A“But His Gripes Are to Be Heard” says the headline in American newspapers. Those gripes were legitimate grievances, LEGAL, IN THE CONTRACT, according to Col. Edmondson of the US Chess Federation, and Fischer fully within his rights to demand the cameras removed. So why didn't the Soviet/Icelandic officials oblige? The Soviets didn't want to give Fischer a “hearing” The Soviet wanted to continue bombarding Fischer's view with a flock of disruptive camera men, to blow his concentration and throw ill-gotten points to the Soviets, or perhaps Soviet stubbornness would wear down the challenger's resistance, so he'd simply leave Reykjavik and then the Soviet get what it wanted all along -- the title. When the Soviets stubbornly refused to obey the rules, against all prior agreements, to withdraw their army of camera men, Fischer set out Game #2 in boycott. And for doing so, doing what was CORRECT TO DO, the Soviet unleashed another flood of anti-American propaganda… ah, Fischer is merely being “temperamental”.
American chess players, too stupefied to actually know, or even suspect what was occurring behind the Iron Curtain of Soviet secrecy, assumed their national champion must be “the bad guy” after all, that's what the Soviets are reporting to us, daily in the news media. Chess enthusiasts assuming, “The daily news wouldn't spoon-feed us a full-fledged anti-American propaganda… would they?” Fischer, demanding RULES BE ENFORCED over legitimate grievances of camera men crawling on the roof, bumping and scuffling from the side of the stage, one crew reported a mere 15 feet from Fischer is minimized as mere “gripes”.
To which, no doubt, some Americans may have even laughed, from brain-freeze, while the Soviets are engaged in a plot to steal the national prestige. Winning is everything, after all. Since the Soviet was refusing to provide the kind of camera coverage Fischer had expected, “instead of some kind of video tape film that didn't make any noise, just, nobody around to operate them [Cameras]…” automated video, the Soviets brought in Men … People … in crews of up to three, to tirelessly get in Fischer's face, with cameras, that were certainly not “hidden” as the campaign of disinformation reported to Americans.
On the contrary, the Soviets were brazenly breaking the rules, misleading American chess players right from their own daily newspapers to believe the “whole structure of the match DEPENDS on the presence of these cameras! — boo hoo — but if that were so, then why didn't Australia or Mexico “must need sale movie rights” no no! Australia and Mexico had the cash payout ready… cameras or no cameras… Australia and Mexico and Argentina could actually put their money where their mouth is! “Hidden” behind curtains” bah!! Completely invisible! Bah! Americans then shed tears for the poor “victimized” Soviets, applauding the Soviets for cheating in chess and lying to them in the daily newspapers. As Fischer emphasizes, “they just had guys there with film cameras that were worrying, and they were all around me. Making a racket. A nuisance. … Too much noise, and visually you could see them moving around.” But American chessplayers, brainwashed by the dazzling confusion of Soviet propaganda, were applauding the Soviets as they stole the title from under the nose of citizens of the United States.
Too many false reports exist in these articles, that it would take volumes to dissect every lack of logic in the claims that turned up in U.S. Newspapers.. There was simply no alternative but for Iceland to place a herd of noisy, disruptive men all around Fischer, disrupting his concentration to throw points to the Soviets! No other alternative existed according to Icelandic and Soviet Chess officials, such as putting “some kind of video tape film that didn't make any noise, nobody around to operate them…” it was all or nothing for the Soviet… to blow Fischer's mind with noise and disruptive camera men, till Fischer DEMANDS the cameras be removed.
Then, at last! The Soviets can wring its hands in delight that they have successfully buried coverage of the match, as was their intent from the beginning… and Robert Fischer knew that, having commented on the intent of Soviets, months before:
“‘Iceland is a dreadful place to hold the matches.’ Fischer told some intimates in some of his rare conversations between tennis sessions.
‘But I realize why they wanted Iceland.
‘They are aware that I am going to win and they want the least possible exposure. Iceland is one place that there it is not possible even to use a television satellite.
‘Chess is a big propaganda vehicle with the Russians.’”
World Title Match in Secret
“…He also says the television coverage will be limited. If he beats Spassky, he doesn't see why it should be some kind of secret.
“…THE WORLD champion has the right to pick the site of the championships,” says Fischer.
“Spassky wasn't even there when the international governing body chose the site. A Russian delegation was there and they picked the site.”
Americans, under the influence of the Soviet Koolaid, cheered on the Soviets with every daily newsbreak, riddled full of unethical Soviet propaganda, filling their daily newspapers with disinformation.
Again, Spassky was awarded the point for the 2nd match, in spite that the American team has done exactly what they were supposed to do to AVOID A FORFEIT: Turning in an formal, written protest demanding Icelandic officials enforce the rules on the removal of the disruptive camera men (which Fischer was fully entitled to demand done), two minutes before the deadline! But ethics were tossed out the window, and so much noise in American papers, that chess enthusiasts were kept in the dark. In fair play, there would've been no forfeit, but the game should've been postponed, till the officials called for an official hearing, and according to the rules, the cameras removed (as the contract demanded.) But the Soviets simply flicked the rules under the rug and took the point for themselves… and the brainwashed American chessplayers contentedly continued cheering for the Soviets.
Robert Fischer Boycotts Second Match in Protest Against Men Hired to Disruptively Operate Cameras 14 Jul 1972, Fri The News Journal (Wilmington, Delaware) Newspapers.com
