Bobby Fischer, David in Cain's World

By Lev Khariton

For about three weeks now, since the news about Bobby Fischer’s
detention in Tokyo airport reached me, I have put all my emotions and
feelings on hold. Usually voluble on the issue of Bobby’s human
rights, these three weeks I have been keeping my thoughts and feelings
in check.

Now the time is really ripe for speaking up. A great crime has been
committed and is being committed towards the greatest chess player in
the history of our game. And people throughout the world are getting
increasingly conscious of the absurdity and cruelty of Fischer’s
detention. An Icelandic site “Free Bobby Fischer!” has
registered by today more than 4,000 signatures of the people
protesting against Bobby’s imprisonment. On August 1st I
received an email from my great friend and outstanding journalist
Goran Tomic, which I am citing he

Dear Lev,
I hope you have heard that Bobby decided to come in Serbia and
Montenegro. Five countries offered asylum to Bobby. Bobby has many
friends and fans in my country so he immediately decided. There are
some more problems with Japanese immigrant officials. The president of
our Chess federation, GM Bozidar Ivanovic is very fond to receive
Bobby. He said that Bobby my country has obligation to help Bobby,
because he helped us and he was persecuted because our country. He
added that that Fischer decision is compliment to my country. But the
final politic decision about that will be given tomorrow in twelve
o'clock.

These days I'm very busy about that. I'll send you an information
about It when it will be finished (I hope on favorable way to WCC R.J.
Fischer.)
Best wishes,
Goran Tomic

This is what I wrote in response to Goran’s letter:

Dear Mr. Goric,
You cannot imagine how happy and excited I am to receive the great
news about Bobby possibly coming to Yugoslavia! I think you country
deserves him more than any other place in the world. And I know he
loves your country. I only pray to God that everything will be smooth
and Bobby will come to his friends in your country.

I consider it disgusting even to speak about the attitude of the US
players, journalists and chess public in general. When you read most
of the mail at chesscafe.com on Bulletin Board you get really amazed
how people who seem to love chess so much want to see Bobby locked up
behind bars. Unfortunately, no one can do anything to them, but as the
great Russian poet
Alexander Galic wrote the name of every criminal who voted for locking
up Bobby will be remembered (Galic wrote this during the campaign
against Boris Pasternak and his novel Doctor Zhivago).The world must
know who the real criminals are!
Thanks again for the wonderful news!
Sincerely,
Lev Khariton

Today I have read the letter sent by the 10th World Champion Boris
Spassky to President George W.Bush. I cannot but quote the final
paragraph of Spassky’s appeal;

"I would not like to defend or justify Bobby Fischer. He is what he
is. I am asking only for one thing. For mercy, charity. If for some
reason it is impossible, I would like to ask you the following: Please
correct the mistake of President Franзois Mitterand in 1992.
Bobby and myself committed the same crime. Put sanctions against me
also. Arrest me. And put me in the same cell with Bobby Fischer. And
give us a chess set".

Bravo, Boris! I have always admired your honesty and integrity. How
unlike all this is to Korchnoi who has been cursing and insulting
Bobby in his interviews in the last few uears, or Kasparov’s
article “Fischer’s Price” in which the 13th World
Champion expresses his worry that Bobby’s anti-American stand
may be to the detriment of chess and chess players turning them away
from their favorite pastime! Kasparov should have better thought what
reputation he is bringing to chess by his war-mongering and
prearranged matches with chess computers.

When I think about Bobby, two biblical images come to my mind. First,
it is Cain, the cruelty of Cain slaying his brother Abel is associated
in my mind with the cruelty of the world torturing and pillaring
Fischer, the great man and the great champion. Second, it is David,
bringing down the giant Goliath. Fischer as David single-handedly
bringing down the Soviet Chess School, a lone fighter for the rights
of chess players, the greatest innovator, the man telling the world
his own truth whether this truth is accepted or not.

Last year after I published my appeal to the chess world on
Bobby’s birthday to drop the charges against him, some people
supported me, not so many, I should admit. I was a little bit upset.
Today I think “the moment of truth” had not come yet.
People throughout the world did not feel the danger threatening
Fischer. What is happening today has awoken them, there is no
time to be lost! So, better late than never! Bobby knows how many
friends he has now.

Fischer’s games, his immortal masterpieces will outlive the
centuries, like Mozart’s music or Tintoretto’s paintings.
In the face of Time he will always be remembered as a great chess
artist and an exceptional man. His enemies who came from the dust will
go with the dust.