Sometimes I think there was more truth in Pravda than in today’s New York Times.
I think you are correct. The Pravda writers played a game with their readers. The truth is in the article, but it is “coded” in politically correct and acceptable language. You have to reject the face value of the article, and decode its true meaning.
I see that appealing to the average Russian and their love of chess. But I will give Pravda more credit as a journalistic organ than the NYT today. The Times doesn’t even give you the coded truth; it is simply deleted from the propaganda meme.