have been drafted in U.S. Military. See this publication from the Worldwide Church of God,

MILITARY SERVICE and WAR by Herbert W Armstrong
“Here is the biblical teaching and commands of God on military service, killing and WAR. … At the outset, bear in mind that in the United States, for example, the Selective Service and the military authorities deal with “conscientious objectors” according to the genuine sincerity of the individual, as they, not the individual, determine his sincerity.”