Good post by Taylor Kingston!

I have been trying for 2 years to get Larry Evans into a 20 question session
with Chessville. The realm of possible questions is so great I would invite
others to contribute [as I did with Mark Taimanov - in fact I personally
have several specific question on Evans-Taimanov, with Che Guevara looking
on]

Larry Evans has that attribute of having lived in what Adorjan says was the
creative period of chess, and of knowing, contra mundam! the context and
personalities of historic chess circumstances. Strong players emphasis
context as being important. In much chess writing it doesn;t appear at all,
just some bland, if fantastical chess score.

We might all encourage the gent to get on the record - and Mihai, you
agree?!

I even have a question from Taimanov for Larry

Phil Innes

"Taylor Kingston" wrote in message
ps.com...

Over the last few days a rancorous discussion has been going on
between Helpbot (aka Greg Kennedy), GM Mihai Suba, and Larry Parr on
the subject of telephone conversations between Bobby Fischer and Henry
Kissinger (then National Security Advisor) pertaining to Fischer's
1972 world title match with Spassky. There is obviously strong
disagreement, between Helpbot on one side, and Suba and Parr on the
other. However, I'm having trouble making out exactly what is the real
point at issue, partly because it involves a Chess Life article I
haven't seen.
Perhaps a reader, or one of the principals in the dispute, can
clarify matters?

It may be that both sides here are partly right and partly wrong. A
search for the word "Kissinger" among these three posters brings up
these recent quotes:

Helpbot, 6 March 2007:

"It remains an undisputed fact that none other than Henry Kissinger
telephoned GM Fischer before the match in question, pleading him to
uphold the honor of his country, etc."

Mihai Suba, 4 October 2007:

"You wanted to proof Fischer was 'after money' and nothing of
'patriotism.' Your 'proof' consisted in time mismatching the Slater
offer with a Kissinger plead. The Slater offer, to double the prize
fund, was BEFORE the start of the match in Rejkjavik, while the
alledged phone call of Kissinger was AFTER the second game, when
Fischer intended to leave. Without your acronia, the two things proof
the contrary of what you said."

Larry Parr, 5 October 2007:

"The word here [in Reykjavik -- not New York] is that Bobby Fischer
received an 11th-hour phone call from Henry Kissinger persuading him
to play the third game of his match with Boris Spassky. America's
honor was at stake as well as political relations with Iceland."

Helpbot, 10 October 2007:

"Speaking of gutless wonders, anybody notice what happened to Mr.
Parr when it was pointed out that the phone call described in the
recent pages of Chess Life was made from New York (not Iceland)?
That's right: he groaned and then ran away!
"The quote from an old article by GM Evans mentioned a call made to
Iceland during the match, but of course logic dictates that it is to
convince our hero to fly to a place when he is there playing already.
Mr. Parr seems to have grave difficulties with logic, but his research
skills are commendable in that he managed to dredge up /something/."

Parr in reply, 10 October 2007:

"Once again, the call from Kissinger to Fischer was not made to
convince Bobby to fly to Iceland. It was made by Kissinger while Bobby
was already in Iceland to convince him to continue the match after
losing the first two games to Spassky.
"Sheesh."

(end quotes from rgc posts)

I wonder if part of the confusion here stems from the fact that
Kissinger made more than one call to Fischer. Checking the well-
researched book "Bobby Fischer Goes to War" (2004), the chronology
seems to be about like this:

1 July 1972: Opening ceremony in Reykjavik, Iceland. Fischer not in
attendance -- still in New York.
1 or 2 July 1972: Theodore Tremblay, US Ambassador to Iceland,
telegraphs Kissinger and Secretary of State Wiiliam Rogers, detailing
his concerns about Fischer's refusal to play.
1 or 2 July 1972: Kissinger (probably in Washington DC?),
telephones Fischer in Douglaston, NY, saying among other things
"America wants you to go over there and beat the Russians."

3 July 1972: Wealthy British businessman James Slater adds £50,000
to the prize fund, saying "If [Fischer] isn't afraid of Spassky, then
I have removed the element of money."

3 July 1972, 10:04 PM: Fischer takes off from JFK airport, arriving
early July 4 in Iceland.

14 July 1972: After losing the first game of the match, and
forfeiting the second, Fischer is threatening to walk out, objecting
to the presence of cameras filming the match. Kissinger calls from San
Clemente, California, encouraging Fischer to continue playing.

So it seems well-established that there were TWO calls by Kissinger
to Fischer, one *_before_* the match while Fischer was still in New
York, and one to Reykjavik *_after_* game 2 but before game 3. If Suba
and/or Parr insist there was only the one call on July 14, and if
Helpbot insists there was only a call before the match, then neither
side is completely correct.
I welcome comments from the three principals, as well as informed
readers, in hopes of clarifying what this dispute is about.