The Gift of Chess

Notice to commercial publishers seeking use of images from this collection of chess-related archive blogs. For use of the many large color restorations, two conditions must be met: 1) It is YOUR responsibility to obtain written permissions for use from the current holders of rights over the original b/w photo. Then, 2) make a tax-deductible donation to The Gift of Chess in honor of Robert J. Fischer-Newspaper Archives. A donation in the amount of $250 USD or greater is requested for images above 2000 pixels and other special request items. For small images, such as for fair use on personal blogs, all credits must remain intact and a donation is still requested but negotiable. Please direct any photographs for restoration and special request (for best results, scanned and submitted at their highest possible resolution), including any additional questions to S. Mooney, at bobbynewspaperblogs•gmail. As highlighted in the ABC News feature, chess has numerous benefits for individuals, including enhancing critical thinking and problem-solving skills, improving concentration and memory, and promoting social interaction and community building. Initiatives like The Gift of Chess have the potential to bring these benefits to a wider audience, particularly in areas where access to educational and recreational resources is limited.

Best of Chess Fischer Newspaper Archives
• Robert J. Fischer, 1955 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1956 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1957 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1958 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1959 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1960 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1961 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1962 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1963 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1964 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1965 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1966 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1967 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1968 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1969 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1970 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1971 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1972 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1973 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1974 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1975 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1976 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1977 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1978 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1979 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1980 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1981 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1982 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1983 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1984 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1985 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1986 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1987 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1988 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1989 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1990 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1991 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1992 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1993 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1994 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1995 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1996 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1997 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1998 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 1999 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 2000 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 2001 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 2002 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 2003 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 2004 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 2005 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 2006 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 2007 bio + additional games
• Robert J. Fischer, 2008 bio + additional games
Chess Columns Additional Archives/Social Media

Castro's No Pawn in Game of Chess

Star Tribune Minneapolis, Minnesota Sunday, January 08, 1967 - Page 44

Castro's No Pawn in Game of Chess
Cuban Premier Fidel Castro, who has won world acclaim as an orator, baseball pitcher and back-country guerrilla, also has creditable skills as a chess player.
This is reported by Fred Cramer, a former president of the U.S. Chess Federation and the official U.S. representative at the recent FIDE (International Chess Federation) meetings and World Chess Olympiad in Havana, Cuba.
Cramer, 54, who is a partner in a lighting fixture manufacturing company in Milwaukee, Wis., spoke at the Downtown YMCA Saturday and showed slides of his Cuban travels. The meeting was sponsored by the Minnesota State Chess Association.

THE HAVANA meetings marked a departure for the U.S. State Department. After years of intransigence, the State Department decided that “the national interest” would be served by allowing the American chess team to travel to Havana for the competition.
As Cramer described the setting in an interview, the Olympiad was the biggest thing to hit Havana since the revolution.
He said about 400 players and officials from 52 countries were the only guests in the splendor of the 630-room former Havana Hilton for the five weeks of meetings and chess play. They were celebrities. “Ever since I left Mexico City I was surrounded with newspaper photographers,” Cramer said.

NEWSPAPERS were filled with tournament news. Store windows were filled with giant chess displays. “It was like Christmas.”
Just to open the games took three days, Cramer said. “In Minneapolis, we'd say, ‘O.K., everybody go to your tables and start playing.’”
The formal opening festivities were conducted at the Coliseum, where the Cuban treason trials were held only six years earlier.
Cramer said 15,000 filled the stands, although many were young, uniformed children who obviously had been trucked to the Coliseum.
After the speeches and formalities, Castro played a young Mexican in an ex-officio game, Cramer said. “The Russian champion was kibitzing Castro, and Fischer (Bobby Fischer, the No. 1 American player) was helping the Mexican. It was a very serious game.”

CRAMER SAID photographers, particularly the two who stay at Castro's side, had a field day. The game lasted two hours.
“One of the funniest things I saw was the Russian waving to the other Russian to help because Castro was losing.”
But, in the end—Cramer said—Castro won, and the whole entourage was taken across the street from the hotel for ice cream. (“You have to eat ice cream to be a good Cuban,” Cramer reported.)
Cramer started to quote Fischer as saying Castro was a good player, but he stopped short. “Well, Fischer won't say anybody's good,” Cramer said, reinforcing the out-spoken public image of the young chess champion.
“Fischer gave him his book and told Castro he hoped it would help him.”

CRAMER CITED several instances when school children or audiences cheered the American entries. On several occasions, Cramer, who speaks Spanish, visited Havana slums, and got the same impression.

Castro's No Pawn in Game of Chess

'til the world understands why Robert J. Fischer criticised the U.S./British and Russian military industry imperial alliance and their own Israeli Apartheid. Sarah Wilkinson explains:

Bobby Fischer, First Amendment, Freedom of Speech
What a sad story Fischer was,” typed a racist, pro-imperialist colonial troll who supports mega-corporation entities over human rights, police state policies & white supremacy.
To which I replied: “Really? I think he [Bob Fischer] stood up to the broken system of corruption and raised awareness! Whether on the Palestinian/Israel-British-U.S. Imperial Apartheid scam, the Bush wars of ‘7 countries in 5 years,’ illegally, unconstitutionally which constituted mass xenocide or his run in with police brutality in Pasadena, California-- right here in the U.S., police run rampant over the Constitution of the U.S., on oath they swore to uphold, but when Americans don't know the law, and the cops either don't know or worse, “don't care” -- then I think that's pretty darn “sad”. I think Mr. Fischer held out and fought the good fight, steadfast til the day he died, and may he Rest In Peace.
Educate yourself about U.S./State Laws --
https://www.youtube.com/@AuditTheAudit/videos
After which the troll posted a string of profanities, confirming there was never any genuine sentiment of “compassion” for Mr. Fischer, rather an intent to inflict further defamatory remarks.

This ongoing work is a tribute to the life and accomplishments of Robert “Bobby” Fischer who passionately loved and studied chess history. May his life continue to inspire many other future generations of chess enthusiasts and kibitzers, alike.

Robert J. Fischer, Kid Chess Wizard 1956March 9, 1943 - January 17, 2008

The photograph of Bobby Fischer (above) from the March 02, 1956 The Tampa Times was discovered by Sharon Mooney (Bobby Fischer Newspaper Archive editor) on February 01, 2018 while gathering research materials for this ongoing newspaper archive project. Along with lost games now being translated into Algebraic notation and extractions from over two centuries of newspapers, it is but one of the many lost treasures to be found in the pages of old newspapers since our social media presence was first established November 11, 2017.

Special Thanks