AThe Salina Journal Salina, Kansas Sunday, February 27, 1972 - Page 14
Chess Match in Check Before a Pawn is Moved
Christian Science Monitor News Service
Moscow—The battle already is joined.
Even before the actual confrontation between Soviet world chess champion Boris Spassky and United States challenger Bobby Fischer, a wrangle has developed over the venue and date of the match.
The Russians charge that the rules of the World Chess federation have been violated and express pique that the youthful American turned down a preliminary agreement to hold the tournament in the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik beginning June 25.
Moreover, they say, inasmuch as the procedures of the world federation were broken, they will not necessarily be bound by a decision made by Dr. Max Euwe, president of the body, to break the deadlock. (It is the understanding of the U.S. side that if negotiations prove fruitless, the president will prick the site subject to one veto by each player.)
The drama grows. The Russians say they received a telegram from Euwe suggesting a “European city” proposed by Fischer. This presumably would be Belgrade or Sarajevo, both in Yugoslavia, both of which were on the American's list — and both of which Spassky is thought to object to on grounds of hot climate.
Annoyed
Clearly annoyed over the whole affair, officials of the U.S.S.R. Chess federation called a press conference to air their case.
Euwe, they said, established that both sides were to communicate their preferences to the world federation by Jan. 27.
The Soviets sent their list on time, naming the cities of Reykjavik, Amsterdam, Dortmund, and Paris. The American challenger did not send in a list until Jan. 31. (It included, in addition to the Yugoslav cities, Montreal, Buenos Aires, and Chicago.)
Contrary to world federation rules, the Russians charged, Euwe went back on his own decision, accepted the Jan. 31 date as valid, and since none of the cities listed coincided, established an addition 10-day period for the two to agree.
The Soviets protested this procedure but agreed to receive Col. Edmund Edmondson, director of the U.S. Chess Federation, for negotiations.
As a result of the Moscow talks, a preliminary agreement on Iceland was reached Feb. 7, and it was to be made public on Feb. 10, after both champion and challenger had approved it. But Fischer declined.
News Conference
At the news conference, the Soviet chess officials also pointed out that it is the tradition for the reigning chess champion to select the venue, but that Spassky “does not demand any preference,” having listed 4 different cities.
Fischer, it was noted, has repeatedly indicated that his main consideration is monetary, a demand considered the religious and other habits of Fischer in the past, although this disrupted their “usual rhythm and order of play.”
Anyone's guess
What happens at this juncture is anyone's guess. Last month a Soviet newspaper quoted Spassky as saying over television that if he and Fischer could not agree about a venue, one half of the match would take place in the U.S.S.R. and the other in the United States.
Fischer, who temper and idiosyncrasies are as famous as his great skill at chess, long has been criticized in the official press here for what Russians Soviets regard as an imperious attitude.
