Khariton's Gallery

Lev Khariton, a famous chess historian, a name who doesn't need any introduction! I contacted him way back in 1998, he was in France and writing for Chess Cafe.com. I emailed him to contribute for our chess magazine "Pakistan Chess Player". He honored my request and he sent us a great article New York 1927. We were faltered! Ever since he is the part of "Pakistan Chess Player" team. 

He has a strong grip on chess history...

"The young years of chess players of my generation are inseparably associated with these two names: Tal and Fischer! Frankly, in 1959, 1960, that is when I was 14 or 15 years old, I thought that there would be never greater chess players than Tal and Fischer. These were just magnetic names! At that time Tal was obviously stronger. It was his heyday in chess. Suffice it to remember that in the 1959 candidates' in Yugoslavia he beat Fischer in a 4:0 shutout! At that time nobody could resist to Tal and in 1960 he won the World Title in his match against Botvinnik. Fischer, although already a strong grandmaster, did not understand Tal`s irrational sacrifices. Besides, psychologically, his play was naive compared to Tal's. In the 60-s Tal was harassed by various diseases, whereas Bobby was making steady progress save for his disappointing "walkouts" from important tournaments. However in the 1962 candidates' at Curacao he won against Tal (2:1) who was sick by the end of the tournament and was obliged to be hospitalized. What is more important is that Fischer was the only player in that tournament who visited Tal in the hospital and played with him blitz games. None of the participants ever came to see their colleague! This is what I would like to remind of, when I hear people speaking or writing about Fischer's anti-Semitism and even cruelty. In general, Fischer had good, friendly relations, with all outstanding Soviet grandmasters - Petrosian, Keres, Smyslov, and Geller. It is not by chance that 20 years after winning the World Championship he chose Spassky to play a match with in Yugoslavia. He understood well that the evil came not from chess players, but from all those, as he called them, "creeps" who were hanging around the world of big chess. Certainly, I think nostalgically about Tal and Fischer, it was a "belle époque", "golden age" of chess, something that we shall never see again. At the same time I am happy and proud that I was a witness of that epoch!" from the Lev Khariton's interview.

Lev Khariton produce and edit two columns for the website ChessPress & 200 Words, we hope you enjoy reading his work, send your comments and suggestion directly to him at lev_khariton@yahoo.com

Appeal
by Lev Khariton

(This appeal was published in March 2003 and I thinks it's ever lasting, 
it needs your support!)

On March 9th Robert James Fischer, the 11th World Champion in chess history, will be 60 years old. The chess world has always treated with special reverence its champions. No wonder: they symbolized the progress of our ancient game., their games were open manuals for millions of chess fans throughout the world for generations. We have always been interested in their lives and chess careers. Hundreds of books and articles have been written on them and their careers. Fischer was the first who made the chess world respect the game as a profession. In fact, he can be justly considered to be the first chess professional in the history of the game. He received a lot of “slings and arrows", he was accused of greediness and money-grabbing, but Fischer, improving the conditions for himself, insisting that chess organizers pay fees to the participants of competitions, was actually fighting for the rights of his chess rivals, was improving their professional status. In this respect, he was a trail-blazer. No chess player today would ever come to a competition without financial remuneration. So, the world of professional chess should be grateful to Fischer for what he did many years ago.We can only admire that Fischer never exchanged his talent and the dignity of the chess champion for the cheap temptations of the flimsy glory and the sparkle of the yellow metal. We can recall numerous instances in Fischer’s life when he, without any qualms, spurned the most attractive offers that promised him the breathtaking wealth and the awe of the whole world. He always knew too well when chess was at stake and never sacrificed the dignity of the game!

Decades have passed, and today, making a flashback, we can state that in our world, alas!, far from being a model of freedom, Fischer has always remained free and independent, he has never accepted the circumstances imposed on him and the choice has been always his! He has never bowed down before tycoons and despots!

In 1992 Fischer was playing a match with Boris Spassky in Yugoslavia torn apart by the civil war. He was playing in spite of the economic sanctions against this country. The US government and the Department of Treasury decided to punish the chess champion. He was threatened by a special Executive Order with a huge fine and imprisonment. Actually, the government of his country closed the doors before Fischer. What was the fault of the American grandmaster? He was playing chess - the most peaceful war on Earth! He was playing chess when others were sowing destruction and death. In point of fact, at that moment Fischer was making the best propaganda of peace!

It can only be regarded as a most bitter paradox that the country that has given refuge to millions of people from all over the world has mercilessly turned into an eternal wanderer its greatest son, the glory of American chess and culture! This idea is giving me, and I am sure to many chess fans, an ever-rankling pain. This injustice is unbearable!

Exactly 10 years ago when Fischer was 50, I pointed out in my article in “La Pensee Russe”, the Paris newspaper where I have been editing the chess column for years, that FIDE, the organization in charge of the chess life, forgot to congratulate Fischer, its glorious champion. Now it is time ( who knows, maybe, history will never give us another chance) to congratulate Robert Fischer on his birthday! I am sure that all chess players and all those who love chess will join me. It is also the right time now to appeal to the American government to cancel the executive order vis-à-vis Fischer, in other words to correct the gross mistake committed years ago. I have no doubts that many people will support this stand. This is our moral duty: we can no longer remain indifferent facing the injustice. This is our responsibility before Time and History.

Dear friends, 

I would consider your signature under this appeal as a token of joining me in this campaign for Honesty and Justice! 

Lev Khariton
New York
March 8, 2003 

If you want to support this appeal, please, indicate:
Name:
Country:
e-mail address:

and email to lev_khariton@yahoo.com and please c.c to karim@pakchess.com

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