A“I'll not pay a penny of Federal income taxes until I get justice in this case. I'm not going to take this lying down.”
—Bobby Fischer, April 1, 1977
Wahoo! Brad Darrach caught lying, again?? and again! and again… if Darrach's lips are moving, or his fingers typing, he's lying.
City Says 'Hail' to Bobby Fischer, By John L. Hess, Sept. 23, 1972
“…Fischer told a reporter that the story that he had sold Life magazine an exclusive inter view during the match with Spassky was “a dirty lie.”
“I was busy,” he said. “If I'd given an interview to every body that asked, I'd have lost the match.”
NY Times, 9/23/1972
New York Times, New York, New York, Monday, September 11, 1972
New Wealth Expected to Foster Big Shift in Fischer's Life-Style
“…Bobby Fischer is planning to change his life-style substantially now that he is the world chess champion, Life magazine says in its issue out today…
The author of the article, Brad Darrach, a Life staff member, accompanied Fischer to Iceland, where Fischer won the championship. Fischer reportedly had an arrangement with Life not to give interviews to reporters from other news organizations during the championship match, which ended with his victory over Boris Spassky 10 days ago.”
NY Times, 9/11/1972
This demonstrates the lack of personal knowledge of Darrach about Bobby Fischer. His articles persistently cite third parties, as if Darrach had an “inside scoop” on Fischer's personal life, relying on hearsay and embellishing with his wild imagination and passing his speculation off as “factual news” and even a “biography”.
The Town Talk (Alexandria, Louisiana) 17 Oct 1974, Thursday, Page 7
Ask yourself a logical question: “Did Fischer compete in 1975?” No? That's because Brad Darrach was making all this nonsense up, and wasn't getting his information from Bobby Fischer. By 1974, Fischer was becoming infuriated with Darrach's obsessed stalking and erratic slander… to earn a yellow journalist paycheck at Fischer's expense.
Remember this example, for other things Darrach wrote about Bobby… a nugget of fact here or there, wrapped in layers of Darrach's own wild speculation and defamation.
(Darrach wildly speculated, wrongly, that Fischer became involved with WCG in early 1970s… and no doubt, this is where Ron Gross also picked up his source for his own false account.)
This article clearly states, Fischer says he befriended Darrach in March 1972…
The Honolulu Advertiser (Honolulu, Hawaii) 01 Apr 1977, Friday, Page 29
Brad Darrach is so ignorant, that he claimed Fischer learned of Armstrong on “Television” (then, only a recent mode of media broadcast for the church).
<CONTRADICTION>
DARRACH'S FAKE VERSION: “Bobby had heard of the fundamentalist Worldwide Church of God on their television shows so he visited their headquarters in Pasadena. ‘He liked it so much he told the founder, Herbert W. Armstrong, that he wanted to give the church $31,000.’”
The Town Talk (Alexandria, Louisiana) 17 Oct 1974, Thursday, Page 7
BOBBY FISCHER'S ACTUAL ACCOUNT
LEN ZOLA: “Was it in 1962 or around then that you said you first became involved with the Worldwide Church of God? Did you flip the radio to the Worldwide Church of God's radio broadcast by accident?”
FISCHER: “I had some personal problems, and I started listening to a lot of radio ministers. I listened every Sunday all day, flipping the dial up and back. So, I heard just about every guy on Sunday. And then I heard Mr. Armstrong, and I said, "Ah, God has finally shown me the one, I guess. This guy really has power. authority. He doesn't talk like the other guys. He really knows his stuff!”
https://hwarmstrong.com/ar/Fischer.html
</CONTRADICTION>
The Monitor (McAllen, Texas) 27 Nov 1975, Thursday
“Bobby Fischer Scores in Court”
Brad Darrach had a history of defamation, a pattern of behavior with unethical journalism… before Bobby Fischer had the misfortune of acquainting him.
Asbury Park Press Asbury Park, New Jersey Friday, December 12, 1969
Lawyer Sues Life For College Story
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30037555/lawyer_sues_life_for_college_story/
Panama City News-Herald Panama City, Florida Monday, December 15, 1969 - Page 12
Lawyer Sues Magazine For 'Alma Mater'
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30037705/lawyer_sues_magazine_for_alma_mater/
- The Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Saturday, December 13, 1969 “Seton Hall Graduate Sues Life Magazine For Story on School”
The Daily Record (Long Branch, New Jersey) 19 Dec 1969, Friday, Page 1
Seton Hall Graduate Sues Life, Writer
More on Brad Darrach's history of defamation… before he acquainted Bobby Fischer, to finish ruining his life and reputation…
Celebrity, John Wayne
Rapid City Journal (Rapid City, South Dakota) 23 Apr 1956, Monday, Page 19
- Kingsport News Kingsport, Tennessee Monday, April 23, 1956 “Movie Star John Wayne”
- The Terre Haute Tribune Terre Haute, Indiana Sunday, April 22, 1956 “Movie Star John Wayne”
Brad Darrach's vicious words about Dick Cavett
Springfield Leader and Press (Springfield, Missouri) 09 Nov 1971, Tuesday Page 15
- The Miami News Miami, Florida Tuesday, November 09, 1971 “Cavett Once Worked for Time --as one of their copyboys”
Brad Darrach's Stolen Story from Ezra Goodman and Marilyn Monroe
The Times Shreveport, Louisiana Saturday, May 26, 1956
- Hartford Courant Hartford, Connecticut Saturday, May 26, 1956 “Ezra Goodman - Brad Darrach Steals Marilyn Monroe Story”
This remains one of the more decrepit, underhanded, despicable acts of yellow journalism by Brad Darrach/Harry Benson. Bobby Fischer ridiculed the Nixon Administration's failure to invite the national chess hero, himself, to the White House after winning the '72 Match with Boris Spassky. Larry Evans recalled that a “Life Reporter” delivered the message, but Fischer was busy and merely forgot.
Not according to Brad Darrach, “Fischer Listened with growing delight,” and was “wowed” by Nixon's invitation. This is a small sample of Brad Darrach's flippant meddling with ethics of journalism and people's lives… Darrach wrote this fake news release, knowing it was not factual, lying to millions of Americans. To Darrach, integrity in journalism was a dirty joke.
“President Asks Fischer to Visit At White House”
Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 07 Aug 1972, Monday
Alabama Journal Montgomery, Alabama Tuesday, July 06, 1971 ★
Fischer was speaking the truth. There was never an invitation to the White House. Here Ed Edmondson of the U.S.C.F. explains why an invitation from the White House would not have taken place.
Fischer was speaking the truth. There was never an invitation to the White House. In the past I have pointed out Brad...
Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Saturday, June 20, 2020
Brad Darrach's colleagues knew exactly what he was, long before Darrach intruded in Bobby Fischer's life to publish a book of defamation, in spite of breaking his word (which was worthless anyway) that he would publish nothing personal. A book of... vulgarity, anyone?
The Baltimore Sun Baltimore, Maryland Sunday, August 25, 1968
CITY SAYS ‘HAIL’ TO BOBBY FISCHER
“…Fischer told a reporter that the story that he had sold Life magazine an exclusive interview during the match with Spassky was ‘a dirty lie.’” ‘I was busy,’ he said. ‘If I'd given an interview to every body that asked, I'd have lost the match.’” New York Times, 9/23/1972
Contrary to Brad Darrach's fake stories which were published in print without second question or investigation, Fischer plainly states he would not spend the money. As we know now, and as Fischer actually reported to ex-cult insiders, he donated the bulk of money to the Armstrong cult, Herbert Armstrong and looted by Stanley Rader.
“Bobby Fischer Speaks Out!” (1977)
CITY SAYS ‘HAIL’ TO BOBBY FISCHER “…Fischer told a reporter that the story that he had sold Life magazine an exclusive...
Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Saturday, June 20, 2020
Bobby Fischer was much too tolerant of the ill-repute greasy tabloid reporter, Brad Darrach who has a very long sordid...
Posted by Bobby Fischer's True History on Tuesday, December 8, 2020
Bobby Fischer was much too tolerant of the ill-repute greasy tabloid reporter, Brad Darrach who has a very long sordid history as a dishonest troublemaker. Boris Spassky had Brad Darrach sniffed out for the fraud he is, long before Bobby! I mark this up to age & experience I guess, perhaps Bobby's vulnerabilities as an Autistic. In 1974 Bobby Fischer finally grasps the full scope of what Darrach is, and brought a lawsuit against him but much too late, as unfortunately a great damage had already been done to Bobby's personal life.
Fischer Denounces 'Dirty Lie' of Life Magazine's "Exclusive" Rights During 1972 Reykjavik Match 04 Jul 1972, Tue The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) Newspapers.com
Posted on Thursday, April 8, 2021
As mentioned (and highly resented with justifiable cause) by Bobby Fischer, he never received an invitation from acting President, antisemite Richard Nixon to the White House. Some, like Larry Evans denied this, claiming Life Magazine's Harry Benson was asked by Nixon to deliver the invitation, but Fischer (due to his inability to remember things, like encyclopedias of chess openings and such) “simply forgot” all about a Presidential invitation. 🙄 Evans speaks to his own poor skill at recollection. Darrach could not be trusted for an accurate report, if asked the 'Time of Day'. What President in his right mind would use a muckraking news guy to serve as his personal courier? This snippet from an alternative news item shed a more reasonable, accurate light on what transpired.
Lebanon Daily News Lebanon, Pennsylvania Monday, September 04, 1972:
Fischer Receives Nixon Telegram
Earlier, Fischer received a congratulatory telegram from President Nixon. Aides to Fischer said the new champion shuffled his feet and broke into a big smile as he read the telegram, despite the fact that it did not extend a White House dinner invitation.
The text of the cable read:
“Dear Bobby. Your convincing victory at Reykjavik is eloquent witness to your complete mastery of the world's most difficult and challenging game. The championship you have won is a great personal triumph for you and I am pleased to join countless of your fellow citizens in extending my heartiest congratulations and best wishes.
Sincerely yours,
Richard Nixon
Fischer Receives Nixon Telegram Mon, Sep 4, 1972 – 32 · The Daily News (Lebanon, Pennsylvania) · Newspapers.com
That's A Big IF
From The Age Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Friday, July 21, 1972 we get this bit of distortion, and one of the prime culprits behind spreading sensational fiction is none other than one of Fischer's arch rivals, Larry Evans. Larry Evans was Robert Fischer's “second” in Argentina during the Petrosian-Fischer quarter final tournament in 1971. Reported by numerous chess columnists in 1971, Evans threw a tantrum, because Fischer didn't need him. Evans returned home halfway through the tournament! Meanwhile, when the matter arose again about Evans serving as Fischer's second in Reykjavik, Fischer refused, according to Evans himself. One condition being that Fischer forbid Evans to write about him and/or publish.
Evans remained disgruntled from that time forward, using every available opportunity to bad-mouth and smear Fischer in the press and spread false stories, but always using Fischer's notoriety to bolster his own career and publicity interests. Such as this bit that Evans circulated without evidence, and mentioned in The Age, 7/21/1972, “In Washington, the usually conservative evening newspaper the STAR claimed earlier this week that White House aide Dr. Kissinger had made an 11th-hour intervention last Monday with a telephone appeal to Fischer not to walk out of the series. ([Really? Who's trying to claim Fischer was actually the one with the “attitude problem”? What about those rule-breaking Soviet and Icelandic organizers refusing to remove disruptive camera men and nearly jeopardized the tournament?]) The newspaper's special correspondent in Reykjavik, LARRY EVANS, solemnly reported that Dr. Kissinger told Fischer that America's honor was at stake, and that there was also the little matter of U.S. military bases in Iceland. IF THE REPORT WAS CORRECT…”
… and that's a big “If”.
Larry Evans was also complicit in spreading false news stories from August 14, 1972 that falsely alleged Nixon extended a White House invitation to Fischer. There was no truth to the claim and the New York Times even notes on August 7, 1972 when it did its own follow up investigation: “White House press aides declined comment on the reported invitation yesterday.” (See New York Times “White House Reported To Invite Fischer”.)
When the White House declines comment, it's further supporting evidence that Fischer was never extended an invitation, which justified the resentment Fischer often expressed toward Richard Nixon, in later years. Larry Evans reported falsely in his column, embellishing on Brad Darrach and Harry Benson's fables, that Nixon enlisted the services of Harry Benson (imagine that! Does the President of the most powerful nation in the world actually need, or think so highly of a couple of Life reporters, to enlist their aide to serve as White House courier-liaisons?!) yet, that's precisely what Larry Evans, Brad Darrach and Harry Benson released in the press, claiming Nixon sent the invitation through Harry Benson. Larry Evans followed up by claiming Fischer simply “forgot” it.
There is no evidence Kissinger, Nixon or the White House had anything at all to do with Fischer during his tournament in Iceland, unless Kissinger comes forward and personally confirmed he ever made a phone call. Short of that, nothing except a couple scurrilous reports by attention-craving columnists like Evans and Darrach.
The only confirmation beyond White House officials stating “No Comment” is a report released September 04, 1972 confirming: “Fischer received a congratulatory telegram from President Nixon. Aides to Fischer said the new champion shuffled his feet and broke into a big smile as he read the telegram, despite the fact that it did not extend a White House dinner invitation”.
Robert J. Fischer, an American, would justifiably grow bitter in his resentment toward Richard Nixon's refusal to give the due acknowledgement for the intellectual feat accomplished for American prestige, during the summer of 1972.
