AThe Lowell Sun Lowell, Massachusetts Friday, February 11, 1972 - Page 34
Soviets Blame U.S. and FIDE in Chess Site Stalemate
Moscow (AP) — The Soviet Chess Federation charged today that the U.S. and International Chess Federations were responsible for the impasse in the choice of the site for the Spassky-Fischer world championship match.
Dmitry V. Postnikov, the Soviet federation's president, told a news conference that the Russians had made an official protest, charging “nonobservance of the International Chess Federation's regulations and procedures.”
Postnikov added that the Soviet side may not consider itself bound by a FIDE decision on the site match if, in their view, FIDE rules are further violated. FIDE stands for the International Chess Federation.
Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union, the current champion, and Bobby Fischer of the United States, the challenger, were unable to agree on a site for their match by the Feb. 10 deadline established by FIDE president Dr. Max Euwe.
According to the international federation's rules, Euwe will now make the final decision on the match site.
The Soviet protest, sent Thursday to FIDE headquarters in Amsterdam, “demands strict observance of FIDE decisions and rejects the attempts by the challenger to force conditions for the championship match favorable only to him.”
[ ! …and vis versa!]
Postnikov announced following talks here between the Soviet Chess Federation and Ed Edmondson of the U.S. chess federation earlier this week, “a preliminary agreement” had been reached naming the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik as the match site.
But before a final decision was made, he said, both Spassky and Fischer had to give their approval.
Postkinov said Spassky had agreed but Fischer informed them Thursday he would not accept the Icelandic site.
Reykjavik was Spassky's first choice for the match site, while Fischer's was Belgrade, Yugoslavia.
Soviets Blame U.S. and FIDE in Chess Site Stalemate Fri, Feb 11, 1972 – Page 34 · The Lowell Sun (Lowell, Massachusetts) · Newspapers.com
