November 21, 1964
The Montreal Star Montreal, Quebec, Canada Saturday, November 21, 1964
Russian Intelligence (Spying) Tactics Extend Even to Chess World by Lou Seligson
Tel Aviv, Nov. 21—Everybody expects the Russians to walk off with the world championship at the 16th Chess Olympiad in Tel Aviv, Israel.
The Canadian chess team expects it—but they have got the shock of their lives in the process.
It was only after they got here and watched the Russians perform that they discovered one of the reasons why the Soviet team was so overpowering.
Frank R. Anderson, one of the top men on the six-man Canadian team, got wind of on of their sources of power—the best “intelligence” system of any team in the tournament.
Fifty-one countries sent teams to Tel Aviv for this Chess Olympiad—more than ever before in the history of the tournament. With Petrosian, the world champion, and two ex-world champions, Botvinnik and Smyslov, on the main boards, it was a cinch and nobody would touch the Russians on their way to the title.
But Anderson discovered that one of their powerhouse reasons was an intelligence system that made him shudder.
“I didn't know it before I got here,” Anderson said, “but the Russians have a complete dossier on every top player in the tournament. I know that many of the other strong teams have one system or another to keep track of the opposition, but nothing like this.
“Why, they know all kinds of things — whether you brought your wife to the Games — what your hobbies are — where you were last night — where you ate and what you did.”
It seems that one of the American players befriended one of the Russians and was shown a fat dossier on a player. It was complete, not only to games, but to habits and mannerisms. Each Russian knew exactly whom he was facing.
“It's not enough just to play with a board and pieces,” Anderson said. “In a tournament like this, fatigue is important. Psychology is important. You have to play a great deal on your opponent's weaknesses, not only in a game, but considering his personality, too. SO you can see how important all this is.”
Anderson is certain that in his own dossier the Russians have a complete list of all the games he has ever played in any tournament.
“When they face me, they know every move I ever made in my life,” he grinned. “They know more than I do, for I have forgotten most of those games.”
“Of course, the Russians play chess on a professional level,” Anderson pointed out. “They've got it down to a science. We're just a group of amateurs against them.”
