Comments on https://adjva4.dpdns.org/@/ruylopez1000/blog/did-the-soviets-collude-against-bobby-fischer/jM3BjNcI
Collusion also happened at the Zürich 1953 Candidates' tournament. Keres was Estonian. Estonia had collaborated with Germany in the Second World War. Keres had to throw games.
Collusion also had happened in Moscow 1936.
Stalin: “How do you like my tournament?”
Capablanca: “It’s terrible; your players are cheating.”
Stalin: “What do you mean?”
Capablanca: “When they play against each other, the Soviets make quick draws and they get to rest. When they play against me, they fight on and on just to make me tired.”
https://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/capablancaolga.html
The cheating stopped immediately.
Fine refused to play in the 1948 FIDE World Champion's Tournament as he feared Soviet collusion.
According to Bronstein, Keres was told to draw his game against Smyslov in the Zürich 1953 Candidates' tournament.
https://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/soviet-cheating-in-fide-competition-zurich-1953 (Paragraph 6 & 7).
"At any event, the “triumvirate” decided to act. They summoned Keres to the shore of the Zurich lake and over the course of three hours tried to pursuade him to make a quick draw with white against Smyslov, so that in the next round the latter would be able to assail Reshevsky with all his might (I was told this that same eveniing by Tolush, Keres's second)."
"Keres courageously withstood the pressure. Perhaps he promised to think about it, but he turned up for play ... all flushed and agitated, and I saw he was not in a fit state to play. This was also noticed by Smyslov, who suddenly came up to me and asked, “Why is Paul looking at me so maliciously? Have I offended him, or what?” I didn't know what to reply, so I kept quiet – suppose Smyslov did not know what was going on? Keres lost, of course."
Letter by Capablanca's wife: https://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/capablancaolga.html (below your original quote).
Our correspondent notes that Capablanca’s complaint to Stalin was referred to on page 212 of A Chess Omnibus. Olga Capablanca mentioned such an incident to us a number of times (in writing and orally), and below we reproduce verbatim what she wrote to us on 26 July 1989:
‘It is little known, I believe, that Stalin came to see Capablanca play, hiding behind a drapery. This happened in Moscow in 1936. Capa had mentioned it to me en passant, so I am a bit hazy about the details, such as who had accompanied Stalin – seems to me it was Krylenko. However, the gist of this encounter remains quite clear in my mind.
Capa said to Stalin: “Your Soviet players are cheating, losing the games on purpose to my rival, Botvinnik, in order to increase his points on the score.”
According to Capa, Stalin took it good-naturedly. He smiled and promised to take care of the situation.
He did.
From then on the cheating had stopped and Capablanca had won the tournament all by himself. This was an important conquest, proving to the world that Capablanca returned to his own great form.
As he told it to me Capa added: “I had promised you to be again the best chessplayer in the world. So I have done it for you.”’
Olga Capablanca says that Capablanca accused Soviets of losing on purpose to Botvinnik. (different to the common anecdote of Soviet drawing games to rest and put their energy into playing against Capa).
Capa got 13/18 and Botvinnik got 12/18.
Botvinnik beat the Soviets Lilienthal, Kan, Riumin (twice), and Ragozin. This was 5/18 games total.
He also beat Lasker and Flohr (who became a Soviet later after the German invasion of Czechoslovakia) and lost to Capablanca.
Running Total (Moscow 1936):
Capablanca was never behind Botvinnik.
Capa 0.5 1.0 2.0 3.0 3.5 4.0 5.0 6.0 6.5 7.5 8.0 9.0 9.5 10.0 11.0 11.5 12.0 13.0
Botv 0.5 1.0 2.0 2.5 3.5 4.0 4.0 4.5 5.0 6.0 7.0 7.5 8.0 9.0 10.0 10.5 11.5 12.0
Chessmetrics Ratings at time of tournament: (May 1936).
http://www.chessmetrics.com/cm/CM2/SingleMonth.asp?Params=193010SSSSS3S000000193605111000000000000010100
https://en.chessbase.com/post/edward-winter-presents-unsolved-che-mysteries-9- (About Fine's withdrawal from 1948 FIDE World Champion's Tournament)
Unsolved Chess Mysteries (9)
By Edward Winter
Reuben Fine and the 1948 world championship
"In C.N.s 1680 and 1915 Edward J. Tassinari (Scarsdale, NY, USA) quoted various, and varying, explanations by Reuben Fine of his absence from the 1948 world championship match-tournament:"
In 1951 Bronstein was not allowed to win his World Championship match against Botvinnik.
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?tid=54195
In 1971 Korchnoi was forced to lose his Candidates' Match against Petrosian.
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?tid=85443
It seems that collusion was widespread from 1936 to 1971, so collusion in 1962 seems likely.
I guess Fischer was right about it.
The articles you linked don't seem to support those assertions.
(1) The 1951 Bronstein article, www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?tid=54195 (quote is from end of the article)
Bronstein has controversially hinted that there was government pressure on him to lose the match. In a 1993 interview he explained that "There was no direct pressure... But... there was the psychological pressure of the environment..." in part caused by his father's "several years in prison" and what he labeled "the marked preference for the institutional Botvinnik." Bronstein concluded that "it seemed to me that winning could seriously harm me, which does not mean that I deliberately lost."[24]
(Bronstein says there was 'psychological pressure' which seems different to being 'not allowed to win the match'.)
(2) The 1971 Korchnoi article, www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?tid=85443 (quote is from the end of the article)
There has never been any admission that such bureaucratic interference took place, nor has any evidence been found to corroborate the match being rigged. Instead, there is only unsupported speculation and this is no proof. In the absence of any evidence to the contrary, Korchnoi's conclusion that both players played the match in good faith cannot be challenged: "The match turned out be highly tedious; we played eight draws in a row! .... People joked that neither of us wanted to win the match, and then meet Fischer. In the West many were thinking the same way, being unable to believe that the match was being played seriously. And only those who knew me well realized that I was trying very hard, but that my play was not coming off. I was most upset when, in the heat of the moment, I overreached myself, and lost ... the ninth game."
The 1936 Moscow tournament also has no evidence. As I pointed out earlier, Capablanca was always equal or ahead of Botvinnik in the tournament. I don't know why Capablanca would complain (unless the anecdote isn't true).
And Capablanca's assertions don't equal proof. I don't see what's suspicious about Botvinnik's performance. Capablanca also beat many Soviets. According to chessmetrics, Botvinnik was stronger than Capablanca in May 1936.
I'd like to know what points you think I'm mistaken about in my article. I believe the evidence does demonstrate that the Soviets did not collude to stop Fischer from winning the tournament.
@RuyLopez1000
Thanks for your excellent contributions.
@tpr
I come to the not so unpleasant discovery, that your historical "facts" (not to mention the ideological mindset) are just as accurate as your constantly repeated chess "pearls".
LiChess correctly allows you to post again, but people can still block you...
#6
Of course no player will openly admit match fixing as that may lead to sanctions, a suspension, and in any case reputation damage.
"it seemed to me that winning could seriously harm me, which does not mean that I deliberately lost" is a delicate but deniable way to say Bronstein was pressured to lose.
On another occasion Bronstein said: 'You complain they make you throw a game, they made me throw a whole match' (quoted from my memory)
Bear in mind that Fischer knew Russian (he had learned it to be able to read and understand Soviet chess literature) so he could hear and understand what the Soviet players were saying to each other behind his board.
I wonder about Petrosian, because he was deaf.
Tal might have told Fischer about the Soviet collusion. Fischer was the only player who visited Tal in the Hospital.
In those times, there were team orders, as we now have in Formula-1 racing.
@tpr
Regarding Korchnoi, he already defected from Russia in 1976. He said that the match wasn't rigged in his 1978 Autobiography. Also he had quite a negative relationship with Petrosian - no reason to try to not speak the truth.
Regarding Bronstein, keep in mind Bronstein said that in 1993 - he was already around 70 years old. This was far past his playing days.
"The late David Bronstein seldom gave interviews, but a substantial one with Antonio Gude appeared on pages 38-42 of the March 1993 Revista Internacional de Ajedrez" - This from chess note 4753 in https://www.chesshistory.com/winter/winter29.html#4753._David_Bronstein.
"There was no direct pressure... But... there was the psychological pressure of the environment..." - The point is whether the claims of persistent and widespread Soviet collusion are true. This isn't collusion, and it certainly isn't against foreign players.
In terms of the consequences and sanctions, this is an unfalsifiable claim. If there is no evidence then you can always argue that it happened because people were simply scared to speak out. (Also you'd think there would be more evidence after such a long time).
There is no evidence that Tal told Fischer. That is simply speculation.
"In those times, there were team orders, as we now have in Formula-1 racing." - This needs some evidence.
Regarding Fischer's Russian, he said in 'The Russians Have Fixed World Chess' 1962 Article: "I studied Russian enough to be able to read their chess books, and I could easily understand what they were saying. They would say this move is good, or that move is good—in Russian, of course. My Russian isn't the greatest but, believe me, they weren't talking about the weather."
Now I just wonder why I couldn't find any sources backing Fischer's claim. If you can show me some sources then I will amend my blog post and give you credit. But it is striking that no one else in the Candidates tournament said this occurred (American Benko was playing, so was Korchnoi - he could have said this happened in his biography if this occurred - no reason for him to be shy considering his relationship with some of the Soviet players).
"In those times, there were team orders, as we now have in Formula-1 racing." - This needs some evidence.
* In present day formula-1 racing there are team orders over the radio that one racer must allow his teammate to pass him.
In Zürich 1953 Bronstein wrote he was ordered that he must win his game against Reshevsky.
It is plausible that also orders to draw or to lose were given.
The Smyslov-Keres and Bronstein-Keres games are suspicious to say the least.
"any sources backing Fischer's claim" * Fischer sits at his board, behind his back 2 Soviet players talk in Russian. Who can corroborate that? Only Fischer could hear and understand what they were saying. If there is any source, then it must be some form of complaint by Fischer to to arbiter.
"give you credit" * I need no credit.
"Benko was playing, so was Korchnoi" * Then they could not hear it.
Anyway, the fact that Fischer wrote the article, that he never ever played a Candidates' Tournament, and that FIDE changed from Candidates' Tournament to Candidates' Matches supports Fischer was right.